The criticism came after an appearance on BBC Breakfast News by Seymour-Jackson on Thursday morning in which he said "We admit the situation is not perfect, but it's reasonable".
NUS President Wes Streeting said “It is completely unacceptable for some of the poorest and most vulnerable students in the country to be left short of funds because of the incompetence of Student Finance England, and it is particularly insulting for Ralph Seymour-Jackson to claim that this situation is “reasonable”.
“Student Finance England has assured us time and again that significant backlogs would not be a problem, but now it is apparent that this is not the case. Ralph Seymour-Jackson needs to stop downplaying the significance of the problem so that universities can step in where necessary with contingency funding.
“Student loans are a lifeline to many people, and without them the costs of university would simply be unbearable.”
This news comes just days after Streeting wrote personally to Seymour-Jackson demanding answers following mounting concern regarding the processing of student finance applications.
Student Finance England was set up in 2008 by the Student Loans Company to process all applications for student support in England. This is the first year that the new system has taken over full responsibility from local authorities.
Related Links