I got a £10,000 loan for my nursing degree. Now they say it’s an error and I have to pay it back
I got a £10,000 loan for my nursing degree. Now they say it’s an error and I have to pay it back
David Robinson, a nurse, recently learned that his postgraduate diploma in adult nursing, completed in summer 2025, had been funded through a maintenance loan he no longer qualifies for. The university informed him via email that the course was ineligible for such support, requiring immediate repayment of the £10,538 he received. This revelation has left him unsettled, despite having used NHS bursaries and personal savings to finance his studies.
A broader issue affecting thousands
The Student Loans Company (SLC) has sent similar letters to over 22,000 students enrolled in weekend courses, notifying them of ineligibility for loans and grants. While Robinson’s program was full-time, including clinical placements, it still fell under the new rule that one-year postgraduate courses are not routinely funded. Universities, including Edge Hill, are now scrambling to support impacted students, with some expressing concern about the financial burden.
Revisions to loan terms and university response
In a statement, the SLC acknowledged that some institutions had misclassified distance learning courses, leading to overpayments. They pledged to assist with “affordable repayment plans.” Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson emphasized that the mistake was not students’ fault, blaming institutions for “incompetence or abuse of the system.” The affected universities are considering legal action to challenge the decision.
“I was concerned, I can only repay what I can afford,” said Robinson, now back working as an NHS nurse. “It just doesn’t make any sense to me whatsoever, and it may not instil any confidence in people wanting to undertake the course that I have done, and be a nurse.”
Impact on part-time students
Teaching assistant Lou Osborne, who resat GCSE exams to qualify for a two-year education degree at the University of Sunderland, faced a similar crisis. Her course, which combined Saturday lectures and written assessments, had been “amazing” until she received an email stating her £3,500 maintenance loan must be repaid “immediately” with interest. “We’re paying into the economy by working and are now told, ‘You don’t deserve help because you’re part-time,'” she added.
“We all went into a bit of a panic,” Osborne said. “We’re all working full-time and can’t afford not to work full-time.”
The university assured students their qualifications remain valid, vowing to continue advocating with the SLC. Meanwhile, Osborne and others like her now face the challenge of managing their finances while completing their studies. The situation highlights growing tensions over how postgraduate courses are categorized and funded.
