Common problems
The loan process is generally a very smooth one, though it does take time as so much checking is done between various agencies in the USA and The University of Winchester.
The most common problems we have experienced are:
Late cheques
- Student has applied direct to lender so nothing is sent to the university to certify and process is suspended
- Lender is inexperienced in dealing with foreign schools and is waiting for the university to do something but hasn’t told anyone
- Deferment problem
- Student cannot pay fees because of loan delays
- Cheques, bank accounts and currency exchanges
So here is our best advice should any of these happen to you.
Cheque(s) not arrived
The University of Winchester does not know when cheques are actually sent or how fast/slow the postal service will be. Contact your lender and ask when they will disburse the cheque(s) then allow well over a week for cheque(s) to be received at the university and be available for collection. This will take significantly longer during and around Registration period.
Cheque over three+ weeks late after disbursement
Check again with your lender for the exact disbursement date. Cheques don’t come straight off the printer and into pre-addressed envelopes. It takes a few days to print the cheques then all the papers that get sent with them and collate everything together for each University then go through the mailroom before starting their journey to the UK. Allow for delays at busy periods such as registration, Christmas mail, summer vacations. We have had many occasions when a student has insisted their disbursed cheques are cancelled after a two to three week delay, only to have them arrive a couple of days later by which time they are useless and we have to wait another three weeks for the replacements to arrive. Once cheques are cancelled, they cannot be re-instated. If you feel it has been too long since disbursement, then contact the Fees Office by email to book an afternoon appointment (when the USA is at work).
Lender waiting for School to certify something else
Not all lenders know the rules for foreign schools, or that we are not able to certify anything electronically, so the lender might be waiting on the university to do something which we don’t know about. Contact the lender to identify the problem, then contact the Student Recruitment Office by email or book an afternoon appointment (when the USA is at work).
Student applied direct to lender
Your lender will be waiting for something from the university, but the university has nothing to send them and all foreign schools have no electronic access to see if something is waiting for us. The University of Winchester can do nothing without ALL the correct paperwork.
If you did not send your promissory note and school certification and 8 page SAR to the school first, then you have to do so. There is nothing that can be done to expedite the process. There are no exceptions or short cuts.
The 8 page SAR can be obtained from the USDE in Washington. Promissory Note and School Certification can be found on The University of Winchester website. Read web or leaflet details “Loan Applications”.
Lender says repay old loan
Get a deferment form from your lender and get it certified by the Student Recruitment Office.
Overview
Your cheque has to be converted to £ sterling. UK and European banking is highly regulated and opening an account has strict identity and address checking requirements, which will cause problems for non-EU nationals. Anti terrorist measures in the USA will delay the movement of large sums of American dollars moving outside the USA. The university will not recommend what you do but your options are:
Bank your cheque in your UK Account
Your personal bank account will give you a better exchange rate than the university, but you will have no access to the funds until they ‘clear’ which could be up to six weeks.
Send Cheque(s) back to USA
Bank the cheque(s) in your US account which should clear in a couple of days and then wire the money to your UK account.