Feasibility study on student lending

Higher education has a positive economic impact at individual, country and EU levels, with technological advances continuing to drive the demand for skills. However, constraints on public spending across the EU mean that higher education can no longer be financed entirely by taxpayers. Professor Nicholas Barr of the European Institute led a study for the EC Directorate General for Education and Culture, assessing the feasibility of an EU-wide student loan facility. The researchers provided a recommendation for an efficient and accessible student loan system to support the core objectives of access and quality.