The National Union of Students has written to the chief executive of the Student Loans Company, Colin Ward, demanding improved administration of loan applications. NUS president Andrew Pakes claims the system has been plagued by delays, forcing students to take emergency loans and in some cases to drop out. But a spokesman for the loans company said it had completed a record 500,000 payments to student borrowers before the end of last term and blamed any difficulties on a few universities and colleges underestimating the number of forms needed.