Job Discussion Forums

[Mr Pete]

i contacted them just before i came over in february, and they told me the threshold was 15,000 a year!! anyway i sent in all the papers to declare i was going abroad, and haven't heard from them since...

[malu]

I have a feeling the new thresholds will apply to earnings from 6 April 2008. Not that you can simply email SLC and get the definitive answer - they don't do email.

[Jeembo007]

A friend of mine contacted them on my behalf and asked them all about this. When we first asked they said the threshold was �15,000, no matter where in the world you are. Then a few minutes later he came back and said "Oh no, sorry I was wrong, it's actually �3,000 if you're in China". What they also said was they are not flexible, well no that's not what they said but that is what came out. When my friend pointed out that paying monthly by direct debit would incur transfer charges from overseas they simply replied; "Well, that's your problem, you don't have to go abroad". Also when asked if you could just pay on a 6 monthly (as in pay all 6 months repayments in one shot, instead of each repayment each month) basis as opposed to a monthly basis to reduce the impact of the transfer charges they said; "No." They did however say you could pay in advance, so in theory the only way to reduce the impact of international bank transfer charges is to pay them in advance with money you haven't earned yet, or take it out of your savings.

When he asked if you would incur a penalty for not notifying them you've been abroad even if you did not earn enough money when you were abroad, they said; "Yes, you could incur a penalty".

In response to my friends rather negative tone with them, they said; "It says in the terms and conditions that you're supposed to contact us if you're going abroad." Now, I didn't check in too much detail, and yes it does say you are supposed to notify them, but it really didn't go into too much detail and I'm pretty certain it didn't say anything about penalty charges or different repayment thresholds for different countries. Please correct me if I'm wrong because I didn't read it in too much detail.

My friend also pointed out that this has not been made very clear by the student loans company. The student loans company admitted, and I do have a recording of them admitting this, that they do not tell people when they are taking out the loan that you have to notify them of going abroad, they admitted that they do not make it very clear and they admitted they think it's unfair that the student loans company doesn't make this very clear (they being the person my friend was speaking to at the time).

My friend had told them that he was calling on behalf of a friend (i.e. Me) and asked how I could complain about their policy. They said; "Your friend can call in and make a complaint, but I doubt anything would happen. Alternatively you could write to your local MP".

In conclusion, I have decided not to contact the student loans company for a number of reasons. I am happy to be an honest and decent citizen and pay back my dues, but their terms and conditions are simply unreasonable. I personally cannot afford to meet their requirements, I live in Shanghai where the cost of living is far higher than other parts of China. I think it's unfair that they refuse to be flexible about repayments. I think their system is a bit screwed up and always changing with complete lack of notification, it was simply out of pure chance that I noticed this and I suspect there are hundreds of thousands of British graduates who do not know this and run the risk of being penalized by our money hungry government. I also suspect they would not even know I am working abroad and don't really care. Also I am scared of contacting them, I run the risk of being penalized for the last time I went abroad even though I wasn't earning enough money. And frankly I am not in a situation where I can afford to pay fines.

Lemme know your thoughts on this.

[malu]

A very, dare I say it - Chinese, solution to this problem would be to get a contract for RMB4500 per month or whatever the threshold is. Then get a revised contract dated the following day for the proper amount. Send the first contract as evidence of earnings.

[lou_la]

To be honest, I think I'm just going to tell them I'm abroad, but not earning. I told them I was working here in Hungary, because I figure it's the EU, they might find out about it somehow (although that isn't particularly likely!!), but I don't think they'll find out about working elsewhere. Or even really care, they seem to be too bored to actually be bothered to do anything at all!

Jeembo - thanks very much for letting us know about this!!

[The Noodles]

I haven't paid back a penny and I graduated in 2001. Further more, I don't intend to repay as I have heard nothing from them since then. I don't see why I should have to pay for my education and am annoyed that grants were abolished after my first year at Uni.

[Surfdude18]

[The Noodles]

Since i left, I haven't even bothered asking. Don't remember how much I owe. But in all seriousness, I don't regard at it a s a debt. Not once have they tried to contact me. My credit rating is good. What's there to worry about!

Anyway, maybe someday, thus will come back to bite me on my A'*... But I can't see it happening.

[Surfdude18]

It won't affect your credit rating - but you will have to contact them about it if later you want to get funding for post graduate study.