Thousands of Weekend Students Told to Repay Loans Due to University Errors
Student Finance England has informed approximately 22,000 students enrolled in weekend courses at 15 universities and colleges across England that they must repay government maintenance loans and grants they previously received. These payments, amounting to thousands of pounds, were issued based on incorrect eligibility information provided by their institutions.
The letters sent by Student Finance England, a branch of the government-owned Student Loans Company, state that the universities made errors when submitting course details, failing to specify that the students attended only on weekends. This misreporting led to students receiving maintenance loans they were not entitled to under Department for Education regulations.
According to these rules, students attending weekend-only courses are ineligible for long-term maintenance loans intended to cover living expenses. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson attributed the issue to either institutional incompetence or deliberate abuse of the system by the universities, which she said had "let their students down" by incorrectly registering weekend courses. The total amount of incorrect payments involved is estimated at £190 million.
"This is not students’ fault," Phillipson said. "Many of these organisations lack the necessary governance and oversight to properly implement clear guidance. Others have used this loophole as another opportunity to abuse public money. Either way, this is not the standard I expect from our world-class university sector."
Universities Consider Legal Action Against Repayment Demands
Among the 15 affected institutions, which reportedly include Bath Spa, Solent, and Oxford Brookes universities, several have expressed concern and are contemplating legal challenges to the repayment demands. London Metropolitan University, along with other unnamed institutions, issued a statement through the sector’s representative body, Universities UK, expressing alarm over the sudden blocking of thousands of maintenance loan payments.
"We are extremely concerned that thousands of maintenance loan payments to students across the country have been abruptly blocked," the statement read. "Many of us are currently working together to take legal advice to challenge the actions of the Department for Education and the Student Loans Company."
National Union of Students Condemns Situation as a Scandal
The National Union of Students (NUS) has described the situation as a "scandal" with devastating effects on the students involved. These students, who would normally only be required to repay loans once their earnings exceed a certain threshold, now face immediate repayment demands. NUS president Amira Campbell highlighted that many affected students come from less affluent backgrounds and have family responsibilities, often working during the week to support their studies.
"A lot of these students are people that have never had access to education, who entered into the working world and started families before [thinking]: ‘Actually, why shouldn’t I have the ability to become a more skilled member of our workforce?’" Campbell said.
"These maintenance loans are a lifeline for mature students wanting to access higher education, and to see this being taken away is a massive access issue for a government that’s been talking about wanting people from non-traditional backgrounds to be able to access higher education. This feels completely at odds with that mission."
Student Experiences Highlight Impact of Repayment Demands
Cosmin Visan, 34, and his partner Elena Braisteanu, 25, both studying weekend business management courses at the London College of Contemporary Arts, shared their experience with . Cosmin works on construction sites during the week while Elena cares for their seven-month-old son. They have not yet received a formal repayment amount but estimate it could exceed £30,000 combined.
"I can’t really find the words" to describe their stress, Cosmin said. "My partner is starting to experience some signs of anxiety. I can’t show anything, but I’m pretty distressed about it."
Although they have since switched to midweek courses, the repayment demands threaten their ability to continue their education. Cosmin fears they may have to withdraw to find work, which would also require arranging childcare, leaving their future uncertain.
"I don’t really know what we would do," he added.
Cosmin criticized both the government for unclear rules and his college, which delivers the course under franchise from the University for the Creative Arts, accusing them of exploiting the situation.
"They’ve been taking advantage of it, and now we find ourselves in this situation."
