Maths in economics, finance and society · Accessible · Dissertation or artefact

What a student loan really costs: a maths EPQ idea

Why it works as an EPQ

Repayments depend on income, thresholds, interest and write-off, so the answer surprises most people and needs a model.

Scope and difficulty

Accessible. Accessible. Use the current published terms for one repayment plan, from gov.uk.

The maths

Builds on these A Level topics: Exponentials and logarithms · Sequences and series.

You would learn:

• Spreadsheet modelling year by year
• Sensitivity to assumptions
• Present value

Learning maths beyond the course is expected in a maths EPQ, but you must understand and explain everything you use.

One possible plan

1. Set out the terms of one plan from the official source.
2. Model repayments for several salary paths.
3. Find who repays most in total and why.
4. Judge whether 'loan' or 'graduate tax' describes it better.

Pitfalls

• Out-of-date thresholds or rates.
• One salary path presented as the answer.

Where to start reading

• Student loan repayment pages on gov.uk
• Search for: present value discounting

Prefer books, lecture notes, journal articles and official data to a single website, and record every source as you read (how to reference).

Making something? Read the artefact guide first: an artefact still needs a research-based written report.

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All maths in economics, finance and society ideas · all 93 ideas

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