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, who completed his nursing degree in summer 2025, is facing an unexpected reversal of his financial arrangements. The course, which he paid for using a mix of NHS bursaries and personal savings, was originally approved for a tuition fee loan and a maintenance grant of £10,538. However, a recent email from Edge Hill University in Liverpool revealed that his one-year postgraduate diploma in adult nursing was not eligible for such support, requiring him to repay the funds “at a revised and accelerated” pace.

The Student Loans Company (SLC) has notified over 22,000 students enrolled in weekend courses that their studies may have been incorrectly classified for funding. Though Robinson’s program was full-time, including clinical placements, it still fell under the new criteria. The SLC stated that some institutions had “incorrectly categorised distance learning courses,” leading to overpayments. Universities, in a joint statement, expressed concern and hinted at potential legal action, pledging to prioritize student support during the review.

“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.”

Meanwhile, teaching assistant Lou Osborne, who resat GCSE maths and science to qualify for an education degree at the University of Sunderland, shared her frustration. Her accelerated two-year program, featuring Saturday lectures and written assessments, had been “amazing” and was set to conclude in 2027 with a final 12-week evaluation. But this week, she and her peers received similar notices, declaring their courses ineligible for maintenance loans. “We all went into a bit of a panic,” Osborne explained. “We’re all working full-time and can’t afford not to work full-time. We’re paying into the economy by working and are now told, ‘You don’t deserve help because you’re part-time.'”

The SLC informed Osborne that her £3,500 loan would need to be repaid “immediately” with interest, leaving no room for extended payment plans. In its email, the university emphasized that the qualification remains “fully recognised” and vowed to continue advocating with the SLC. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson acknowledged the issue as “not students’ fault,” attributing the problem to “either incompetence or abuse of the system” by institutions. She urged universities to “take immediate action” to assist affected learners.

Robinson and Osborne are among those impacted by revised rules stating one-year postgraduate courses are not routinely funded. While the university assured them of ongoing appeals, the financial burden now looms large. “It’s not a handout, we know we have to pay,” Osborne concluded, highlighting the strain on students who had relied on these loans to balance work and study.