A university graduate with £84,000 in student loan debt says he does not know if he will ever repay it, as he works part-time in a shop while struggling to start his desired career. Lewis Gibson, 24, completed a 2:1 degree in politics and Spanish at the University of Sheffield, but nine months after graduating, his debt has grown to £84,346.27.
Mr Gibson received around £67,000 in maintenance and tuition payments under the Plan 2 student loan system. Although repayments only begin once earnings exceed £28,470, the balance is subject to RPI inflation plus up to 3 per cent. Since April 2025, he has been charged £4,445 in interest.
He has applied for around 60 political sector jobs but secured only three interviews. Living with his parents in Swindon, Wiltshire, he works part-time in a shop in Cirencester. “It’s a struggle,” he said. “I do think to myself sometimes that I can’t wait around forever. But then the idea of not doing what I want to be doing, what I believe I’m capable of doing, doesn’t sit right with me.”
A survey by High Fliers Research found graduate jobs offered by Britain’s top 100 employers fell by a quarter in three years. ONS data show nearly a million young people are not in employment, education or training. Mr Gibson said he wants a graduate employer to “take a chance” on him.
The issue has gained political attention. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer vowed to make the loans system fairer, while Chancellor Rachel Reeves froze the repayment threshold for Plan 2 borrowers at £29,385 for three years. Tory leader Kemi Badenoch called for interest to be capped at RPI inflation only. Mr Gibson welcomed moves to improve outcomes but questioned whether he would have attended university if he had known his current situation.
