FOR most students, bar work is the only way of supplementing their student loans. But those studying at Oxford and Cambridge are now being offered an opportunity that may leave them overworked, but definitely not underpaid.

Oxbridge Essays is offering to pay them up to £800 to write tailor-made essays for those at other universities, colleges and schools around the country.

The company, which bills itself as “the world’s first vendor of custom-made essays written exclusively by members of either Cambridge or Oxford university”, has been leafleting colleges across the two cities, claiming that students could earn more than £1,000 a week.

It says that it already has dozens of Oxbridge writers signed up, and has had hundreds of inquiries. Its emergence on to the scene has prompted an angry response from the two universities, with Oxford saying that it is “looking more closely at the matter”.

Three weeks ago Alan Grafen, Oxford’s head of student discipline, said that the university was facing an “ingrained habit” of plagiarism. An Oxford University spokeswoman said: “We have concerns about Oxford students being targeted to take part in an enterprise which might distract them from the academic work they are required to do, and which appears to encourage plagiarism.”

Cambridge University said: “We would strongly disapprove of students writing essays for other people. Not only is it cheating, or complicit with cheating, but it goes against the entire purpose of a university education, which is to develop one’s own ideas and skills, not buy them in from elsewhere.”

With Oxbridge Essays students can buy essays for £750-£1,500. Its website states: “Surely it makes sense to pay a little extra to guarantee that your work will be researched and written by the very best writers there are.”

The Times has learnt that Oxbridge Essays is the brainchild of two brothers, both of whom are still at university. Documents from Companies House show that the company was set up by Philip Malamatinas, 21, and his brother James, 20.

Philip is in his final year of a geography degree at Birmingham University, while his younger brother is reading the same subject at King’s College London. Speaking from his parents’ Bedfordshire home, Philip Malamatinas denied yesterday that his company was facilitating cheating. “We are very clear about who owns the copyright to the essays we supply,” he said. “We do. If you hand in one of our essays as your own you will be breaking the law. Everything we do is totally transparent.

“The idea that it is cheating is utter nonsense. Plagiarism is not encouraged by our website. We are just supplying model answers and research.”

The company’s website, however, tells potential buyers: “Once our work has been given to the customer, it is impossible for us to stop students misusing our service. You can hand our work in as your own, and no one will probably ever know.”

Mr Malamatinas added: “Students have to earn money to live. We’re offering an opportunity for students to make more money than they could earn in a bar.”

Both King’s College and Birmingham University said that they would be looking into the company. A Birmingham University spokesman said: “If a student was bringing the university into disrepute they would be subject to disciplinary measures.”

THE PRICE OF COLLEGE SUCCESS

• For a 2,500-word undergraduate essay done in 6 days: top 1st £750; 1st £500. Next day: top 1st £2,250; 1st £1,500
• For a 2,000-word model undergraduate exam answer done the next day: top 1st £1,800; 1st £1,200

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