Glory Osarenren Otabor, R (on the application of) v Student Loans Company

Facts

The claimant, Mr Glory Osarenren Otabor, a litigant in person, challenged a decision of the Student Loans Company Limited refusing his application for postgraduate funding. In 2023 he had enrolled as an undergraduate and received student finance for educational purposes across the academic years covering 2023 to 2026. On 17 October 2025 he applied for finance to study a postgraduate Barrister Training Course with Professional Legal Studies at BPP University commencing in April 2026. The defendant made enquiries of the Secretary of State for the Home Department, who provided a Status Verification, Enquiries and Checking (SVEC) response on 17 December 2025 stating that he had not held lawful leave throughout the relevant three-year period; the defendant found him ineligible that day. A stage 1 appeal, a second SVEC in the same terms, further refusals and a reconsideration request followed, the stage 1 appeal being refused on 9 February 2026 on the footing that the defendant defers to the Home Office on immigration history. He contended he had been lawfully resident throughout and that the information was wrong. Permission for judicial review was granted on 9 June 2026 on the sole ground that he arguably satisfied the three-year lawful ordinary residence requirement; permission was refused on his legitimate expectation grounds, which he did not renew.