The Student Loans Company (SLC) has developed its online resources to further support students with any questions they may have.
New resources have been created such as a common questions area, which includes a dedicated section on payment. This can be accessed by students via their online accounts.
These improvements are likely to be a useful tool for students with questions about their loans, given that the SLC phone lines can get very busy at the start of term.
SLC ‘committed’ to improving customer experience
Over the past month, SLC has experienced ‘a high volume of calls’ and are ‘grateful’ to customers for their patience.
Chris Larmer, Executive Director of Operations at SLC, informed students that ‘important improvements’ have been made to the online experience, showing that they are ‘committed to improving’ their customer experience.
Before calling SLC with a query, check the website to see if your question has already been answered in the common questions area.
According to figures released by SLC, over £2.6 billion has been paid to 1.1 million students in the first term of this academic year. This means that they have now completed the majority of first term Maintenance Loan payments to students across the UK.
Larmer explained that SLC’s focus ‘now turns to paying Tuition Fees on behalf of students.’ Payments for this will start to be made to education providers from early November.
See also: Student Loans Company Issues Fraud Warning to Freshers and Returning Students
What is SLC?
SLC is a non-profit making government-owned organisation that administers loans and grants to students across the UK. It is an executive non-departmental public body, which is sponsored by the Department for Education.
This is now the third year in a row that SLC has increased the number of applications that it has had processed and ready to pay to students by the start of term.
Students experiencing financial hardship should ‘speak to their university or college in the first instance,’ Larmer advised.
‘They may be able to offer help and advice as well as access to financial support via hardship funding. They may also direct students to other organisations offering support,’ he said.