Aibu to ask, how long ago did you graduate, and how much have you got left to pay?

[Mannerscostnothing84]

I totally realise this is all relative. I am just curious as to whether anyone gets theirs paid off in a reasonable amount of time.

I am sick to death of seeing it come out my pay, and have made some over payments in the past to clear it faster.

I earn a decent salary, but have had 2 years maternity leave so no payments made during those periods.

I graduated 11 years ago and still owe £5500 !

10 years ago in June. It's about 10k I think. I don't even think about it - cash lumps go into the mortgage!

About 12 years ago. Nothing left to pay.

Oh blimey some of these are just awful. I graduated in 2006 with £9000 debt. Still have around half of that to go, but I've been a SAHM for two years so it's not going anywhere fast.

If fees are what they are now - or worse - when the time comes for my dc, I'm afraid my advice will be to not go to university. It's a horrifying amount of money to start your working life owing.

Graduated 2013, and paid it all of about 3 years ago ish. So took almost 10 years. But I guess it will depend on how big the debt is in the first place!

I graduated last summer (mature student) and owe £35k or thereabouts. My wages are currently under they payment threshold so I'm not paying anything off it. The debt gets wiped after 30 years or when I hit a certain age (can't remember what it is but think it's 60) so I doubt I'll ever repay it in full. I'm really not bothered about it either!

14 years ago, just over £5k left. I wasn't earning enough to pay it back until 8ish years ago though.

I graduated in 2003 so 13 years ago. I paid mine off about 5 years ago...

13 years ago.

Zero.

10 years ago, about £12, same as it was then, I only earn enough to pay back the interest each year

Oooooh well over £30k. The interest is insane. I graduated in the last 5 years. It doesn't hang over me, I rarely think about it. It shouldn't put anyone off because it is treated as completely separate to you financially (when buying a house etc - they just take into account monthly payments but these are incredibly low)

Graduated in 2004. Still owe £8K. But I haven't paid a penny in the last 4 years as I've had maternity leave and since then have been earning under the threshold.

To be honest the rates on my loan are so low (currently 1.25%) - I am aware that this is not the case for post 2012 students - and as I don't make any repayments anyway it doesn't really bother me. The interest on my mortgage is more than that and my savings earn between 3-6% interest so I'd actually be losing money if I made payments towards my loan.

Mannerscostnothing84

£52k was from a 4 year degree including a placement year so 4x maintenance loan but only 3x £9k tution fees as it was free whilst on placement (some aren't!) I wasn't in London though and got middlish maintenance loan amount so not far off average. They also charge interest at 3% + RPI from the moment you start meaning towards the end it was over £100 every month interest, once your earning the interest rate varies dependant on your earnings.

TBH the amount doesn't really bother me, I'm currently earning 22k which means I'll pay back £90 per year once it starts in April as its 9% on anything over £21k so I just see it as an extra tax not as a massive debt! Although my salary isnt amazing its a job I couldn't of got otherwise, with decent progression and flexibilty and with my boyfriend on a similar wage we're comfortabley saving towards a house in the next couple of years.

14k, graduated in 2008. I've barely paid any off that, due to four years more of study so only earning a stipend then, and now on mat leave. When i go back to work I'll be part time so earning the threshold. I can't see myself ever paying it off if i stay part time or have any more DC.

*earning under the threshold

Graduated 2002, £15,000 debt originally. I have about £2000 left to go.

Graduated 8 years ago, £477 left to pay! However my joy at the extra money each is likely to be short lived given that 4 month old DS will starting costing us for childcare in a few months time

Graduated in 2005, had 2 maternity leaves plus 2 additional years of ft studying since uni and paid it off last month! So relieved. I only had £12k to start with though as it was the year before the big time fees started.

I graduated in 1994. was very lucky- I got enough of a grant to pay my housing expenses and my parents gave me money each month (£150, I think) to live on. I think I got a student loan of £1000 the next year when I did my postgrad year to buy a car, but paid that back quickly once I started working.

It terrifies me how much things have changed and very worried for my kids. I wouldn't enoucrage them to do any old degree (like we were) unless it would be a useful stepping stone in getting a job.

I graduated from my postgrad course 20 years ago, so still under the original student loans company Ts and Cs. You had to earn shitloads before you had to pay anything back, so it's only about 12 years since I made my final payment. I'd given up the career I trained in, by then!

Forgot to mention that DH took out his student loan and put it into a high interest savings account - the interest on them was absolutely tiny, back in the early 90s!

15 years and down to the last 1k. Just stayed static for years as payments just chipping off the interest. Bulk of it has been paid off in the last 3 years as now earning more.

I dropped out (as opposed to graduating) ten years ago with 8k debt. Got £1k or so left to pay.

2003, paid off this summer. But please don't pay early of you have the same kind of old style one I do - it really really isn't worth it. Save the money instead - you'll find that much more useful if you have unemployment or other issues, because the loan repayments just stop them, it's incredibly safe debt.

Graduated in 2012, about 24k debt I think. Paid some off for 2 years (although the barley chipped off the interest!) and then changed careers so now under the threshold. I would never pay off big chunks as it's not worth it and it isn't labelled the same kind of debt as a mortgage etc. I don't even think about it!

Barely not barley.....