UK university students will need to meet minimum standards to apply for loans.

The UK government is considering a new plan that would require university students to meet minimum admission standards before they can apply for government student loans, according to a report by the Financial Times citing anonymous sources familiar with the matter. Ministers will announce plans to restrict eligibility for student loans within weeks. The policy will focus on English proficiency, with officials considering making a pass in GCSE English a threshold for loan eligibility. The UK may also launch a consultation on lower standards, allowing other English qualifications to be used. The UK Department for Education has confirmed that it will examine "a range of alternative options" for setting a minimum English requirement for student loans.