Department for Education written question – answered at on 15 June 2026.
Claire Hazelgrove
Labour, Filton and Bradley Stoke
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, What assessment she has made of the impact of the classification of students on weekend-only courses as distance learners on their eligibility for student loans.
Josh MacAlister
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Education
The department understands the anxiety caused by students affected by the misclassification of weekend-only courses by providers, which has resulted in students receiving maintenance support they are not entitled to. We have been clear that providers should put in place appropriate hardship support so that students receive the help they need during this period. To provide clarity for students, we have instructed the Student Loans Company to recover loan payments through the student loan system in line with existing loan terms, and to pause any action on recovery of targeted grant funding until at least September while we review the position.
Secretary of State was originally the title given to the two officials who conducted the Royal Correspondence under Elizabeth I. Now it is the title held by some of the more important Government Ministers, for example the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.