Student Advice Centre

Debts

The great majority of students will have "debts" in the sense that they will have taken out a tuition fee and a maintenance loan. These loans will be paid back after you have graduated and are earning and in proportion to your income.

There are other debts which need more urgent attention. These can be divided into priority and non-priority debts.

Priority debts are such things as rent or mortgage arrears, gas, electricity and water arrears, council tax arrears and unpaid court fines. Not paying these could lead to homelessness, losing the utilities, or even criminal court proceedings in the last two instances.

An unpaid debt to the University is a priority debt since it might lead your degree being withheld.

Non-priority debts are credit card, store card, overdrafts and bank loan debts. If you cannot pay these you will face increasing charges and interest and the ultimate possibility of being taken to the civil court. A county court judgment can affect your ability to get credit in the future.

To get initial help contact the Student Advice Centre using the details to the right of the page. We can negotiate with the priority creditors to try and get lower repayments.

If you have one or two non-priority debts we may be able to negotiate lower repayments. If you have a number of creditors and a very large debt, we will be able to refer to other agencies who can offer help. We can also help with general money problems such as maximising income and budgeting.

If you need debt management, national debt charity the Consumer Credit Counselling Service (CCCS) can offer debt advice and a range of solutions with no fee. For tips and information on managing your money, the CCCS Student Debt Guide is available to download for free. For instant debt help, use Debt Remedy, their online tool or call free phone 0800 138 1111 Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm and Saturday 9am to 2pm.

Useful Links

• National Debtline – information on dealing with debt problems
• Directgov – information on dealing with debt problems
• Citizens Advice – information on help with debt
• Credit Action – advice on budgeting
• Consumer Credit Counselling Service – advice on budgeting
• Money Saving Expert – budget planner