'Education, Education, Education..?'

Barely literate students with no GCSEs are being accepted onto university courses and being given thousands of pounds in taxpayer cash they will never pay back. As hundreds of thousands of first-year undergraduates arrive in halls across the ­country this week, a Mail investigation has ­uncovered serious abuses of the higher education system. Whistleblowers have told how courses are accepting students with such poor English that they cannot spell simple words, and who fail to attend classes as soon as they receive their first £4,000 maintenance loan and council tax exemption.

I guess we know where the next generation of 'journalists' is coming from... 

One source at a well-known ­university said they have seen instances of 'whole families' including elderly parents and grandparents enrolling on £9,250-a-year courses after being recruited by staff offering cash bonuses for new students. FA second academic claimed that one of their students 'who could barely speak English' openly ­discussed how he was using some of his loan to build a home in Romania, while another lecturer in London said there were 'huge concerns that some people are just scamming the taxpayer.'

I think it's more than likely most of them, not just a few... 

In a recent report, the Office for Students (OfS) warned of 'serious risks to public money' after ­finding that staff managing ­partnerships were 'incentivised' to prioritise student recruitment above course quality, with ­allegations that some institutions lowered entry requirements to meet targets.

Anyone with settled ­immigration status can apply to the Student Loans Company (SLC) for a loan to go to university – £9,250 a year for tuition fees and up to £13,000 for maintenance – and those from low-income households or with children can access thousands of pounds more in free grants.

Is this where the Treasury's 'black hole' originates? Why not call an immediate halt to this drain? 

Susan Lapworth, the chief ­executive of the OfS, said: 'We are concerned about the findings of this investigation. Where a ­university delivers courses through a franchise arrangement with another higher education provider it must ensure that the quality of those courses remains high.

'That includes making sure students recruited onto courses have the commitment and ability to succeed. It also includes ­making sure there are proper ­controls to protect public money.

Doesn't look like you're achieving that, Susan. Perhaps it's time you got your P45? 

'The OFS is working on these issues. We have announced ­investigations of some providers engaged in franchising and are taking steps to ensure all universities are properly gripping these partnerships. We will continue to work with the Department for Education, the Student Loans Company and others on these important issues, including to advocate for the powers we need to regulate effectively in this area.'

Why were you not given those from the start?