Over-80s get ‘taxpayer-funded’ loans for fine art and animation degrees

Elderly students in their eighties have been granted tuition fee loans for university courses such as fine art and animation that they are unlikely to ever repay, The i Paper can reveal.

The taxpayer is set to cover the cost of the loans, raising concerns over intergenerational fairness and the sustainability of the UK’s student finance system.

A Freedom of Information (FoI) request submitted by The i Paper revealed that over the past five years, seven students aged 80 and above have taken out student loans for degree courses.

These include one individual studying animation, another pursuing digital media, and two enrolled in fine art degrees.

More widely, the UK’s Student Loans Company (SLC) has handed out 1,386 tuition fee loans to students over the age of 60 in the last five years.

While the numbers remain small, critics argue that they highlight a loophole in the student loan system, where older students, who will likely never repay their debt, can study at the taxpayer’s expense.

The Government is set to ban over-60s from taking out tuition fee loans from 2027.

Others have self-funded their courses with a wide range being taken including degrees in the heritage of the Beatles, nursing and midwifery, Cornish studies and Egyptology.

‘Gaming the system’

Critics have argued that some older people could be “gaming the system” by taking out student loans that they will never repay.

Liz Emerson, chief executive of the Intergenerational Foundation, said: “Older people, having voted in governments who increased student fees, are now using those same rules to game the system today, while leaving their student debt for younger generations to repay.”

Tom Allingham, a student loans expert at Save the Student, added: “We fully support people pursuing higher education at any age, whether that be to advance their career or study a subject they love.

“However, at a time when tuition fees are set to increase, and students from England are being placed on a new, more expensive repayment plan, it does feel unfair that older generations can essentially attend university for free.”

Other campaigners believe older people should have the same opportunities as their younger counterparts.

Dennis Reed, director of Silver Voices, said: “Even at the age of 60, older people who have been made redundant, may be taking courses for a part-time career in retirement, as so many of us are working after 70.

“Others who have never had the opportunity to study want to challenge themselves intellectually, instead of sitting in an armchair waiting to die, and why shouldn’t they?

“Many younger people go to university to widen their outlook rather than prepare for a career, and why shouldn’t this apply later in life too.”

How the UK student loan system works

In the UK, undergraduate students can take out loans to cover tuition fees, which are capped at £9,250 per year in England, rising to £9,535 in the 2025-26 academic year.

Repayments begin once the graduate earns above a certain income threshold.

For those who started university after September 2023, this threshold is set at £25,000 per year. Repayments are calculated at 9 per cent of income above this threshold.

Currently, student loans are written off after 40 years.

However, given that over-80s are unlikely to work and earn above the repayment threshold, their debts will almost certainly be wiped rather than repaid, leaving the taxpayer to cover the cost.

Growing trend of older students taking out loans

A previous FoI request found that since 2019, 4,648 people over the age of 60 have taken out loans to cover the cost of higher education.

Three-quarters of over-60s who have finished their course have not yet repaid anything as their income is not high enough, but the proportion falls to just a fifth for all graduates.

An increasing number of students in their seventies and eighties have been taking out student loans in recent years too, the earlier FoI data shows.

Between 2021-21 and 2023-24:

• Loans to students aged 70-79 were granted at a lower rate, with 81 loans issued in five years.
• Loans to students aged 80-plus were rare, with just seven granted in total.

The real figures are likely to be much higher for the number of student loans taken out by people aged 70-79 and 80-plus as only 71 out of the 165 institutions The i Paper sent the FoI request to responded.

Popular courses among older students include business studies, business and management, and health and social care.

However, a handful of students in their eighties have opted for creative subjects, raising further questions about the economic benefit of funding such degrees for those unlikely to enter or return to the workforce.

Which courses are being chosen?

While a few thousand took out student loans between September 2020 and September 2024 to cover the cost of their courses, the vast majority self-funded. These included:

• At least 301 in courses linked to medicine or nursing
• 46 in Scottish history
• 31 in Buddhist studies
• At least 27 in archaeology
• 10 in Beatles: music industry and heritage
• 9 in nature and travel writing
• 9 in a masters in artificial intelligence (AI)
• 6 in politics
• 1 in renewable energy
• 1 in Palestine studies

Government set to end student loans for over-60s

Concerns over the cost of student loans for older learners have led the Government to reform the system.

From January 2027, the Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE) will replace the current undergraduate support system, restricting tuition fee loans to students under 60.

A spokesperson from the Department for Education (DfE) said: “This Government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity and boosting economic growth by ensuring we have a workforce with the skills needed for the 21st century.

“We recognise the important contribution older learners make to our economy and society.

“However, we are also committed to maintaining a sustainable student finance system which is fair to students and to the taxpayer and from January 2027 the Lifelong Learning Entitlement will replace the current undergraduate support system and tuition fee loans will be limited to those under 60.”

A loophole soon to close

While the Government’s decision to limit student loans to under-60s will prevent future cases of over-80s taking out loans, the debate over intergenerational fairness in higher education funding continues.

Critics argue that past policies have left younger generations saddled with debt, while older students could take advantage of the system.

Kate Ogden, senior research economist at the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), agreed that someone starting a course over the age of 80 would make fairly low loan repayments, but said it is “fairly unusual” to be starting a course at that age.

She added: “It looks like there are only one or two loans issued to people over 80 each year, so we’d be talking in the tens of thousands at most, which really isn’t very much in terms of the overall public finances.”

Ed Fidoe, CEO of The London Interdisciplinary School, said: “The key to tackling student debt is ensuring that graduates are able to secure meaningful, well-paid roles to counter the amount in a manner that is manageable and efficient.

“As the job market rapidly evolves, it’s now acutely important for higher education to assimilate accordingly, with graduates skills promptly effecting the demands of an ever-evolving workforce.

“The appropriacy of degrees is, therefore, one of the most critical factors for graduates to succeed in the workplace, whilst also driving down their student debt.”

‘I got my PhD at the age of 86 – it’s never too late’

Stan Hardie, who is now 88, is proving that retirement does not mean slowing down, after earning his PhD in history using his private pension to fund his studies.

Mr Hardie’s journey into academia began after retirement when he pursued a history degree and a master’s with the Open University, saying: “I needed something to challenge me intellectually.”

But his thirst for knowledge didn’t stop there.

He said: “One of my fellow students planned to do a PhD while juggling work and motherhood. I thought if she could do it, I should be able to have a go.”

Determined to continue his intellectual pursuits, Mr Hardie enrolled for his PhD at Birkbeck College in 2015 at the age of 78, later transferring to Leicester University in 2019 due to a bought of ill health.

He said: “I knew I hadn’t fully explored my field of study, so I wanted to carry on. I was just inquisitive about what I would find.”

The experience, which came to an end when he graduated in 2023, was both fulfilling and demanding, he admitted, adding: “I needed something to challenge me intellectually, and it certainly filled in time – it became all-consuming, but I enjoyed it.”

Advances in technology helped, but age-related memory lapses were a challenge for him.

Mr Hardie, who lives in Surrey, added: “It is infuriating when you know you’ve read something relevant but can’t remember where.

“This got worse as I got older, but keeping notes helped. I could search my notes, which then pointed me in the right direction. Not perfect, but notes are very important.”

Unlike many younger students who rely on loans, Mr Hardie self-funded his studies.

“I am very fortunate in having a good private pension, so I had no need for other help. I know costs were a major factor for some of my fellow Open University students, and I saw many have to drop out because of financial constraints. That was a great pity.”

Most of his PhD was conducted remotely, with occasional visits to Leicester University for library research and meetings with his supervisor.

Despite his age, Mr Hardie never felt out of place.

He said: “This was never an issue. There was a lady older than me on the Open University Foundation Course, where the age range was from early twenties to late sixties.

“We kept in touch for some time after finishing the course. Common interests in history and the arts were always paramount over any age distinctions.”

When asked if he would encourage other retirees to take the plunge and do the same, he said without hesitation: “The simple answer is yes. It’s a wonderful way to keep the brain sharp. Particularly in my years with the Open University, I met so many inquisitive souls who stimulated me so much.”

Mr Hardie acknowledged, however, that pursuing a PhD later in life requires balance.

He said: “It became all-consuming for me, and my wife felt neglected. You have to be mindful of that.”

As the number of older students enrolling in university continues to grow, Mr Hardie hopes his story stands as an inspiration.

“People should just go for it. It’s never too late.”