Maintenance loan eligibility for students studying at weekends

As reported in the last week, a large number of students studying on full-time weekend-only courses have received student support, including maintenance loans, for which they are ineligible.

This is an extremely difficult situation for students affected, who face uncertainty around the way courses are being delivered, and the payment of future maintenance loans, as well as the repayment arrangements for previous payments.

These students are in this position through no fault of their own, and our immediate priority is that their interests are protected.

What should students expect from their institution?

The OfS does not regulate the provision of financial support. However, we do have an interest in ensuring that all students are treated fairly by their university or college, in line with consumer law, and that they are kept informed and provided with the right support, recognising the challenging situation they are in. In brief, students should expect:

• to be treated fairly and in line with their rights under consumer law. If this does not happen, students’ consumer rights can be enforced by the Competition & Markets Authority and the courts.
• to be offered support and receive clear communications from their institution which explains how this issue will affect them.
• not to incur additional costs they weren't expecting when they signed up. Where a way forward can’t be agreed, students should receive appropriate redress, which could include financial compensation.
• that any changes to the way courses are delivered are suitable for them. A move to weekday teaching – which would mean students would be eligible for maintenance loans – won't be suitable for every student. Some may have specifically enrolled on a course because of its weekend delivery, needing to balance their studies with work, caring or other commitments.

Students should not be left unclear about their options, their entitlements, or how their institution will support them. We have written to institutions to set out these expectations.

Read the full letter

What should affected students do next?

Students who are not satisfied that they have been treated fairly, kept informed and been properly supported can complain to their institution. They can also contact the Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA) once they have received a Completion of Procedures Letter from their institution. The OIA are responsible for dealing with individual student complaints when these have not been resolved by institutions at the end of the complaints process.

Find out more about how to raise a complaint

Students can also contact the Student Loans Company (SLC) which has hardship protocols in place for students who may need support and is taking steps to ensure it can process hardship applications in a timely manner.

The OfS does not deal with individual student complaints, but students can send us a notification if they have concerns institutions are not meeting our regulatory requirements.

We appreciate this is an extremely difficult time for students who are facing uncertainty around their financial position through no fault of their own. We encourage students affected to make use of their institution’s support services and there is information on our website about where to find support.

Find out more about ways to get support

We will continue working with all affected institutions, the Department for Education and the SLC to ensure that students are supported by their institutions to ensure any detrimental impact on students is minimised.