Ms X complained that she had incurred a debt due to being given incorrect information by one of SLC’s call handlers about entitlement to tuition fee funding for a course. She had taken up a place on the course on the basis of entitlement to tuition fee funding. SLC subsequently informed her that there was no such entitlement. She left the course immediately but had already incurred a debt of a term’s tuition fees.
The Ombudsman noted that the information given to Ms X was factually incorrect. He was satisfied that there were specific circumstances to this complaint which meant that Ms X was caused detriment attributable to SLC’s actions. In settlement of the complaint, within 1 month, SLC agreed to make the following ex gratia payments to Ms X:
• £2312.50 to cover the tuition fee debt incurred.
• £300 for time and trouble in pursing resolution of her complaint.
SLC also ensured that the maintenance loan paid to Ms X for the term would not be recovered as an overpayment from any current/future study but will be repayable in future in the normal manner as with any student loan.