Students protest at loans delay
Students who have been hit with a court summons or face eviction because of student loan delays have led a demonstration in Northampton.
Thousands of university students up and down the country have been left without money after errors by the Students Loan Company (SLC) this year.
In Northampton, however, some are still anxiously waiting for money and are now being hit by bank charges, eviction notices and even court summonses.
Yesterday, students from the University of Northampton demonstrated in Abington Street against the hold-up.
Among them was 30-year-old mother-of-three, Jen Maughan, who moved to Northampton in September to start a course in human bio-research.
Jen, whose children are 12, 11 and seven, gave up her job in Newcastle to start her course. She was expecting a 3,000 loan for her first term but has still not received a single penny.
She said: "I'm being evicted from my house on Tuesday, I'm about 1,500 in debt because of bank charges, overdraft fees and everything.
"That is money I am never going to get back and because of that I am seriously having to consider giving up my course and getting a job."
Jen said she sent off her loan application form in March and that it has been "caught up" in the system. They are now facing the grim prospect of being made homeless just before Christmas.
She added: "I am beyond being angry now. I just want to put a roof over my children's heads."
Paul Henderson, a mature music student in his third year, has been summoned to court three times because he has been unable to pay his rent.
Paul has received about half his loan for the term. He said: "It is just a general lack of respect towards students. I've had three court summonses, I'm not a criminal, I'm not a debtor and it just causes me so much stress."
Craig Swanwick, a third year music production student, said: "The organisation of getting student loans to students this year has been awful. I think the SLC should compensate every student who has been affected."
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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