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Interest rates on Plan 2 and 3 student loans to be capped at 6%

From September 1, interest on plan 2 and 3 student loans will be capped at six per cent instead of RPI plus three, in a bid to protect borrowers, the Government said

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Students throw their caps in the air ahead of their graduation ceremony at the Royal Festival Hall on July 15, 2014 in London
Students throw their caps in the air ahead of their graduation ceremony at the Royal Festival Hall on July 15, 2014 in London. Picture: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

By Rebecca Henrys

Interest rates on plan 2 and 3 student loans will be capped at 6 per cent from September following mounting criticism over the cost of repayments.

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The Government said the move would help deliver stability and protections for graduates amid the prospect of inflation pressures due to the Middle East war.

Interest on plan 2 loans is currently paid at a rate of between RPI and RPI plus three per cent, depending on earnings.

Current students on plan 2 and plan 3 also face an interest rate of RPI plus three per cent while they are studying.

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Graduates from York Business School at York St John University attend their graduation ceremony at York Minster on November 14, 2024
Graduates from York Business School at York St John University attend their graduation ceremony at York Minster on November 14, 2024. Picture: Ian Forsyth/Getty Images

From September 1, interest on plan 2 and 3 student loans will be capped at six per cent instead of RPI plus three, in a bid to protect borrowers, the Government said.

Plan 2 student loans are those taken out for undergraduate courses and Postgraduate Certificates of Education (PGCE) since September 1 2012 in Wales and between September 1 2012 and July 31 2023 in England.

Plan 3 student loans cover postgraduate master’s or doctoral courses for borrowers in England and Wales.