Tuition fees were the clearest priority
Scrapping tuition fees was selected by 45% of respondents, 18 percentage points ahead of the next most popular option.
If you could change one thing about the student loan system, what would it be?
Scrapping tuition fees was the most selected answer at 45%. More grants and fewer loans followed at 27%, while higher maintenance loans and better repayment terms each received 14%.
45%
Scrapping tuition fees was the top choice
Ten of the 22 respondents said they would scrap tuition fees if they could change one thing about the student loan system.
How did students answer?
Respondents selected one option from four. Percentages are calculated from 22 responses and rounded to whole numbers.
-
Scrap tuition fees10 responses45%
-
More grants, fewer loans6 responses27%
-
Higher maintenance loan3 responses14%
-
Better repayment terms3 responses14%
Base: 22 responses, raw counts shown
Collected through Unifresher Instagram Stories · 5 August 2026
What does this result suggest?
Within this small indicative sample, respondents were more likely to favour reducing the amount students need to borrow than changing repayment conditions or increasing maintenance borrowing.
Grants also attracted support
Six respondents, or 27%, chose more grants and fewer loans. Higher maintenance loans and better repayment terms were tied at 14% each.
73%
Nearly three quarters chose less reliance on borrowing
Sixteen of 22 respondents selected either scrapping tuition fees or providing more grants and fewer loans. This is an editorial calculation combining two poll options, not a separate question.
How was this poll collected?
This was a quick audience poll designed to provide an indicative view from respondents reached through Unifresher.
- Exact question
- If you could change one thing about the student loan system, what would it be?
- Answer options
- Higher maintenance loan, Scrap tuition fees, Better repayment terms, More grants, fewer loans
- Responses
- 22 total responses. Raw counts are shown alongside every percentage.
- Fieldwork date
- Wednesday 5 August 2026
- Audience
- People who viewed and responded to the poll through the Unifresher Instagram audience.
- Collection method
- Unifresher Instagram Stories. Respondents selected one of four fixed answer options.
- Calculation
- Percentages were calculated directly from the supplied raw response totals and rounded to whole numbers. No weighting or adjustment was applied.
- Verification
- The four supplied response counts were checked against the stated total of 22 responses before publication.
- Representation
- Indicative audience poll. The result reflects respondents to this Unifresher poll and is not statistically representative of all UK university students.
- Editorial independence
- No commercial partner directed or influenced the question, answer options, analysis or interpretation shown on this page.
Reviewed by Connor Steele. Data totals, calculations, methodology wording and editorial interpretation reviewed for Unifresher on 6 August 2026.
Read the full Unifresher research methodologyCite this poll
Keep the sample size, fieldwork date and indicative poll description with the finding.
45% of respondents said they would scrap tuition fees if they could change one thing about the student loan system. Source: Unifresher Student Loan System Poll, 2026. 22 responses via Instagram Stories, collected 5 August 2026. Indicative poll. unifresher.co.uk/data-hub
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