The National Union of Students has welcomed the departure of two executives at the head of the troubled Student Loans Company – both the Chief Executive, Ralph Seymour-Jackson, and the Chair, John Goodfellow, have stood down.
The new head of the SLC is Sir Deian Hopkins. He faces an uphill task to put things right after last year’s debacle, when thousands of students were left without resources at the start of their university career.
The NUS President-Elect Aaron Porter warned, ‘Processing delays, along with recent redundancies, website problems and confusion over repayments do not bode well for the organisation’s ability to avoid a repeat of last year’s loans fiasco. We wish Sir Deian Hopkin well in getting a grip on the SLC, which is a lifeline to millions of students.
‘This is an opportunity for the Student Loans Company to put its previous calamitous reputation firmly behind it. We will be seeking cast-iron guarantees from the new leadership that students will never again be left without vital financial support.’
Students for courses beginning in 2010 have again been urged to put their applications for loans in as early as possible to avoid delays – the date for non-means tested loans has now passed, but for means-tested loans the deadline is 25 June.
For advice and information on student finance go to the Complete University Guide’s money pages, and for more on the NUS statement see their website.
