The Sunday Times launched its campaign, End the Graduate Rip-Off, calling for urgent reform of student loan interest rates that leave graduates saddled with growing debt long after leaving university.

The campaign highlighted how students are charged interest at RPI plus three percentage points – a measure of inflation that critics argue is outdated and unfair. Through sustained reporting, The Sunday Times shone a spotlight on the impact this has on graduates, many of whom see their loan balances continue to rise despite making regular repayments.

The campaign quickly gained backing from senior political figures. Among them was former Education Secretary Lord Blunkett, who called for ministers to cut what he described as the “horrendous” level of interest being charged on student loans. His intervention helped elevate the issue beyond higher education policy circles and into the wider national debate about opportunity, fairness and social mobility.

The Sunday Times argued that the current system places an unnecessary burden on graduates and risks undermining confidence in higher education. By highlighting the real-world consequences of rising student debt, the campaign sought to build momentum for reforms that would create a fairer and more sustainable repayment system.