My sister went to university in 2012 which would have been a few years after Lydia started. My sister got a loan which was to pay for her education and that she now has to pay back. However she also got a maintenance grant that she doesn’t have to pay back. From what I can remember everyone was entitled to a maintenance grant as well however, how much you got was dependent on your parents earnings. For example my sister got the full amount (I can’t remember how much it was) which was paid to her in increments throughout each year she attended university. She was given the full amount as my mum was still a stay at home mum, we were classed as a 1 income family regardless of how much my dad earned. However when I was applying for university I was only eligible for the smallest grant, which was significantly less as my mum had taken up employment and we became a 2 income family. Even though my mum wasn’t earning enough to even pay tax on her wage. Unfortunately Lydia being from a 1 income family meant she would have got the full grant which if my memory serves correctly I think my sister got almost 30k over her 4 years at university. They have since abolished this particular grant scheme and have replaced it with something else as it was a rubbish scheme which meant a lot of students were left struggling.
But just to clarify Lydia would have to pay back her student loan. which is why I believe (if true) the tax man came knocking around the time of her wedding however the maintenance grant she wouldn’t have had to pay back.
