THE number of hardship payments made to struggling students has doubled because of a lengthy delay in handing out grants and loans.

Two months after the university term started, many students have still not received their loans and grants, with the result that many are struggling to buy food and pay their rent.

Bournemouth University handed out 119 emergency loans in the first two months of term – more than double the 48 granted in the same period last year.

And the students’ union has also been handing out £10 Asda vouchers to students who approach them for help.

Across the country, thousands of students are still waiting for part or all of their money.

The Student Loans Company took over the processing of applications from local authorities this year but is still working through a backlog.

James Ricci, president of the students’ union at Bournemouth University, said: “There have been a fair few complaints, we’ve had people coming to us saying they can’t even afford to buy food.

“First years are not too badly affected because they are in university accommodation and there isn’t the pressure for them to pay their rent immediately.

“But students who are living in rented accommodation are having to explain to their landlords that they can’t pay their rent just yet.

“I know of one student who actually got threatened with being kicked out of his house if he didn’t pay his rent in two days. He had to ring his dad who transferred £1,700 into his account. A lot of students really rely on that loan to sustain them through university. This just adds pressure on top of what university brings with it in the academic sense.”