WHAT HAPPENED?

You received an offer letter stating "Study mode: Full time" and that you could apply for maintenance loans (living costs) from Student Finance England (SFE).

The law says if your only in-person attendance is on weekends, you are a distance learner.

Student Finance England (SFE) has now blocked maintenance loans and is demanding repayment of everything paid so far—both the maintenance loans and the tuition fees.

The university and its third-party provider misled us. 

WHAT DID THE UNIVERSITY AND THIRD-PARTY PROVIDER DO WRONG?

1. Misrepresentation – They promised "full-time" status and maintenance loans in the offer letter. This claim was false.

2. Breach of Contract – We signed up for a weekend course that worked with our jobs and families. They changed the terms.

3. Unfair Commercial Practice – Under the Consumer Rights Act of 2015, a service must match what was promised. It did not.

4. They knew or should have known — the Department for Education (DfE) warned universities in December 2025 about the definition of distance learning. They ignored it or chose not to act.

5. They profited from us – the university and its third-party provider received full tuition fees (£9,250 per year) from Student Finance England (SFE).  But they left us with debt and no way to continue our studies.

WHY IS THIS UNACCEPTABLE?

This error is not a small mistake. Universities and their third-party providers are not uneducated individuals who misunderstood the law. They have legal teams. The Department for Education (DfE) warned them in December 2025 about the definition of "distance learning". They chose to ignore it or do nothing.

As a result:

• Students lost 2+ years of their lives

• Students face £20,000+ debt to Student Finance England (SFE) for maintenance loans

• Students face another £18,500 debt to Student Finance England (SFE) for tuition fees

• Students who cannot transfer to weekdays lose their entire degree

• Students who transfer are forced to change jobs, lose income, or abandon family responsibilities

WHY IS THE GOVERNMENT ALSO RESPONSIBLE?

The Department for Education (DfE) reviews universities every year. They check courses, funding, and compliance with the law.

How did they miss this for over a decade?

The definition of distance learning has been in the law since 2011. Weekend‑only attendance has always been classified as distance learning. Yet year after year, the DfE approved courses that misled students into thinking they were full‑time.

Where was the protection for students?

The DfE knew – or should have known – that weekend students were being misled. They did nothing. Now they admit that students are not at fault. They say universities let us down through incompetence or abuse of the system.

But instead of protecting us, they are letting SFE demand repayment from us.

• They have the power to instruct SFE to pause all repayment demands.

• They have the power to shift the financial burden to the universities – the very institutions they have publicly blamed.

They have done neither.

Instead, students are left to fight a battle that the DfE should have prevented years ago. We are paying the price for their failure to regulate properly.

The government should punish the universities, not the students.

 

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You are not alone. Join the group

You were promised 'full-time' study and maintenance loans. Now SFE demands thousands back – money you spent in good faith. You are not alone. Together we can fight this. Join the group claim.

LINKS

• Google Form (2 minutes to join): https://forms.gle/oFDyk1NxsaTG4Fkj9

• SU Blog - www.wonkhe.com

        https://wonkhe.com/blogs-sus/we-are-22-students-we-speak-for-22000/

Irena Zoltak – Student Group Representative
Email: i.zoltak3@gmail.com

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LINKS

• Google Form (2 minutes to join): https://forms.gle/oFDyk1NxsaTG4Fkj9

 

 

 

 

 

Disclaimer

All compensation figures shown are illustrative estimates only. Actual amounts depend on individual circumstances, case outcomes, and the solicitor's success fee. These figures are not a guarantee. This website does not provide legal advice. Join at your discretion.