Student Maintenance Loan Overpayment

scat

Well that's very like what happened to me then. Only I failed! Maybe it's the terminology that's confusing things? They can't penalise you for failing, especially if you have a perfectly valid reason for doing badly! I had used the mitigating circumstances procedure to have outstanding assignments carried over into the next term so when the course finished I had outstanding assignments from two semesters. I don't think I had any communication from student loans about it - I'm not sure why they even need to be involved until you tell them you want to retake the year. I should have a chat with the college about it and see if they can intervene on your behalf. SLC are probably just confused and assuming you didn't attend.

mellymeep

digitalife wrote: »

Sorry to hijack the post..... I'm in exactly the same position as the OP. It's so distressing to receive a letter at this time of the year I'm not working etc and will find it extremely difficult to make repayments.

mellymeep: I'm returning to my studies next year..... please can you explain how you came to this arrangement? Thanks

EDIT: Just to add some more info about my situation: I actually attended the entire year - 2007/08 but at the very end it was decided due to medical complications throughout the year - the year would be annulled. So technically I didn't withdraw from the course but at the same time no course fees were paid to the University. Does anyone know if this makes any difference?

Basically what happened with me is I stopped going in altogether and didn't hand in any assingements because I hated it so much. It all caught up with me and I had to go in for lots of meetings and assessments to convince the uni that it was just because I wasn't enjoying the course. What I did was a voluntary withdrawl and an internal transfer onto my new course, it took a bit of negotiating but my tutor was there to help.. I also had to do a few weeks in the uni counselling.

What I had to do with the SLC was inform them that I had done the withdrawl, the only thing I had to pay back straight away was the grant for the 3rd term I recieved (money that isnt going to be paid back.) But even then we organised a payment plan by where it would just be taken off the grant money I was going to be paid this year. And the maintenance loan I recieved is just going to be added onto what I owe at the end of my studies, but I can't recieve more than 4 years funding, so if I want to do an extra year im going to have to fund that myself.

rachd03

I have had the same problem with the SLC. I left my course a few wks before the end of the year due to anxiety problems, after I had recieved my last payment, I was informed that i would just have 2 pay it back as normal out of my wages. Yet in semptember i recieved a letter saying I had to pay back £1300, luckily i have a job so was able to arrange with them to make payments monthly. I then recieved another letter saying i had to repay my grant aswell, which was a bit annoying. However i called them up and they were very helpfull saying that i could split the monthly payments between the two. I agree that getting a letter months later is very frustrating but they are very helpful if you call them up and explain everything and will do their best to help.

And for people attacking the OP, this is really uneccessay, she was only asking for advice and Im sure the last thing she needs is people like you making digs!

bestpud

You need to contact them asap and tell them where you are at financially. Getting antsy with them is likely to be counterproductive as they know, as well as you do, that this money is owed to them.

FWIW, I deferred from my course in a similar emotional state back last year and I managed to inform the LEA that I was leaving and get my next payment stopped - hence no money owed.

This was after spending an hour 'breaking down' in the welfare advisors office as I didn't know which way to turn and what the hell to do next. She rang for me, I gave permission for them to speak to her, and it was sorted that way.

Yes, I was very ill at the time, but I sure as hell didn't want to make myself worse by building up more debt and was actually hyper-ventilating at the thought of getting it wrong and having people chase me for money. The day I drove to uni to sort that out, it took me the best part of two hours to do the 30-45 minutes journey as I had to keep stopping and get myself together - I was having major problems even thinking about uni at the time and felt sick every time I got near the campus.

I guess none of that helps much but to say they may not readily accept your reasons for not telling them yourself.

However, when I rang about the finance for returning to uni, the woman on the phone was surprised (and sounded somewhat relieved tbh) I had had the last payment stopped as she said most students don't, and then complain when they inform they the money is outstanding. So you are not alone by any means, but the downside for you is they are well used to people trying to get out of it!

So really, your best bet is to accept you owe it and try to get a favourable payment plan in place.

I guess the 8 month delay was in case you decided to return to uni?

bestpud

digitalife wrote: »

Well due to medical reasons and personal circumstance it was decided it be best to annul the year (as I would most likely have failed the year) and to restart it next year. It was basically annulled after I had completed some of my end of semester exams - so right at the end of the year, after I had attended all lectures and had completed all pieces of coursework.

Just to reiterate - I didn't drop out half way through and keep accepting payments.... I was actually on the course for the entire year and was using the Student Loan. I'm just not sure how to proceed... or what to say to the SLC

I'd have thought you'd be ok tbh, especially if you are able to prove you were ill at the time.

Contact them to be sure though as it is always better to pre-empt these things.