Every year, people in the UK pay back too much on their student loan repayments unnecessarily. That’s why we want to remind everyone how easy it is to avoid repaying more than you owe on your student loan.

We’ve made it easy to make sure you only repay what you owe, and not a penny more. Follow our tips on what to do when you’re coming to the end of repaying your loan, they’re really simple!

We know we’re probably not the most popular number in your contacts, but if we don’t have up to date details to get in touch with you, you could miss an important message from us! You can log in to your online repayment account to update your contact details, it only takes about 5 minutes.

When you’re close to the end of repaying your loan, we’ll be in touch to help set up a fixed monthly direct debit payment, which means you won’t repay more than you owe! But we can’t get in touch with you if we don’t have your correct contact information, so that’s why keeping your contact details up to date is so important.

What could be more satisfying than watching your student loan balance get lower and lower every month?! You can check this by signing in to your online repayment account, and if you’ve already repaid more than you owe, you’ll be due a refund! Result!

This way, if you are due a refund, we can send it to you automatically, without any hassle!

Coming to the end of repaying your loan

Follow our top tips when coming to the end of repaying your loan so you don’t repay more than you owe!

Check your account

Man on his laptop

As you approach the end of your student loan repayments, you’ll have some decisions to make – like switching to Direct Debit or making a payment to clear your balance.

Check your account online to find out your balance so you know if you’re close to repaying your loan in full. You should also keep your contact details up to date in your account so we can contact you when you’re eligible to switch to Direct Debit or let you know if you’re due a refund.

Check your account online to find out your balance and update your contact details.

Switch to Direct Debit

Man using laptop and holding a debit card

If you’re within 23 months of paying off your loan, switch to Direct Debit to make sure:

  • you only repay what you owe
  • your repayments stay the same every month
  • you avoid having to get a refund

We’ll contact you when you’re eligible to switch, so it’s important to keep your contact details up to date in your account.

It’s quick and easy to switch to Direct Debit by signing in to your online account. Alternatively you can do this by contacting us on Facebook or Twitter, or over the phone.

Get a settlement figure

Contact centre employee

If you’re near the end of your loan you can choose to repay your loan in full – but this is optional.

You can quickly and easily get a settlement figure by contacting us on Facebook or Twitter, or over the phone.

Get a refund

Woman on her phone

If you’ve not switched to Direct Debit, you’ll pay back more than you owe and be due a refund.

If this happens, we’ll try to send your refund automatically. The payment will come from ‘SLC Receipts’ on your bank statement.

If we don’t have your up-to-date bank details, we’ll contact you to let you know we’ve not been able to refund you. Make sure you’ve given us the correct bank account and contact details on your online account, so you don’t miss out on your refund.

You should regularly check your balance online as you’ll be able to see if you’ve paid back too much. If you’re eligible for a refund, it’s quick and easy to get this by contacting us on our verified Facebook or Twitter accounts, or over the phone, and confirming your details.

Remember, you won’t get a refund if:

  • you still have repayments to make to your student loan balance
  • you took out your loan before 1998
  • you’ve never made any repayments to your student loan
Check, choose, claim