University students will have to wait until at least 2027 for the Albanese government to bring down the cost of popular university degrees, as a new analysis of its plan to slash student debt showed it will help male graduates pay off their liability about 14 years sooner than women.

Throughout the year, and again at the weekend, the government has made numerous policy announcements regarding rising student loans as it seeks to show action on the cost-of-living crisis. These include forgiving $16 billion of debt, raising the income threshold at which students must start repaying and reining in how much the debt can grow each year.