Dutch young people do have student debt though afaik. Wouldn't rising rates affect their payments?
Maybe a bit, I did indeed have a 6000 eur debt. My knowledge may be a bit outdated. But school (BSc/MSc) will cost a max o 2000/year and the interest is basically zero and you have to pay it back in 20 years if you can't it's forgiven (it was in my time). I paid back the 6000 (parents didn't want to pay for uni) at a rate of 50 euro/month, until I just paid it off in one go.
Re:How this Ends
by Tijdreiziger on Friday February 19, 2021 @01:00AM
(#26190226)
If you studied for 4 years, that means you only borrowed €125/month. Since you mention your knowledge being outdated, I assume you fell under the old system in which you also received a multiple of that from the government. In today's system that government grant does not exist, except for students with low-income parents.
Student debt isn't quite like other debts though, as you're never required to pay instalments if you don't have the means, and iirc you are also never forced to pay instalments that are more than 10% or so of your income.
If you still live at home you can buy it from your first wage. Otherwise it may take a bit longer. Government advices people to have a buffer of at least 5000 so you can have you washing machine fixed or get a new furnace (the thing that heats your house) and fix other house related issues (or your car). Most people I know try to maintain that buffer.