STUDENTS believe it could take them decades to pay off their university debts, a survey has found.
A poll of almost 2,000 students reveals the majority are resigned to graduating with thousands of pounds of debt they will be unable to repay quickly.
Almost three in 10 (29.2%) believe they will leave university with debts of more than £20,000, while more than a quarter (26.4%) predict they will graduate with debts of up to £20,000.
Around one in six (16.8%) believe they will have debts of up to £15,000.
An optimistic 7.5% think they will leave university without any debt, according to the survey, which was commissioned by insurance company Endsleigh.
The findings show that while 8.1% of students are planning to pay back their debts as soon as they graduate, 3.9% believe they will never pay them off.
Almost a quarter (23.3%) believe it will take up to 20 years to repay what they owe, while almost two-fifths (38.4%) predict it could take up to 10 years.
