Across the UK, thousands of students are enrolled in degree programmes delivered in person on weekends. These programmes require physical attendance on campus, structured classroom teaching, and the same academic intensity and assessment standards as weekday full-time study.

Weekend delivery is not distance learning.

However, current interpretation of Student Finance England eligibility criteria risks treating in-person weekend study as equivalent to distance or flexible learning for maintenance loan purposes.

If in-person weekend provision is classified in this way, students who physically attend campus may lose access to essential maintenance support.

This would have immediate and serious consequences:

• Final-year students could face financial instability after years of committed study
• Working adults balancing employment and education would be disproportionately affected
• Students with caring responsibilities would lose access to the only format that enables participation
• Social mobility and widening participation objectives would be undermined

Weekend provision exists precisely to expand access to higher education for those who cannot attend weekday classes due to employment or family commitments.

When teaching is delivered in person, attendance is recorded, and academic intensity meets full-time requirements, funding recognition must reflect that reality.

The day on which teaching takes place should not determine financial entitlement.

In-person weekend students meet full-time academic standards.
They should receive full-time support.