As debt in the UK continues to mount researchers have predicted that university education may soon become worthless.

Using the increase in lifetime earnings of some courses vis-à-vis the size of repayments as an index, the National Union of Students warned the latter will soon eclipse the former. This warning comes as the Government is reviewing tuition fees with effect from next year.

And the study by NUS ‘Broke and Broken’ claimed such decision could result in students running up mortgage-style debts.

The report said: “Like home ownership, we are expected to take it on willingly because it represents an investment.

But making a comparison between debts owed on mortgage and those accumulated via educational process, it concluded that while in the end one would own the home if they kept up repayment, in the case of education it could differ sharply.

It also suggested that students on an average course would end up paying about £4,300 if the limited was raised to £7,000 per session.