A recruitment agency has been condemned after urging EU migrants with poor English to apply for student loans worth tens of thousands of pounds, promising payouts of up to £100,000 in what it called a UK "goldmine".
Edu4u targeted EU nationals living in Britain who had not completed secondary school, advertising higher education courses as a route to substantial sums of money, including payments for living costs and childcare.
In one Polish-language video posted on TikTok in 2024, which attracted more than 1.2 million views, a representative told prospective applicants: "If you live in the UK, you need to hear this – it will change your life."
The representative added: "If you have pre-settled status, you can receive £75,000 over the next five years into your bank account, or even more. All you have to do is start a course and study for two days a week."
Investigation findings
An investigation by The Telegraph found that the agency advertised courses to people with limited English, promising generous financial support while emphasising that students could attend classes just once or twice a week.
Its website claimed: "No diploma? No problem", adding that it could "enrol students with poor English too".
Another video published this year promised a £5,000 NHS grant, £15,000 a year in living-cost payments, additional grants for children, a free laptop and student discounts.
The advertising also highlighted benefits that students would not have to repay, creating the impression that enrolling on a course was a straightforward way to secure thousands of pounds.
Undercover contact
Posing as a migrant with settled status, a reporter contacted Edu4u on WhatsApp and asked about an easy course for someone with poor English, no high-school diploma and little time to study.
The agency suggested business and accounting programmes at two British universities, despite being told the applicant's motivation was purely financial. When asked whether it would be possible to stop attending classes after securing the loan, the representative said it would be.
Edu4u also claimed to have helped 4,300 people secure more than £123 million in student loans.
Political response and university action
Recruitment agencies can receive a cut of university tuition fees in return for finding students, with payments understood to range between 10% and 30% of the £9,790 annual fee.
Shadow education minister Saqib Bhatti condemned the practice, saying: "It is totally unacceptable for agencies to exploit our student loans system by marketing student finance as a 'goldmine' or promising huge payouts to people who may be ill-equipped to benefit from higher education."
He added: "University cannot be a free-for-all funded by the taxpayer, and student finance should not be putting unnecessary pressure on our immigration system."
Coventry University and Arden University both ended their contracts with Edu4u in 2025. Portsmouth University stopped working with the agency in 2024 after it failed to recruit any students.
Global Banking School said it had no contract with Edu4u and rejected its application to recruit students again this year. London Metropolitan University also said it took the allegations seriously.
The Office for Students warned in 2024 that recruitment agents were using inappropriate methods to sign up students with very weak English to unsuitable courses, sometimes presenting maintenance loans as grants.
A spokesman said universities must ensure applicants are genuine and capable of succeeding, adding that the regulator was ready to act against institutions facilitating unacceptable recruitment practices.
The Government said it would not hesitate to take action against anyone found to have abused the student finance system and was working to close regulatory loopholes.
