Weekend Students Are Caught in the Middle. Here Is What We Know.

Weekend Students Are Caught in the Middle. Here Is What We Know. On 9 April 2026, GBS CEO James Kennedy held a town hall with Oxford Brookes weekend students. It lasted over an hour. The questions were sharp. The answers were honest. Many were incomplete. Here is what we learned. The basics The Department for Education decided that studying on weekends counts as distance learning. It does not matter that students attend in person. SLC froze maintenance payments on 25 March. Around 40,000 students across the UK are affected. Not just GBS students. At least 20 other universities are in the same position. Tuition fee loans are not affected. This is only about maintenance. What GBS confirmed Kennedy confirmed several things clearly. GBS and Oxford Brookes dispute the decision. They do not agree that weekend study is distance learning. They do not agree that the regulations are clear on this point. Legal action is underway. At least 15 universities are challenging the decision in court. Bath Spa University leads the group. GBS has spoken to MPs, lawyers, and cabinet ministers. Many MPs had not heard about the issue before GBS contacted them. The Office for Students knew about this in advance. They sent a follow-up letter. But they have not opposed the change. Oxford Brookes wrote back to the DfE. They called it "manifestly obvious" that these students are not distance learners. No reply has come. What students raised Students described being trapped between two institutions. GBS says you are full-time in-person. SLC says you are distance learning. Both positions cannot be true at the same time. One student pointed out that GBS emails suggested applying for hardship through Student Finance. But as reclassified distance learners, students are not eligible for that support. Another raised universal credit. Full-time students cannot claim it. So students are blocked from maintenance, blocked from hardship, and blocked from benefits. All at once. Several students had children in childcare. Their childcare grants were frozen too. Not just maintenance. One student had moved from midweek to weekends in February. Weeks later, the freeze hit. He was affected by a decision made after he changed. What remains unanswered Kennedy was direct about the gaps. SLC has not answered several basic questions. Will SLC demand repayment of previous maintenance? They have not said yes. They have not said no. Kennedy called this "another issue they have not made a statement about yet." How will overpayments work? If SLC decides previous years were overpaid, students may have to repay separately. There is no income threshold for overpayment recovery. This is different from normal loan repayment. When will changes show on student accounts? GBS is ready to report timetable changes. SLC has not told them how. A window of 6-17 April was given. No technical instructions followed. What happens to next year? Kennedy could not answer. SLC has not said what it plans to do about future academic years. What students can do now Pick your new group if you have not already. Contact customer services if you did not get an email or got a confusing one. Write to your MP. Kennedy said this directly. Many MPs do not know this is happening. When they find out, they ask questions. Keep records. If you call SLC and get told something, note the date and what was said. Written and phone advice from SLC do not always match. Do not quit your course. GBS and Oxford Brookes are clear. You are a full-time in-person student. Your academic status has not changed. Apply for GBS hardship if you need help with rent or food. It will not cover everything. It is a loan, not a grant. But GBS says they will not ask for it back unless your maintenance is restored. Don't miss critical updates This situation is changing daily. Ministerial decisions, legal challenges, parliamentary questions. When something changes, you need to know immediately. Join the newsletter → New articles and updates go straight to your inbox. No spam. Unsubscribe any time.