Computer problems delay student loans in UK

Posted by in Uncategorized Aug 14th, 2004

From the BBC … quite a mess.

A new centralized computer system at Britain's Student Loans Company is being blamed for slow processing of loan applications that could leave thousands of students without loans at the beginning of the school year. With the new computer system, loan decisions are taking six to seven weeks, according to a spokesman for one local council, compared to about three weeks under the old system. Students who met a July 2 deadline for loan applications will reportedly be unaffected by the slowdown, but as many as 100,000 applications are expected still to come in. One education official said the problems resulted from "inadequate testing and rushed introduction of the new system." Officials are calling on the government to issue a statement to
reassure students that their loans will be processed and to make interim funds available to students caught without loans. An executive from the Student Loans Company acknowledged that there had been "teething problems" but said applications from affected students would only be a week or two late.

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