'No-one told us we were not allowed this money'

A student told to repay a £21,000 maintenance loan after being told she was not eligible for financial support said she had been left feeling "overwhelmed and scared".

Agata Wiznefska, from Doncaster, is studying for a BSc degree in Health and Social Care with London Metropolitan University, working full time during the week and completing her courses at the weekend.

The 46-year-old is one of more than 22,000 students who have received letters from the Student Loans Company (SLC) or their university saying their courses had never been eligible for maintenance loans or childcare grants.

Wiznefska, who is also supporting her two daughters who are at university, said when she applied for the loan "no-one told us we were not allowed this money".

"When I was applying for my course they were saying we were allowed to apply for that maintenance loan, she told BBC Radio Sheffield.

"No-one mentioned we were not allowed too."

However, she said she was notified by letter at the end of March she was not entitled to the loan and needed to "return everything".

She said she had not yet been provided with any further details as to how or when to repay the money other than that they must pay it back before completing their courses, which she said had left people feeling "overwhelmed and scared".

The BBC understands courses at 15 universities and colleges including London Met, Bath Spa, Leeds Trinity, Southampton Solent and Oxford Brookes are affected.

A statement issued by Universities UK on behalf of the institutions caught up in the row said they were "extremely concerned" that thousands of maintenance loan payments to students had been "abruptly blocked".

"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."

They said the issue needed to be resolved with both "sensitivity and clarity".

"While this situation is being reviewed, communication with, and support of, all students who may be affected is our primary focus."

However, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said: "This is not students' fault. Too many organisations have let their students down, through either incompetence or abuse of the system."

She said the institutions must take action to support students.

A spokesperson for SLC said: "A small number of Higher Education providers have incorrectly categorised courses that are distance learning. The Department for Education has requested that providers work with SLC to enable us to re-assess entitlement, in line with the student finance regulations."

Wiznefska described it as a "ridiculous situation".

"I have two daughters, they are at university too. This has not touched them at all thank God, but I am helping them because they can't go to work," she said.

"How I will manage from my salary to pay off that £21,000, I know this was a loan and I knew I needed to give it back, but not this way."

She said for her and others in a similar situation they were left "waiting" for information.

"We are concentrating on this, not our jobs or our lives. Because we are so afraid what it will be next."

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