Today Liberal Youth has called for more senior staff at the Student Loans Company (SLC) to resign after the decision of both the SLC’s Director of Marketing & Customer Services, Martin Herbert, and Director of ICT, Wallace Grey to leave following the recent report in to the recent failure of the SLC to provide students with their financial support this academic year.
Elaine Bagshaw, Chair of Liberal Youth, said: ‘We welcome the decisions of Mr Herbet and Mr Grey to take responsibility for their respective parts in the way the SLC has failed students this year, but their resignations alone do not resolve the fact that there are approximately 28,000 students who are still without their entitled financial support as we head into 2010. ‘The problem has clearly been caused by an endemic culture of incompetence throughout the SLC and the only way this matter can be resolved and stopped from occurring again is for the SLC to change its approach and that requires a change of leadership, not moving people around within senior management roles. ‘So once again I renew Liberal Youth’s call to SLC Chief Executive Ralph Seymor-Jackson and Martin Hipkins, the government’s student finance strategy director to resign from their posts.’
One of the many students affected by the SLCs continued failure has been Liberal Youth General Executive Member Thomas Hemsley. He said of his experience: ‘I applied online in early April, with only my parents’ section needing to be done, which it was in early September. I therefore had to wait until the first few weeks of December without any money from Student Finance England, relying on what my parents could give me, which wasn’t much, and taking a loan from the university. I also received no help when I contacted them and delays when I sent them documents. Unfortunately, my situation seems to have been quite lucky compared to some’
But Mr. Hemsley was far from the only one effect by this. Liberal Youth Scotland Vice President (Campagins), Kristian Chapman, only receiving his loan at the end of November, three months later than he should have. During the time he had compensated, working far more hours than would have otherwise have been necessary to ensure that all bill where covered, to the expense of his education.
Kristian when asked on the subject “Being in my fourth and final year of University I can ensure you that is not position any student neither need nor should be put in ever again.”
Therefore Liberal Youth Scotland echoes the call made by Liberal Youth earlier today, “SLC Chief Executive Ralph Seymor-Jackson and Martin Hipkins, the government’s student finance strategy director to resign from their posts”
