Student loan interest rates cut amid cost of living crisis

Student loan interest rates have been cut by another percentage point as the Government attempts to protect borrowers from rising inflation.

Rates will be cut to 6.3 per cent for students in England and Wales from September, the Department for Education (DfE) said.

The Government announced in June that the student loan interest rates were to be reduced from 12 per cent to 7.3 per cent.

Minister for Skills, Further and Higher, Andrea Jenkyns, said the new cap was being introduced "to align with the most recent data on market rates".

A spokesperson for the Student Loans Company said borrowers do not need to do anything in light of the change, as it will be automatically applied.

The change applies to those on undergraduate (Plan 2) and postgraduate (Plan 3) loans.

The new rates will reduce student loan interest rates by the largest amount on record, the DfE said.

Someone with a student loan balance of £45,000 would reduce their accumulating interest by around £210 per month under the newly-announced rates compared to 12pc interest rates, the department added.

This reduction is on the total value of the loan, as monthly repayments do not change.

'We are providing support where we can'

Ms Jenkyns said: "We understand that many people are worried about the impact of rising prices and we want to reassure people that we are stepping up to provide support where we can.

"Back in June, we used predicted market rates to bring forward the announcement of a cap on student loan interest rates down from an expected 12 per cent and we are now reducing the interest rate on student loans further to 6.3 per cent, the rate applying today, to align with the most recent data on market rates.

"For those starting higher education in September 2023, and any students considering that next step at the moment, we have cut future interest rates so that no new graduate will ever again have to pay back more than they have borrowed in real terms."

A Student Loans Company spokesperson said: "The change in interest rates is automatically applied so customers don't need to take any action.

"We encourage customers to use SLC's online repayment service to regularly check their loan balance and repayment information, as well as ensure their contact information is up-to-date."