Frequently asked questions about....debt

The first thing to do is to maximise your income. This means ensuring that you have all the student funding or government benefits that you are entitled to whilst you study, you have applied to MMU's Access to Learning Fund and you have tried to find a job - www.csi.mmu.ac.uk/jobs/index.php. Once you are sure that you are getting everything you can, your debts need to be prioritised, remembering that the one that screams the loudest is NOT necessarily the one that is the most important. Try to negotiate a repayment scheme that you can afford with priority creditors (landlord/council tax unit/MMU).
Non-priority debts (credit card/overdraft) can then have what's left.
There's a lot more advice we can give based on your specific situation and we help many students with debt and money problems so highly recommend that you come and see us bringing with you any relevant paperwork. You could also take a look at our Money Management booklet.

 

First of all don't panic. Bailiffs' power is legally restricted. The most important thing though is that Bailiffs are instructed by a court. This could be for Council Tax arrears, magistrates court fines or non-priority consumer debt. Without a court order, they are not bailiffs and do not have bailiff powers. The powers are different depending on the type of debt. Many normal debt collection agencies are also employed as bailiffs and try to use the confusion to scare people into making payments they can't afford. We recommend that you come and see us urgently bringing the paperwork for this, and all other debts, with you. Oh, and don't let them in or give them any easy entry (keep windows and doors locked!)

 

The university rules do currently state that "A student with outstanding tuition fees and/or accommodation fees and/or any other associated fees due to the University may have their qualification withheld or be refused re-enrolement." They also state they can take away services such as the library and computer rooms. It would therefore be a good idea to come and see us for advice on how these rules apply and assistance in challenging or repaying the debt. In particular, recent decisions by the Office of Independant Adjudicators has said that universities should not impose academic sanctions for housing/halls debts. You can also check out our Money Management booklet.

 

 

If you're concerned about how much you have to live on, then come into the Advice Centre. We can check that you are receiving the correct amount of funding and help you to apply for the Access to Learning Fund. We can also help you with budgetting advice - have a look at our Money Management booklet.