9 April 2026Policy & Regulation
22,000 UK students must repay £190m in 'mis-sold' loans
The Student Loans Company is demanding immediate repayment of £190 million from 22,000 students who were incorrectly issued maintenance loans for weekend-only courses at 15 franchised university providers. The courses were misclassified as distance learning when they should have been ineligible for maintenance support, affecting institutions including London Metropolitan and Solent University. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson accused universities of "incompetence" while students who signed up "in good faith" face direct debit plans for thousands of pounds and are considering legal action.
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