David Ruffley MP has today released new House of Commons figures which show the proportion of Suffolk students who received their student loans on time fell over the past year.

At the start of the 2008/09 academic year 12 percent of students had not received their student loan by 18 October. At the start of this academic year, 2009/10, this figure stood at 18 percent.

The new figures were revealed in answer to David's questioning of David Lammy MP, Minister of State for Higher Education.

David said:

'These new House of Commons figures reveal a worrying drop in the proportion of students who received their student loan on time. There is incredible financial pressure on young people going into further education and the vast majority of them rely on their student loan to make ends meet.

'At the start of the 2009/10 academic year 18 percent of students had not received their student loan by 18 October. Furthermore, 23 percent of students who had confirmed their attendance on a course starting before 18 October were still without their loan- up on 18 percent the previous year.

'Given the difficult economic circumstances that families across Suffolk and the rest of the country are currently enduring, it is doubly important that student loans are allocated on time- it shouldn't fall to parents to pick up the tab for failing bureaucracy.

'Starting university can be a very stressful time for both students and parents and to enter a new environment unsure of your finances can only make matters worse. This is why those in authority must do all they can to ensure that Suffolk students receive a better service next year.'