Loans and fees do not add up

Editor—I was disappointed when contacting my college finance department regarding tuition fees to have the telephone answered, “Credit control.”

I found this, as I am sure many others have, insulting considering the fact that credit control agencies are hired to chase up (and harass) their debtors. It made me feel like a borrower with an overdue debt being chased by a loan shark. The conversation I went on to have reinforced my unease. My explanation—involving the death of a close family member—about the difficulty in paying the remaining fees until a month later was greeted with indifference.

The experience forces me to raise a question about paying tuition fees. Most students receive a loan from the Student Loan Company, whose policy is no longer to pay the entire amount at the beginning of the academic year but to pay three instalments, one each term. Although this may help the pitiful loan last all year, paying tuition fees is now a problem. It is surprising that in spite of this payment schedule the university still demands tuition fees as one instalment of £1075 with no opportunity to spread the cost (perhaps three instalments, like the student loan, would be sensible). This would allow students to budget their money better as I feel certain that I am not the only one without a spare £1075 lurking in my bank account.