Need help being harrassed to pay for course I didn't do

leylarna

(Apologies if this is int he wrong forum, I couldn't find one more appropriate)
I really hope someone can help me this problem as I've become so frustrated and upset that its having a detrimental effect on my health.
Firstly, to explain the situation. I enrolled through clearing to a photography degree at Sheffield Hallam University September 2007 but was turned down for student funding after one week so informed my tutor and told him I would have to leave. He said ‘OK I will let the powers that be, know’ (or words to that affect). So with my heart a little low I left and got a full time job. I moved to Newcastle a year later and thought no more of it.
About 6 months ago I started receiving letters to check that I was the resident of my house from a solicitors called Incasso ( a Leeds based debt collection agency) I called them and got the full story. SHU were trying to take me to court for none payment of the full years course fees. News to me!! Obviously I began getting quite worried as it’s a lot of money and I just don’t have that, plus I was only there a week and as far as I was aware they knew I had left and no attempt had been made to tell me there was any further business between us. They are claiming that I didn’t fill in a form to say I was leaving, which I didn’t as I wasn’t aware I had to. Having looked back I can see that it is in the fine print.
I have sent letters to both the university and the debt collectors explaining that I was only on the course for a week, was told by a member of staff that it was fine to just leave, joined through clearing (so no budget had been set aside for me) and used none of the universities resources. I have offered to pay a pro rato’d amount for that week but other than that I don’t feel I have cost the university any money other than them chasing me for this amount 4 years later.

I am being threatened with court action even though I have still got a dispute open with them. I was told off the record from an Incasso advisor that there’s no way they will give up and will continue to go for the full amount.
Please does anyone have any suggestions what I may do? I know not signing the form four years ago was an error but is it really worth a £3000 penalty? My husband is out of work at the moment so every penny I have is important, I have been told they would expect it to be paid back within 6 months or if I am in “extreme financial difficulty” over a year.

melancholly

so a few things to clear up:

they budget on the number of people allowed on the course, so whether you got in on clearing or otherwise, your spot will have be costed up fully. that point is not worth making as it's wrong.

did you put anything in writing about dropping out of the course?

have you had any correspondence with the uni at all in the meantime? how much were they originally claiming and how much is extra fees from passing the debt on? did you leave any forwarding address from where you were in Sheffield? (as in have they tried to contact you but couldn't)

do you have the specific dates that you attended/spoke to a member of staff?

the financial implications of dropping out are difference from the academic information. i don't really know whether this can be contested or whether you can set up a reasonable payment plan, but from the unis point of view, you took up a space that another student could have taken so whether or not you used facilities, you prevented them from getting another student who could pay.

leylarna

There were still places on the course when I joined so didn't prevent anyone from joining the course.

I didn't put anything in writing because the tutor I spoke to assured me it was all fine. I didn't note down days and times but could make a reasonable estimation that it was between October 1-9, 2007.

The first correspondence I had fromt he University was 6 months ago and no I didn't give them a forwarding address. Why would I? I didn't think I needed to given their tutor saying it was all fine.

dmg24

Surely you knew to get some kind of proof of withdrawal? The course/ undergraduate handbook would have covered this - you would have found this on the website.

melancholly

ok, well someone who has dealt with this before might be able to help. i think it was very unwise to do this all verbally, rather than at least put it in an email tbh. i hope someone can help - i think you will probably end up having to pay something, but hopefully not all immediately. i'm surprised that you didn't get any correspondence before this though. maybe they used your university email address during the year when you'd left?! it seems strange to not know anything about it until 6 months ago.

(although i didn't mean give an address to the uni, just left at with where you'd lived before so whoever moved in might have forwarded on any mail)

melancholly

dmg24 wrote: »

Surely you knew to get some kind of proof of withdrawal? The course/ undergraduate handbook would have covered this - you would have found this on the website.

i completely agree - shame the tutor didn't suggest anything about it. ultimately though, it's down to the student.... most people would realise you don't withdraw without doing at least some paperwork. i can't understand how nothing was done earlier though - they'd have been chased fairly early into the term if they were still registered and hadn't paid.

leylarna

To be honest I thought with me having only been there a week that I wasn't properly registered, I admit it was niave but still, a paper work loop hole thats going to cost me £3000?? thats £500 a month meaning I will have literally no life after my mortgage and bills come out. I doubt I'd be able to keep my car and would have a serious effect as I don't work within public transport distance. All this for not putting a squiggle on a piece of paper 4 years ago?

Do you think theres a chance if it went to court that the amount would be reduced? (although I don't feel I owe anything as I didn't actually cost them a penny, they set aside places and still had some left)

I have sent formal letters in after getting no whee with phone calls but neither seem to help at all. I also have a log of emails too.

Taiko

Certainly liable for the full years fees in my view. In taking up a palce, no matter how long for, you enter into a contract with the university. If they wish to charge lower fees, that is at their discretion. In this case, it appears they won't offer you a reduction.

I'd say that, if it went to court, they would be able to prove that you enrolled, something you do not dispute, and that the fee for that academic year was set at £3070. They have offered you the place on the course at that fee, and by attending you have accepted this. The contract would therefore appear to be complete from their end. Your only hope is to appeal to SHU's good nature, but I think given the timeframe, it's unlikely they'll buckle.

Oldernotwiser

Have you contacted the tutor you spoke to in order to see whether s/he can verify the advice you were given? Otherwise there's nothing to show that you advised anyone at the university that you had left.

charlishae

Have you checked out the unis withdrawing from a course policy. Im pretty sure at my uni you dont have to pay the full years tuition fees if you drop out in the first 6 weeks.

Taiko

It's as if people don't read the !!!!!!! thread sometimes...