Many students leave university with large debts that take years to repay.
A full IELTS Writing Task 2 answer to this question, with a paragraph plan, ideas you can use, and the vocabulary that fits this topic.
The question
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Many students leave university with large debts that take years to repay.
What problems does this cause? What measures could be taken to help them?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.
How to read this question
The strongest observation available is that student debt does not behave like ordinary debt — it is usually income-contingent, so the real damage is not repayment but the effect on decisions made in the years afterwards: what job to take, when to buy a home, whether to start a business. Framing the problems that way avoids the vague "it is stressful" answer and makes your solutions considerably more specific.
Paragraph plan
Introduction — Paraphrase, then signpost: the problems are distorted career choices and delayed adult milestones; the solutions must address cost and alternatives, not repayment terms alone.
Body 1 — Problems — graduates select for salary over vocation, and major life decisions are postponed a decade.
Body 2 — Solutions — fund shorter vocational routes properly, tie repayment to actual earnings, and make institutions share the risk of poor outcomes.
Conclusion — The debt is a symptom of pushing everyone through one expensive route; widening the routes is the durable answer.
Model essay
Band 8.5–9.0 model essay
332 words
A great number of students complete their university education burdened with substantial debt that takes years to repay. However, certain measures could be introduced to ease this financial strain.
The most immediate consequence of large student debt is that graduates are often forced to delay major life decisions. To clarify, rather than purchasing a home, starting a family or launching a business, many young people must dedicate the initial years of their careers to servicing loan repayments, which restricts their financial independence precisely when they should be establishing themselves professionally. Moreover, the pressure of impending debt can influence students' choice of degree and career, pushing many toward highly paid but personally unfulfilling professions purely to guarantee timely repayment, rather than pursuing fields that align with their genuine interests or society's broader needs, such as teaching or nursing, both of which remain chronically understaffed. In some cases, the anxiety associated with looming repayments can even affect students' mental health while they are still completing their studies.
To mitigate this issue, governments could expand means-tested grants and scholarships, ensuring that students from lower-income backgrounds are not compelled to borrow as heavily as their wealthier peers. In addition, income-contingent repayment schemes, whereby graduates only begin repaying once their earnings exceed a specified threshold, would prevent debt from becoming an immediate burden during the vulnerable early stages of a career. Universities could also be encouraged to control tuition fee increases through government oversight, since unchecked fee growth remains a principal driver of mounting student debt across most developed economies. Employers, too, could play a constructive role by offering loan-assistance benefits as part of competitive compensation packages, particularly in sectors struggling to attract new graduates. Clearer information about likely graduate salaries before enrolment could also help students borrow only what their chosen career can realistically support.
To conclude, substantial student debt delays major life milestones and distorts career choices, but expanded grants, income-contingent repayment and tighter control of tuition fees could considerably lessen this burden on graduates.
Created by a Band 8.5–9.0 IELTS Writing achiever — Premium. Sign up free to read the rest of this essay and unlock every model on the site.
This is a problem and solution question. The essay above shows you what a strong answer looks like when it is finished. What it cannot show you is how to get there from a blank page in forty minutes.
That is what our Writing Study Library is for: the structure we teach for this exact question type, the paragraph pattern that goes with it, and the sentence openers for each stage — so the essay is planned before you start writing rather than assembled as you go.
Introduction: Introduction — paraphrase that many students graduate with large debts that take years to repay, and note that measures could ease the strain.
Body 1: Body 1 — explain the problems: graduates must delay major life decisions like buying a home to service loan repayments, and debt pressure pushes students toward highly paid but unfulfilling careers instead of fields like teaching or nursing.
Body 2: Body 2 — explain the solutions: governments should expand means-tested grants, introduce income-contingent repayment schemes, and control tuition fee growth, while clearer salary information could help students borrow responsibly.
Conclusion: Conclusion — briefly summarise that student debt delays milestones and distorts career choices, but grants, income-contingent repayment and fee control could lessen the burden.
Word or phrase
Meaning
Used in a sentence
student debt
money owed by students, typically from loans taken for education
A great number of students complete their university education burdened with substantial debt that takes years to repay.
loan repayments
regular payments made to pay back borrowed money
many young people must dedicate the initial years of their careers to servicing loan repayments.
financial independence
the ability to support oneself without relying on others
which restricts their financial independence precisely when they should be establishing themselves professionally.
means-tested grants
financial aid awarded based on a family's income level
governments could expand means-tested grants and scholarships.
income-contingent repayment
a loan repayment scheme based on how much the borrower earns
income-contingent repayment schemes, whereby graduates only begin repaying once their earnings exceed a specified threshold.
specified threshold
a fixed limit or level that triggers a rule once crossed
once their earnings exceed a specified threshold, would prevent debt from becoming an immediate burden.
tuition fee
the amount charged by a university for a course of study
Universities could also be encouraged to control tuition fee increases through government oversight.
career choices
the decisions people make about which profession to pursue
substantial student debt delays major life milestones and distorts career choices.
Created by a Band 8.5–9.0 IELTS Writing achiever — Premium. Sign up free to see the ideas and vocabulary for this topic and unlock every model on the site.
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Common questions
How do I make an economic topic feel specific?
Ask what decisions change rather than what numbers change. "Graduates avoid teaching because the salary no longer works with the repayment" is concrete and arguable; "debt causes stress" is neither. Behavioural consequences are almost always the more precise route.
Can I suggest a solution that targets institutions rather than students?
Yes, and it usually strengthens the answer. Most candidates propose remedies aimed at governments or individuals; pointing out that universities currently face no consequence for poor outcomes identifies an actor nobody else has addressed.
Should I write about my own country's system?
Only if you explain the mechanism. Systems differ enormously, so an unexplained reference may not make sense to the examiner. Describe how the repayment works and the argument travels regardless of where you are writing from.
