Graduates braced for £10,000 debts

Students graduating this summer expect to have debts of at least £10,000 - up by a third over the past three years.

The class of 2002 is the first to feel the full impact of the abolition of student grants and imposition of tuition fees, running at £1,075 a year.

Paying off debt is a major worry for nearly half of them according to a survey by NatWest Bank, which suggests monthly debt repayments of £200 a month are now the norm for graduates.

However, nine out of 10 still regard university as a good investment.