Student Loans and IVAs: Can They Be Included?

Can Student Loans Be Included in an IVA?

No. Government student loans from the Student Loans Company can’t be included in an IVA. Student overdrafts and other private borrowing can.

Last updated: November 2026

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Things to know about IVAs

An IVA is a formal insolvency procedure. It must be approved by your creditors, stays on your credit file for six years, fees are taken from your payments, and debts are only written off if you complete it. It isn’t right for everyone.

Read the key risks

Creditors must approve it. An IVA only goes ahead if creditors holding at least 75% of the debt that is voted agree. Your proposal can be rejected.
Credit file and public register. An IVA stays on your credit file for six years from the start date and is listed on the public Individual Insolvency Register while it runs. Getting credit will be harder.
Spending restrictions and annual reviews. You live on an agreed budget for the length of the IVA (usually 5–6 years). Your income and spending are reviewed each year, and your payment can go up.
Fees. Fees are taken from your monthly payments, so less of what you pay reaches your creditors. How IVA fees work.
Your home. Under the current IVA Protocol, your home isn’t included in the IVA and you won’t be asked to remortgage. If your share of the equity is £10,000 or more, the IVA usually lasts six years instead of five.
If it fails. If you can’t keep up payments the IVA may fail, you would owe the remaining debt again, and the supervisor may petition for your bankruptcy.
Write-off only on completion. Remaining qualifying unsecured debts are only written off if the IVA is completed successfully. Secured debts, court fines, child maintenance, student loans and some other debts can’t be included.
Other options may suit you better. A debt management plan, DRO or bankruptcy may be more suitable. IVAs are available in England, Wales and Northern Ireland only; different solutions apply in Scotland.

Student loans are excluded from most UK debt solutions. The good news is that they’re repaid based on income, so they don’t usually cause the same pressure as other debts.

The short answer

Student Loans Company loans are excluded from IVAs, DROs and bankruptcy.
Repayments are taken through payroll or self-assessment when you earn over the threshold.
Your IVA budget allows for student loan deductions from your pay.
Student overdrafts, credit cards and private loans can usually be included.
Old pre-1998 mortgage-style student loans have different rules.

Why can't student loans go into an IVA?

The law treats student loans as a special type of debt that survives insolvency. You keep repaying them as normal, and they’re written off after a set number of years depending on your loan plan.

How do student loans affect my IVA payment?

Student loan repayments are deducted from your wages before you’re paid. Your IVA is based on your take-home pay, so these repayments are already accounted for.

What student-related debts can be included?

Graduate overdrafts, credit cards and private loans taken to fund study are ordinary unsecured debts and can usually be included. See what debts can be included in an IVA.

For national figures, see our student loan debt statistics.

Common questions

Can bankruptcy clear student loans?

No. Student loans are excluded from bankruptcy, as well as from IVAs and DROs.

Do student loans affect getting an IVA?

Not directly. Repayments are taken from your pay, and your IVA is based on what’s left.

Can I include a professional or career development loan?

Some private study loans can be included. Check the lender and loan type with your adviser.

How IVA Advice Online can help

Every situation is different, and an IVA isn’t right for everyone. We can look at your income, spending and debts with you and set out the debt solutions you could qualify for, including options other than an IVA. To talk it through, get in touch.