Help With Student Loans - HERE!

Almo

I was just wondering if anyone knows any means on contacting the student finance company? When I go to the Student Loans Company site, I get redirected to the Student Finance Company. If I want to email them, I have to login to my account - well the reason I want to contact them is that I am overseas, and cannot access the details of my loan - I don't know my customer reference etc.

I have never had any correspondence from them re paying back the loan, and am now overseas. I need to contact them to provide details of my earnings but short of posting a letter saying 'um, please see if you can find me using my name and DOB' I don't know what to do.

Any ideas?

mayb_2

Don't know if this is any use to anyone but a leaflet I have here from the Student Loans Company - arrived late last year - says the follwing:

If you want to pay more off

If you wish to make more additional voluntary repayments you can do so by sending a cheque directly to the Student Loans Company. Cheques should be made payable to Student Loans Company Ltd and sent to
Student Loans Company Ltd
Finance Department
100 Bothwell Street
Glasgow G2 7JD
Please quote your customer reference number on the reverse of the cheque.

It also notes that these extra payments wont change the amount deducted from your wages - but just mean you will pay the loan off quicker.

The telephone number given on this leaflet is 0870 240 6298- which is probably the one you have already.

More information can be got regarding the terms and conditions of your student loan by telephoning 0800 731 9133 (Department of Education and Skills) and asking for a student loan guide. or for Scotland ring 0845 111 1711.

Almo I would have thought if you gave them your name and date of birth and the Local Education Authority you came under and/or the University you attended they should be able to track you down. Perhaps the LEA would have your student number.

Helix

This link has everything http://www.slc.co.uk/thresholds/index.html

Including an overseas phone number.

stu_iow

Hello there,

Why has my student loan re-payment 'interest' rate almost doubled in the past few months, when to my knowledge inflation has not. I heard a rumor that the original student loans company was taken over by a private firm, is this true?

Thanks.

crystal_clear

Hi there
I have a good friend who worked in a london NHS hospital for a few years but finances were getting the better of them. Stuggling on there pay approx 15k did mention they may have to leave seek alternative employment which resulted in the NHS putting them forward for nursing at Uni telling them they were on secondment at 18.5k yet 3 months on the Nhs have been in touch saying this is an error and 15.5k is there annual figure. (there error so that kicks in from JAN )
My friend is a single parent to 3 age 18yrs in further education until June ,16yrs left school in july last year and 13yrs.
They get a small tax credit award and council tax benefit but still stuggling to keep on top of the bills and London housing rents , running the car 25 miles to and from Uni,
Is there anyway they could get any further financial assistance any grants loans they should claim as they are very thifty yet cannot get to end of the week with to pennies to rub together.
If anyone has any advice that may help them stay on the course this would be great.
Thank you for reading and any replies i will pass on
CAN ANYONE ASSIST WITH POINTING ME IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION OF WHAT THEY MAY BE ELIGABLE TO CLAIM IF ANYTHING
regards
Crystal

roxalana

Crystal Clear,

Unfortunately I don't work for the Local Authority any more and the more time I am away the rustier my knowledge of things is!
I would advise your friend firstly contacts the people in charge of her studies in the NHS for advice to see what is available from them. I would also ask for a full explanation of why she was not getting the original figure that was offered - presumably her salary will go up at some point or else she is not gaining by doing the course?

Secondly, if it is a higher education course, she should contact her Local Education Authority's Student Support section. If you go to the student finance direct website there is a 'find my LEA' function if she doesn't know which one. She will need to ask what funding is available through them (if any). I think it will depend on whether it is a seconded course or if it is a course that attracts a bursary (if so they will need to know if this is an income assessed bursary or not). They may also ask if she has studied Higher Education course(s) before.

Thirdly, she could try jobcentreplus and/or see if she is getting all the benefits, tax credits etc she is entitled to.

Hope this is helpful as it is a bit outside my knowledge!

roxalana

stu_iow wrote: »

Hello there,

Why has my student loan re-payment 'interest' rate almost doubled in the past few months, when to my knowledge inflation has not. I heard a rumor that the original student loans company was taken over by a private firm, is this true?

Thanks.

The student loans company is a private company but has not been taken over to my knowledge. See previous posts about the interest rate rise (might be on a different thread but still in the student part of the forums). Martin has written a useful article (should I pay off my student loan) which gives some more info in light of the interest rate rise which also includes the reasons behind the increase - he can explain it better than me!

roxalana

jago25_98 wrote: »

re: http://www.studentfinancedirect.co.uk/portal/page?_pageid=53,1261379&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL

International payments.
I notice that instead of the 180 day rule they mention 3 months to be considered foreign to the tax system. Interesting.

I've also heard about a price hike from 2-4ish percent. Not clear on whether that effects existing loans but if it exceeds my savings rate I guess I would pay off all £11,000 in one cheque.

Wonder how I get a login for the website, and whether it would help me check the balance.

Although not paying off the debt makes me £200/month in investments it's an irritation to be chained by the debt... like the government could change the rules at any time. They took out £140/month last month...? No feedback on that yet.

Is there not a wiki or another info page on loans that's independent?

Martin's article on 'should I pay off my student loan' is the most helpful thing I have seen on the topic.

To the other people who have asked about paying off their loan early/in one lump sum it is certainly possible - unfortunately I have to recommend you call the SLC for more information as it is quite difficult to find out how much exactly you owe at a particular time as the SLC have to wait for info from the Inland Revenue? about how much you have paid out of your salary. Personally I wouldn't want to pay too much as I don't know how easy it would be to get the money back!

roxalana

Almo wrote: »

I was just wondering if anyone knows any means on contacting the student finance company? When I go to the Student Loans Company site, I get redirected to the Student Finance Company. If I want to email them, I have to login to my account - well the reason I want to contact them is that I am overseas, and cannot access the details of my loan - I don't know my customer reference etc.

I have never had any correspondence from them re paying back the loan, and am now overseas. I need to contact them to provide details of my earnings but short of posting a letter saying 'um, please see if you can find me using my name and DOB' I don't know what to do.

Any ideas?

Hmm - it's tricky cos they usually want passwords and things. Call your LEA (or email them - check the council's website for details or got o find my LEA on the Student finance direct website) in the first instance and explain your circumstances and see if you can get your ART ID number. You may then have to ring the SLC - they don't really have email addresses unless you use the logged in system.

mayb_2

Are the Student Loans Company governed by the FSA does anyone know? - Because surely they have to notify you when the rate has changed and I don't think they have ever done that.