On average, institutions have paid £44,000 each in emergency funding to students left without money for rent, books and food.

Tens of thousands are still waiting for their first maintenance payments as the Student Loans Company (SLC) struggles to cope with record demand for funding.

Applications are believed to have been fuelled by the recession and a growth in the number of students starting university in 2009.

The BBC surveyed 58 universities and found 49 had been forced to make more hardship payments this term compared with the same period in 2008. Some 43 institutions attributed the rise to the loans crisis.

Portsmouth University has paid £80,000 to students waiting for loans and grants.

John Craven, vice-chancellor, said: “We are angry on behalf of our students who have been badly hit by this.”

Labour ministers ordered an inquiry after almost 150,000 students who had applications approved were left without funding at the start of the new academic term. 

The Student Loans Company processes payments for loans and grants. It is the first time grants have been handled by the SLC instead of local authorities.

Data published last week revealed 119,000 students who had their applications approved were still waiting for their first maintenance payments.

The National Union of Students has called for Ralph Seymour-Jackson, the company’s chief executive, to resign.

Sally Hunt, general secretary of the University and College Union, said: “It is totally unacceptable that so many students are still waiting to receive money, particularly first year students.