Tuition Fee Debt Collection

Bobcat2025

A few years ago I was forced to repeat a university year due to personal reasons. I had previously completed a foundation degree at a different university (in the same course) but was forced to start year 1 elsewhere as the first university cancelled the course.

Unbeknownst to me, due to my “previous study” I did not have enough years of student finance to cover my repeat year and the university then decided to request a full year of tuition fees to be paid in full. 

After a lot of back and forth due and failed SFE personal compelling reasons applications, the university have now enlisted “STA Unify” to recover the debt. They state that all amounts repaid will go towards the debt and that they will set up an affordable plan. They also say that they have not bought the debt from the University but instead they are just working to recover it on their behalf.

Currently there is nothing to show this on my credit file. Will this debt appear on my credit report once I agree a payment plan or will it never affect my credit score as long as a CCJ is not pursued?

silvercar

@Bobcat2025 , Given that student debt often has different rules to other debt, I will move this to the student board.

I am surprised by the decision by student finance as I thought the rule was length of course + 1 year, to allow for difficulties faced along the way and change of courses etc.

silvercar

It may help to understand the full situation, if you could tell us the length of the foundation course and whether that was funded by student finance. Also the length of the new course and which year you repeated. Did you have funding for the repeat year?