Student loans holding young people back from homeownership

October 6, 2026 by Brendan O'Neill

Home owners

New research has found that many young people feel student loan repayments are preventing them from getting on the property ladder.

This research was done by OneFamily and it spoke to people between the ages of 18 and 40. Seven out of every 10 of them told the research that paying back their student loans makes saving money towards a deposit much more difficult. This adds up to 70% of them. Meanwhile, 29% stated these loan payments are stopping them from moving forward in life.

As the research shows, it is not just a matter of student loan repayments either. Younger people also face rising monthly rent and living costs that are contributing to their financial woes.

OneFamily points out that this leaves many of them caught in a bind where meeting day-to-day costs leaves them no way to save and escape from the cycle. One quarter of the young people that took part in the research said further education was a choice that they wish they had not made, due to the debt it has left them with.

Beth Tait works for OneFamily as a personal finance champion. Speaking to Mortgage Strategy, she said:

“There are already a huge number of barriers making it challenging for young people to buy their first home. It’s a big life goal and more needs to be done to help people achieve it.”

This is a viewpoint that most people with the CeMAP mortgage advisor qualification would agree with. The housing market must be accessible to the young.