Overseas Students: EU Nationals

(asked on 29th January 2019) - View Source

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that nationals of other EU member states who no longer reside or work in the UK make their student loan repayments.


Answered by
Viscount Younger of Leckie Portrait
Viscount Younger of Leckie
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Work and Pensions)
This question was answered on 11th February 2019

​The terms and conditions of repayment of student loans are set out by the Education (Student Loans) (Repayment) Regulations 2009 (as amended). These regulations make provision for repayment for borrowers resident both in the UK and overseas, including the EU.

The Department for Education continues to work closely with the Student Loans Company (SLC) to ensure a robust overseas repayment strategy. The SLC has arrangements in place to collect repayments from borrowers who move away from the UK and establishes a repayment schedule based on the borrower’s income and provides information on the methods of repayment available.

If borrowers based overseas fail to remain in contact with the SLC, the SLC will set up a fixed repayment schedule and place those borrowers in arrears. Borrowers with post-2012 loans who have not remained in contact with the SLC are charged the maximum interest rate of RPI+3% until they get back in touch. Further action, including legal action, can then be taken to secure recovery.

Reticulating Splines