Uni/STA International - Student Fees [SAAS scottish uni fees]

[MessyLional]

Hi

 

I dropped out of Uni after 3 weeks after realising the course was not for me back in September 2017.

 

Just before Christmas I periodically started to receive letters from the Uni (Located in Scotland) requesting payment of £1100.

 

Since my departure from Uni I have had no income whatsoever.

Despite doing my best to find employment I have had no luck

 

.My wife works and I'm very conscious not to be a financial burden to her.

I don't smoke or drink and I limit myself to one meal a day.

She is very supportive of me in my search for work, and I don't wish to give the impression that she is some sort of tyrant because I am sanctioning myself in terms of money and using household resources

 

.I didn't show my wife the letters because I didn't want to worry her, and in many ways I just hoped the situation would just go away. I have also had 3 phone calls from STA International which I also ignored.

 

Last week I got a Final Notice from STA International outlining ways to pay in instalments and I don't know what to do.

 

I am just wondering what the procedure will be from here on in if I continue to ignore them.

What is the worst case scenario?

Can I expect a knock at the door?

 

Ps. I was a mature student studying in Scotland (where i also reside) and prior to going to Uni I was in a job which I had served almost 20 years

Edited April 30, 2018 by dx100uk
Spacing

[Bazooka Boo]

When did you take this loan on?

 

What type, and how much?

 

Ignoring them is potentially the wrong thing to do, what are you living off at the minute?

 

Like I say, start a new thread, and answer those few questions and give as much info as possible.

[MessyLional]

Thank you, I will do that.

 

It wasn't a loan, I never saw any of that money.

I believe there was a clause in the contract that I signed to get into Uni in the fist place.

 

I think it was to reassure them their fees would be paid if I dropped out.

Obviously I had no intention of doing that at the time but in the event I found the course unbearable.

 

The short answer to what I am living of at the minute is my Wife

Edited April 30, 2018 by dx100uk
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[BankFodder]

I was under the impression that university education in Scotland was free. Can you tell us what the £1100 is about please

[AndyOrch]

Thread moved to the appropriate forum......Student loans/SLC

[MessyLional]

Hi thanks for responding,

 

It wasn't a loan, I never saw any of that money.

I believe there was a clause in the contract that I signed to get into Uni in the fist place

 

. I think it was to reassure them their fees would be paid if I dropped out.

Obviously I had no intention of doing that at the time but in the event I found the course unbearable.

 

I was only at the Uni for 2 or 3 weeks and I never took out any loans etc. then I start getting these letter looking for £1100, which I assume would have been the fees for the entire year, which obviously I never completed

 

It would have been free (Funded by SAAS) if I had completed the course.

[BankFodder]

Secondly, I rather thought the one was entitled to change one's mind within the first few weeks of any course without incurring costs?

[MessyLional]

You would think that eh, a cooling off period so to speak.

But apparently not

 

.I have just checked by dates, I started on Monday the 11th of September and finished on the 28th. Ever since just before Christmas I have periodically received letters looking for £1100

 

, first few of these were from the Uni itself then from STA International.

I have no Idea how to proceed with this.

I have ignored them up till now because I didn't want to be seen as acknowledging any debt

Edited April 30, 2018 by MessyLional

[BankFodder]

Did you give them notice or did you just drop out?

[MessyLional]

My last day of attendance was on the 26th of September and I informed them two days later (28th) by email on that I would not be returning

[BankFodder]

Which university was it? This money represents the fees for how long?

 

You certainly won't expect any knocks at the door unless there is a judgement against you – and you should have prior knowledge that they have started to claim.

[dx100uk]

By default you have done the best thing already...Ignore them totally.

 

I'll pop back later, but in short you don't actually owe anything

 

https://cse.google.co.uk/cse?cx=partner-pub-0964707606882478:652l7hswbgv&ie=UTF-8&q=Sta+international&sa=Search+CAG#gsc.tab=0&gsc.q=Sta%20international&gsc.page=1

 

Dx

[MessyLional]

Thanks Dx that's how I feel about this.I look forward to hearing what else you have to say. Thanks also to everybody who responded,thank you

[dx100uk]

i will assume

looking at the small amount involved that this is solely for tuition fees

 

if you go look at YOUR award letter

I will guess there is a cut off date of about 1st December??

 

as long as you informed the uni and they informed SAAS you should not have more than the 1st month or two to payback.

 

typically the uni's think students that fail to attend are a softtouch, and deserve to be punished so they don't inform SAAS that you are not attending anymore until well after the cut off date,

 

this then benefits the UNI as they get to claim the whole years tuition fee when in all truth they should only be getting a PART of it..

 

deal with the uni directly by POST only.

ignore STA totally.

[MessyLional]

Hi Dx Thanks again for your time.

 

I will have to look out my award letter to check for the cut off date that you spoke about, but it does ring a bell.

 

I myself informed SAAS at the SAME time as I informed the Uni (28th sept),

I have no idea if the Uni also contacted them, but i would assume they did.

 

What would be the best thing to say in my initial correspondence with the Uni.

 

Thanks again!

 

Ps. Yes it's only tuition fees

Edited April 30, 2018 by dx100uk
mistak/ spacing

[dx100uk]

brilliant. that's perfect.

you informed SAAS yourself, so the uni are trying it on hoping you don't know any different than you owe the full year that they failed to get out of SAAS as SAAS have followed the rules and NOT paid the uni because

it has smack'd to me that SAAS have been well aware of this fiddling by uni's for sometime and that it sadly goes on, but don't want to act on it..

 

for the minute do nothing more.

[MessyLional]

So I will just sit tight then. I will let you know of anything develops. Thanks again, you really have been very helpful

[dx100uk]

if you wish

you are more than happy to scan up the letters you've been getting to PDF

read upload

 

dx

[MessyLional]

Hi Dx, Here is a PDF containing 3 communications that i have received. The first is the initial correspondence from the Uni,the other two are from STA International.The last one (with the red header) is my most recent letter

STA Int. and Uni Doc1.pdf

[Bazooka Boo]

They're soooo funny! Look at them begging.....:pound:

[MessyLional]

Hello again folks. I have this morning received a letter from Hadfield solicitors informing me that they are acting on behalf of my old university.

The letter states that "unless payment of the balance as stated above is made in full within the next 7 days from the date of this letter, court proceedings will be issued in the appropriate jurisdiction without further notice.

 

You will find a range of payment methods overleaf; all of them to STA who are authorised to recover payment on behalf of the University"

 

It goes on to state that

" Any claim resulting in proceedings will include a claim for interest from the date the client's invoiced became due.

This could include interest and recovery costs under The Late Payment of Commercial Debts Regulations 2013 together with Court fees and legal costs from the date of issue of the proceedings"

 

The letter concludes with " Should you have a payment proposal,or a query relating to this debt, please contact STA international"

(then contact phone number and email address)

 

Just wondering what I should do now?

 

 

Just for clarity, I haven't contacted the Uni, STA or Hadfeild about this matter at all.

Since the last time I posted on this thread on the 1st of May, I have had a couple of phone calls and an email, all of which were ignored.

 

Where do I go from here?

 

Thanks in advance for taking the time to read this message and, hopefully some direction.

Edited May 29, 2018 by dx100uk
spacing

[AndyOrch]

So Hadfield Solicitors dont feel the need to use pre action protocol ?

 

Andy

[MessyLional]

Hi Andy

I assume that pre action protocol is some sort of due diligence procedure.

 

Do you think that they have not adhered to this protocol for a particular reason?

 

Just to make my position clear, I have never heard of pre action protocol before.

 

Having said that, I have never gotten a letter from a solicitor before either

 

 

 

Lionel

[dx100uk]

https://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?481827-The-Pre-Action-Protocol-for-Debt-Claims-is-made-by-the-Master-of-the-Rolls-as-Head-of-Civil-Justice.-1st-Oct-2017

 

read their letter carefully it does NOT say WILL anywhere??

[MessyLional]

Hi Dx, The link you provided is for England and Wales only? (I am in Scotland)

 

What do you think about my earlier post regarding the letter from Hadfields?

 

Should I be worried or is this just another "fear" tactic?

 

Thanks in advance

Lionel