Many students will have "debts" in the sense that they will have taken out a tuition fee and a maintenance loan to fund their studies. In the UK, these loans will be paid back after you have graduated and are earning over a certain amount in proportion to your income. For information on repaying UK student loans, see this link.
If you have other debts and are struggling to pay them, you should seek help and support to avoid it becoming a serious situation. Debts can be divided into priority and non-priority debts:
- Priority debts are 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.
- 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, with the ultimate possibility of being taken to civil court. A county court judgment can affect your ability to get credit in the future.
A debt to the University will be a non-priority debt, but tuition-related debts may stop you from graduating until it is paid in full.
The SU Advice Centre Team can offer you support with debt issues and can help you talk to creditors – however, if you have significant problems, we may suggest you seek assistance from other dedicated debt support agencies.
For tips and information on managing your money, the Stepchange Student Debt Guide is available to download for free.
Warwick University Student Funding Team also have a budgeting tool to help students.
Useful Links for support with Debts: