A student has been unable to get a loan for university because someone with the same name, birthday and born in the same area has already applied for one.
Emily Hughes, from Smethwick, West Midlands, was told by the Student Loans Company in April she could not be registered on its system.
She has now sent them her passport in the hope of being recognised in time to study medicine in Birmingham.
Miss Hughes, 18, said she was fed up with the way she had been treated.
"It's been chaos," she said.
"Just so much unnecessary stress and it's quite embarrassing as all my friends are sorted with their loans, but not me."
'Living with fear'
When she applied for a loan in April, Miss Hughes was told she could not get a customer reference number because there was someone with the same name registered on the system.
Emily Hughes, from Smethwick, West Midlands, was told by the Student Loans Company in April she could not be registered on its system.
She has now sent them her passport in the hope of being recognised in time to study medicine in Birmingham.
Miss Hughes, 18, said she was fed up with the way she had been treated.
"It's been chaos," she said.
"Just so much unnecessary stress and it's quite embarrassing as all my friends are sorted with their loans, but not me."
'Living with fear'
When she applied for a loan in April, Miss Hughes was told she could not get a customer reference number because there was someone with the same name registered on the system.