Student loan delays 'leading to financial problems'

Delayed student loan payments may be raising financial concerns among a number of the country's students, it has been suggested.

According to Johnny Rich, editor of the student guidance site Push.co.uk, mature students and those attending universities on a part-time basis may notably be affected by recent funding delays.

He said that such students often rent accommodation off private landlords - rather than staying in halls of residence - and they could face eviction by missing property payments.

Students looking to get credit may be interested to hear that Mr Rich believes many are "having to turn to the bank for help and to parents".

Survey results published by the BBC this month show that a number of higher education institutes have had to offer emergency payments to their students to make up for delayed student loans.

The study suggests that this applies to three-quarters of those universities questioned.