For most students, taking out the £10,000 loan offered by the government is a huge responsibility, only justified by the opportunity to get a degree to show for it.
However for Essex University graduate Katerina Christodoulou, it was the cash she desperately wanted to buy herself a new body.
The English Literature student splurged on liposuction for her thighs, bum and hips, even paying for plastic surgery on her knees, while her ex-boyfriend bought her some new boobs.
She is also eyeing up a nose job to complete the package and declares she will only finally be happy once she has the op. Christodoulou has since quit her job as a trainee solicitor to pursue a career as a model.
"I did think about using the money to put a deposit down on a house," Christodoulou said. "But then I thought, 'why not use the money to make myself happy now.'
"My ex-boyfriend then treated me to a new set of boobs as that was another area of my body I disliked.
"I know some people might be surprised to hear that I spent my student loan on my body, but it was worth it for how I feel now."
Christodoulou will start repaying the student loan she used for surgery once she earns more than £16,910. If she is unable to repay the money within 25 years after she makes her first eligible payment, the loan will be written off - at the taxpayer's expense.