Question to the Department for Education:

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.

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.