The Independent Student Finance Taskforce released an analysis today showing that low-earning graduates might be better off under the new system than under the current set-up.

That is because graduates who start university in 2012 will only begin repaying loans when they earn over ?21,000 a year ¨C compared to the existing threshold of ?15,000.

A graduate earning ?25,000 a year would be more than ?300 a year better off under the post-2012 arrangements, the taskforce claims, paying ?360 a year compared to ?675.

The information has been released ahead of A level results on 18 August, with many predicting a scramble for places as students bid to avoid paying tuition fees of up to ?9,000 from next year.

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Martin Lewis, head of the taskforce and founder of the website MoneySavingExpert.com, said: ¡°The political spittle that's flown about this system would make you think every student without fail will be worse in every situation under the new system compared to now.

¡°Of course though, with bigger fees, higher interest rates and longer repayments, those who earn higher salaries in the years after university will certainly end up paying substantially more in total.

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¡°Yet while 2012 starters have much higher fees and higher interest rates, they only have to repay if they earn over ?21,000 ¨C much higher than is likely for 2011 starters.

¡°This means those above the repayment threshold in 2012 will likely have over ?300 a year more disposable income than 2011 starters.

¡°And those who don¡¯t gain financially from their university education and have lower salaries may end up paying less in total (within the 30 years before the debt wipes) because of the higher threshold.¡±

The new analysis follows warnings by the taskforce that students should not favour a ?6,000 a year course over one with fees of ?9,000 a year, because many graduates will never pay off debts ¨C which will be written off after 30 years.

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jack.grove@tsleducation.com