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 recently found his confidence in his nursing qualification shaken after learning that his postgraduate diploma in adult nursing, completed last year, might not have qualified for the financial support he received. He had relied on an NHS bursary and personal savings to cover university expenses, while also securing a tuition fee loan. Additionally, he had been awarded a £10,538 maintenance loan to assist with living costs. However, an email from his university on Wednesday revealed that the course had been misclassified, leading to the need for repayment of all funds at a faster rate.

Robinson’s course, though full-time and including clinical placements, fell into a category deemed ineligible for maintenance loans under current regulations. The BBC reports that 22,000 students enrolled in weekend courses have been notified by the Student Loans Company (SLC) or their institutions of similar errors. Despite his course not being strictly weekend-based, Robinson is among those affected. Universities involved have expressed concern, with some considering legal action to challenge the decision. They emphasized their commitment to supporting impacted students during the review process.

“We expect that the SLC’s ‘overpayment notification letter’ will request immediate payment of your outstanding maintenance loan balances,”

read the university’s email to Robinson, which assured him that an affordable repayment plan would be in place. “I was concerned, I can only repay what I can afford,” he said. “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.”

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson acknowledged the issue, stating it was “not students’ fault” and blaming institutions for “either incompetence or abuse of the system.” She urged universities to act swiftly to mitigate financial hardship. The Student Loans Company added that some institutions had “incorrectly categorised distance learning courses,” and that repayment plans would be tailored where possible.

Meanwhile, Teaching Assistant Lou Osborne shared her own experience. She resat her GCSE maths and science exams to qualify for an education degree at the University of Sunderland. “I’ve always wanted to be a teacher for as long as I can remember,” she said. The accelerated two-year course, which combined Saturday lectures and written assessments, had been “amazing” for her. She was set to graduate in 2027, with a final 12-week assessment remaining. But this week, all students on the course received a similar notice, leaving Osborne in panic. “We’re all working full-time and can’t afford not to work full-time,” she explained. “We’re paying into the economy by working and are now told, ‘You don’t deserve help because you’re part-time.'”

Osborne had used a £3,500 maintenance loan for books and transport, only to be informed the funds must be repaid “immediately” with interest. A longer-term plan was ruled out. “It’s not a handout, we know we have to pay,” she said, highlighting the unexpected impact of the policy change on her future as a teacher.