Waiting for payday

It's that time of year again. A month after term began at most Scottish universities, and once again thousands of students are still waiting to receive their student loans. Although we report on this year's loans drama in this issue, it is not a new story. Indeed, much the same thing happened a year ago, prompting the NUS to call on the chief executive of the Student Loans Company to resign.

SAAS, the body responsible for administering the payment of loans and bursaries in Scotland, should really know better. While most students will receive their payments on time and in the right amount, the number who do not is still far too high. Where the system breaks down is unclear; whether it is the famously convoluted documentation which needs to be filled in every year or the dense reams of red tape which largely preclude easy contact with the agency. But what is readily apparent is that while so many students are starting their courses without the proper funding, SAAS is an agency not fit for purpose.

The aim of ensuring that all those who wish to enter further or higher education can do so without worrying about cost, but all the good intentions in the world don't matter if students are being cut off from their entitlements. Students who do not receive their student loans are being forced to access funding from other sources; from commercial banks and private lenders. They are taking out increasingly large overdrafts and accruing mountains of debt that will plague them for years post-graduation.

It is true that for some, the student loan is a luxury; a bit of extra pocket money. But for many more, it's a core part of the monthly budget. The stereotype of the impoverished student is an unsatisfactory one. A student finding themselves a little light in the pocket through their own financial imprudence is one thing. Students being pushed into a cycle of debt by the government agency whose sole purpose is to prevent them from having to bankrupt themselves for the sake of a degree is another, entirely unacceptable state of affairs.