Student Loans Company

EDM number 196 in 1994-95, proposed by Bryan Davies on 06/12/1994.

That this House notes with concern evidence of chaos in the processing of repeat applications for student loans by the Student Loans Company as a result of the introduction of a new Fast Track System for applications; notes with alarm that many thousands of students have failed to receive loans in the current academic year and that others have experienced long delays; notes that students and institutions who make telephone calls to the company find its switchboard constantly engaged whilst their correspondence goes unanswered; also notes the concern expressed by the Chairman of the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals that the breakdown of the system is causing real hardship and suffering; recognises that student poverty is widespread, the maintenance grants are now often insufficient to cover accommodation costs and that without loan funds students face extreme financial difficulties; further notes that the Student Loans Company is currently under investigation for alleged financial mismanagement and malpractice and that the Student Loan Scheme is universally condemned as flawed, inequitable and inefficient; deplores the withdrawal of means tested allowances for mature students and the decrease in the amount of loans available to many students in London; and urges Her Majesty's Government to take immediate steps to ensure that students have access to sufficient levels of maintenance support to enable them to carry out their studies without hindrance from hardship and deprivation.

This motion has been signed by a total of 114 MPs, 1 of these signatures have been withdrawn.