Teenagers and their parents have inundated MPs, universities and student leaders with pleas for help and advice about their missing loans.

They are also venting their anger and frustration on blogs, and turning to internet chat rooms for information.

There is growing anxiety among families whose children are due to start university soon. One blogger on the Student Room website said: “I’ve given up ringing, caring, writing, shouting, complaining [to the Student Loans Company]. I applied in April, and am still waiting to be income assessed due to their mistakes.”

Another said: “I had completed my online application sometime ago, but it was sent through to my local authority who deleted it, along with my proof of identity, meaning I have had to go through everything again. I have been getting the run-around ever since. My course has started and because of the hold-up, I cannot register on the course.”

David Willetts, the Shadow Universities Secretary, said: “Many potential students have expressed concern about inaccurate information, loss of documents and an unresponsive helpline. New arrangements, including replacing Student Finance Direct with Student Finance England, do not appear to be working properly.”

Writing to Lord Mandelson, whose brief covers universities, he said: “Are you able to reassure all young people starting university who applied before the deadline that they will receive their full loan and grant entitlement at the start of the new term?”

The deadline for applications was in June, but requests for financial help are still being dealt with. There have been thousands of extra applications from those who got a last-minute place through clearing.

If students do not have approval for a loan to pay for tuition fees, they cannot register with universities. Most degree courses start in late September, though some start sooner.

The Student Loans Company said: “We’re sorry our customers are experiencing difficulties getting through to our customer advisers. We have received record numbers of applications, with a 17 per cent increase. So far almost 830,000 applications have been approved, and the majority of those are scheduled for payment.”

Regular updates were being posted on the website, a spokeswoman added.

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