Responding to the Treasury Committee’s report on student finance in England and Wales, RCN Chief Nursing Officer Professor Lynn Woolsey, said:
"The findings in this report will resonate with many graduates, who have known for years how unfair the system is. Those on Plan 2 loans were clearly misled about the terms and unfreezing the repayment threshold is an attempt at mitigation. But frankly, it doesn’t go anywhere near far enough to address the fundamental issues with this broken model of education.
“Universities are the single biggest route for educating the future nursing workforce and are crucial for the safe staffing of health and care services. Loading the next generation with ever-growing debt is not only an injustice in and of itself, but it’s also disincentivising them from joining our profession. It's no way to attract the brightest and best into the NHS. The reality is, nursing graduates face almost never-ending loan repayments, with lower salaries and poor progression preventing them from outgrowing the debt.
“The committee is right to call for a fairer funding split, but for nursing that means doing away with the debt burden completely. The incoming government should grasp the nettle and introduce loan forgiveness for all those who go onto work in the NHS or social care and uplift financial support during study to properly reflect the cost of living. This is not just about universities, it is about investing in the critical infrastructure of the country, and by extension the safety of the public.”
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