A 'progressive' system means, broadly speaking, that some people pay more than others for the same benefit, on the grounds that they can afford to, just as some pay more taxes, both absolutely and proportionally, to fund government services. There can be no doubt that the Coalition policy on student debt is 'progressive' in the sense that some will pay (back) more than others depending on how much they earn after graduation. But how progressive?

LRB 6 January 2011 | PDF Download