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The proportion of nursing students saddled with debts of over ?10,000 has doubled over the past two years, and more than half have considered dropping out as a result, reveals a survey by Nursing Times and healthcare union Unison.

In 2003, some 6 per cent of students had debts of at least ?10,000. The survey of more than 2,000 students found a rise to 13 per cent this year. Over half (56 per cent) say they have considered abandoning studies because of money concerns.