WEEKEND STUDENTS &FUNDING

We wrote to students earlier this year following a letter dated 9 December 2025 sent from the Secretary of State for Education to higher education providers. In this letter, the Secretary of State stated that eligibility for maintenance funding was contingent on regular, in-person weekday attendance and that courses where in-person teaching was delivered only at weekends were not eligible for maintenance funding as were classified as distance learning.

In response to this letter, we gave affected students several options to change their course delivery model.

The Department for Education (DfE) subsequently wrote to our degree awarding partner, University for the Creative Arts (UCA), on 23 March 2026 regarding eligibility for maintenance funding.

In particular the DfE stated:

• attendance on weekends only is classified as distance learning, and students on such courses do not qualify for maintenance support or targeted grants (with the exception of the Disabled Students’ Allowance);
• a course is considered ‘in-attendance’ and eligible for maintenance funding only where students are required to attend on a regular, timetabled, in-person basis during weekdays; and
• the DfE normally considers regular weekday attendance to mean at least once per week of required, scheduled attendance for learning or professional practice during Monday-Friday.

We understand that this letter was received by several other universities in the sector.

Following this, the SLC paused remaining maintenance payments for students who had attended a weekend-only pattern of delivery at any time during the 2025/26 academic year. The SLC will now be undertaking a reassessment exercise of maintenance funding eligibility for affected students, including students who have already switched to a mode of delivery whereby they attend regular timetabled sessions on campus during the week.

UCA and London College of Contemporary Arts (LCCA) have taken the following actions:

• provided updated information to students;
• offered options to move to study patterns aligned with the DfE’s expectations for maintenance funding eligibility;
• supported students who chose to make those changes;
• prepared and shared relevant information with the SLC.

These steps were taken to ensure that students could:

• continue their studies and remain engaged with their course;
• align their course attendance pattern with maintenance loan eligibility criteria.

Yes, all affected students were contacted earlier this year and given options to move to an alternative study pattern or stay with in-person at weekend.

If you selected a new study pattern, no further action is required at this stage.

If you are unsure or did not respond, please contact us.

UCA has been engaging directly with the SLC. Based on initial guidance from the DfE on 23 March 2026, UCA had been preparing to submit Change of Circumstance notifications (CoCs) to the SLC from 6 April 2026, to enable the SLC to reassess students’ entitlement for maintenance funding.

The SLC confirmed on 17 April that UCA could begin submitting CoCs. This work is now underway.

The SLC acknowledged to UCA this process to date has taken longer than expected due to a number of factors, including its own system readiness.

Updates to affected students’ maintenance funding are dependent on the SLC’s processing timelines, which they have not yet confirmed.

There is no impact on your tuition fee loan. For further information please contact the SLC directly on 0300 100 0607 or see here Contact Student Finance England

DSA is not affected by this decision. Both distance learning and in-attendance courses attract DSA.

Yes. The SLC considers these to be an overpayment too and will seek to recover these through a repayment plan.

Any repayment plans will be agreed between you and the SLC. You can contact the SLC on 0300 100 0607 or see here Contact Student Finance England

You may experience delays or changes to maintenance loan payments due in April, even if you have moved to an updated study pattern.

If you have moved to an updated study pattern, your position will be reassessed once CoCs are processed.

We recognise this may be a cause for concern, particularly where financial commitments have already been made.

You are expected to:

• continue attending your course;
• remain engaged with your studies.

Maintaining engagement is important:

• for your academic progression;
• to remain aligned with maintenance funding eligibility criteria.

Please note that your attendance will be carefully monitored to ensure you meet the funding criteria for SLC maintenance support.

Yes. The SLC has confirmed that maintenance loans and targeted grant payments made to students on affected weekend-only courses will be subject to recovery in line with its current processes.

The SLC has advised that any recovery will be managed directly with each student and will take account of individual financial circumstances. This may include adjustments to future entitlement and, where relevant, repayment arrangements based on an affordability assessment.

Support is available to help you:

• access hardship support through the SLC where appropriate;
• navigate next steps in the process.

Please contact admin@lcca.ac.uk for support.

LCCA provides:

• dedicated student support teams;
• wellbeing services;

If you need support, please contact: Wellbeing@lcca.ac.uk

UCA is taking legal advice and, together with other affected institutions, is actively challenging the DfE’s interpretation of the Student Support Regulations and assessing the implications arising from this position.

A general letter from the Secretary of State for Education was published on 9 December 2025, just before the Christmas break, which included a statement that weekend-only courses were not eligible for maintenance funding. Following this, LCCA and UCA worked at pace to assess the situation, including liaising with the SLC, and arranging alternative delivery options for affected students. We contacted affected students to update them on the position and present alternative study options that would be eligible for maintenance funding.

Guidance was provided by the DfE on 23 March 2026, which set out a number of next steps with the SLC (i.e. submitting CoCs for affected students for eligibility reassessment). The SLC subsequently paused further maintenance payments while these steps are ongoing.

A general letter from the Secretary of State for Education was published on 9 December 2025, just before the Christmas break, which included a statement that weekend-only courses were not eligible for maintenance funding. Following this, LCCA and UCA worked at pace to assess the situation, including liaising with the SLC, and arranging alternative delivery options for affected students. We contacted affectThe SLC requires CoCs to be submitted for all affected students to reassess maintenance fund eligibility to ensure that students receive the funding they are eligible for.

UCA had confirmation from the SLC on 17 April that it could begin submitting CoCs – this work is now underway.

Funding updates will depend on the SLC’s processing of CoCs, once submitted. The SLC have not yet confirmed the timelines for this.

Payments will only resume once your eligibility has been reassessed by the SLC and will most likely be affected by any overpayment adjustments, depending on your individual circumstances.

This depends on SLC processing timelines, which they have not yet confirmed, and the outcome of your SLC reassessment.

UCA had confirmation from the SLC on 17 April that it could begin submitting CoCs – this work is now underway.

Payments will only resume once your eligibility has been reassessed by the SLC and will most likely be affected by any overpayment adjustments, depending on your individual circumstances.

The SLC determines whether any payments have been made in excess of a student’s entitlement.

Where payments are considered to have been made in error, they may be treated as ‘overpayments’ and recovered in line with SLC processes. More information on overpayments can be found at: Repaying a student loan or grant overpayment – GOV.UK

The SLC has stated that it will treat maintenance funding for students who attended at weekends only as overpayments and that students will need to repay this funding. The SLC has indicated that repayments may come from future maintenance funding entitlements or through payment plans, and that this will be agreed on an individual basis between each affected student and the SLC, taking into consideration a student’s circumstances.

UCA is seeking further clarity on how this will apply in practice so that students are able to make informed decisions about their studies.

No. Your place at LCCA is not affected.

You can continue your studies as planned, and the study options previously shared with you remain available.

Support is being put in place to help you continue attending, including financial and practical support.

Please contact LCCA at admin@lcca.ac.uk so we can support you.

We are working with UCA to review options for emergency support and will provide further information as soon as possible.

You should contact the SLC directly regarding your individual account and any support available. You can contact them on 0300 100 0607 or Contact Student Finance England.

LCCA can also support you in understanding your options.

Yes. This is affecting multiple universities and colleges delivering similar study models.

The National Union of Students (NUS) has launched a petition regarding maintenance loan support.

You may choose to engage with this independently if you wish.

• Continue attending your course.
• Contact the SLC about your account: 0300 100 0607 or Contact Student Finance England
• Contact LCCA if you need support: admin@lcca.ac.uk

You can raise a concern through LCCA’s complaints procedure:
LCCA-Student-Concerns-Complaints-Policy-and-Procedure-2025-27.pdf

If you remain dissatisfied with the outcome after all of LCCA’s internal processes have been completed, you may raise a complaint with UCA, which will be considered at the External Review stage of the Student Complaint Policy and Procedure.

Following this, if you remain dissatisfied, you may refer your complaint to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator (OIA).

Yes. LCCA and UCA will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available.

These FAQs will be updated as more information becomes available.

Clear and transparent communication remains a priority during this period.