Altmann: Let grads use auto-enrolment contributions to pay off debts

UK students starting courses in 2012 could face average debts of £53,000 by the time they graduate, according to the Push University Guide, published today. Annual average debts have risen 6.4% in the past year to £5,680, it said. The problem of student debt will be exacerbated by the government's removal of the cap on tuition fees, allowing universities to charge up to £9,000 per year for teaching. "The problem with pensions is that once the money is in, it is locked in for decades. For young people, that is a very off-putting thought," said Altmann. "However, if they do not sa...