Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate has been made of the current (a) yearly and (b) cumulative value of unpaid and defaulted student loans held by EU students.

As of 30 August 2026, the value of student loans held by EU borrowers whose loans have become liable for repayment which are in arrears is £360 million (to the nearest million). The department is not able to provide this figure broken down by year, as Student Loan Company systems do not maintain a historical year-by-year view of arrears values.

An EU borrower is a borrower who was originally domiciled in an EU country prior to entering higher education in England. Tuition fee funding for new EU students in England without 'settled' or 'pre-settled' status ceased in the 2021/22 academic year. However, those continuing a course remain eligible for financial support for the duration of their course, in addition to those covered by the Withdrawal Agreements, subject to meeting other residency and course requirements.

A loan becomes liable for repayment when the borrower has passed their statutory repayment due date. This is the normally the April after graduating or otherwise leaving their course, provided they are earning above the relevant income threshold.