'Misleading' student loans information left out examples of higher-salary repayments

Several universities in England have only been using below-average salaries in examples of student loan repayments on their websites, the BBC has found. Treasury Committee chair Dame Meg Hillier, who led a recent inquiry into student loans, said some information about repayments was "misleading", including one instance where they were compared to the "cost of a daily coffee".

The DfE said it would review the information it provides, while universities said their websites referred to government information and would be reviewed where necessary. Student loan repayments are tied to earnings, so the more you earn, the more you repay every month - and graduates generally go on to earn more than non-graduates.

Current and prospective students in England take out Plan 5 loans to pay for their tuition fees and living costs. They repay 9% of anything they earn over £25,000 for 40 years, or until the loan is paid off.