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Daily Record
a day ago
- Health
- Daily Record
West Lothian student urges others with disabilities to 'go for it' at college or university
Aaron has cerebral palsy, autism, oral motor ataxia, cerebral visual impairment and other issues An inspiring West Lothian College student with disabilities is sharing his education journey story to encourage others to 'go for it' and achieve whatever they want to. Going onto further or higher education, such as college, university, or an apprenticeship, comes with unique challenges for students with a disability, but a growing network of support is available Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) offers tailored funding and inclusive college or university resources designed to help disabled students thrive during their studies. Aaron, a multi-disabled HNC Social Services student at West Lothian College, has shared his route to further education. 'I have cerebral palsy, autism, oral motor ataxia, cerebral visual impairment, and a host of other small, little, niggly disabilities that make up the legend that is me,' said Aaron. 'I am a glass half full kind of guy, and like to say that everything kind of works, just not very well. 'I actually started college on an Assisted Programme, which, in a nutshell, teaches people with disabilities vital life skills and is a key stepping stone in considering what we want to do with our future. 'I've guest lectured for Napier University's learning disability nursing course on my lived experience with nurses, and social care in general. This motivated me to learn more about Health and Social Care, as I wanted to understand more about the policies and practices that affect my everyday life.' West Lothian College's Student Support Team work with students across the college in all centres, providing help with all learning needs. Kate Fleming, Health and Social Care Lecturer at the college, said: 'Aaron has grown so much during his time at college. He is a driven student who overcomes any barriers he faces with his learning. 'It has been a pleasure to teach Aaron. He approaches every task with a positive attitude and a real desire to learn and improve. We're proud of everything he's achieved, and we're excited to see where his journey takes him as he progresses at the college.' Aaron added: 'My disabilities make daily college life a bit of a challenge when it comes to class lectures, work placements and accessing areas on campus, but I have had support since day one, and the level of attention and consideration that the college has put in to help me achieve my goals of studying has been amazing. 'I get help several times a week from Student Support who assist me with everything from scribe support, open and closed book assessments, guidance and time management planning. I honestly have had the best experience and feel valued as a student.' Aaron receives the SAAS Disabled Students' Allowance, a specialised support package that eligible students receive throughout their college and university studies at HNC, HND and degree level. The allowance supports students who have extra costs because of their disability. 'It's quite simply the case that without the extra support, I could not achieve my goals,' Aaron admits. 'The extra funding from SAAS means I can pay for a scribe to help with my coursework assessments, have the technology needed to help me with note taking in lectures, and additional student support to be there for me when it comes to my assessments and exams.' Aaron has a message of encouragement for any young person with a disability considering their options when they finish school. He said: 'Go for it! The sky is the limit, and the only thing holding you back is you.' To hear more about how the team at West Lothian College can help, email supportlearning@
Telegraph
16-03-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
When do you start paying back your student loan?
Student loans are offered via the Student Loans Company, a government-owned organisation, to support higher education students with the cost of getting a degree or postgraduate qualification. Money is loaned to cover annual tuition fees, which are paid directly to the university, and you can also get a 'maintenance loan' to help towards living costs. The student loan system has changed over the years as governments have repeatedly tinkered with it. As a result there are now four different student loan plans and one postgraduate loan plan running, all with different rules, rates of interest and thresholds for when you must start repaying them. They are labelled plan 1, 2, 4 and 5. Plan 3 is a postgraduate loan. Worryingly, 45pc of students in the latest National Student Money Survey said they don't fully understand their student loan agreement. Here, Telegraph Money explains when you will start paying back your student loan – whatever plan you're on – plus what interest rates you'll be facing. When do you start paying back your student loan? For most student loan plans, repayments will automatically be triggered if your income (before tax) goes over the weekly or monthly threshold for your plan. The threshold amounts change on April 6 every year, so it's worth keeping tabs on them if you haven't started repaying yet. Broadly speaking, the plans work as below: You will be on plan 1: if you started your course before Sept 1 2012. You will be on plan 2: if you started your course between Sept 1 2012 and July 31 2023. You will be on plan 4: if you applied to Student Awards Agency Scotland (regardless of whether it was an undergraduate or postgraduate course) You will be on plan 5: if you started your course on or after Aug 1 2023. Thresholds for 2024-25 are as follows: Plan 1 student loan: over £480 a week, £2,082 a month or £24,990 a year. Plan 2 student loan: over £524 a week, £2,274 a month or £27,295 a year. Plan 4 student loan: over £603 a week, £2,616 a month or £31,395 a year. Plan 5 student loan: over £480 a week, £2,083 a month or £25,000 a year. The earliest you will start repaying is either the April after you leave your course, or the April four years after the course started if you're studying part-time and your course is longer than four years. If you're on plan 5, the earliest you'll start repaying is April 2026. If an annual bonus or overtime triggers loan repayments to start, then don't worry because you can ask for a refund if at the end of the tax year your annual income was less than the yearly threshold for your plan. When student loans are written off One quirk of the student loan that you won't get with a bank loan is that if the balance isn't paid off by a certain date then your debt is written off and the loan account closed. Depending on your loan plan the total debt is cancelled at different times. For plan 1: the loans are written off 25 years after the April you were first due to repay if you were paid the first loan on or after Sept 1 2006. If you received the loan before that date, the loans for your course will be written off when you are 65. For plan 2: any outstanding debt will be written off 30 years after the April you were first due to repay. For plan 4: the loans are written off 30 years after the April you were first due to repay if you were paid the first loan on or after Aug 1 2007. If you had the money beforehand, the debt will be wiped when you're 65, or 30 years after the April you were first due to repay – whichever comes first. For plan 5: the loans are written off 40 years after the April you were first due to repay. For plan 3 postgraduate loans: These will be wiped 30 years after the April you were first due to repay. The latest government forecasts predict that about 65pc of full-time undergraduates starting in the academic year of 2023-24 will repay them in full. This is more than double the forecast for the year of 2022-23, which stands at 27pc, because of reforms to student loan repayments for new students. Student loan repayments Once your annual income exceeds the thresholds for repaying you will pay 9pc of the income you earn over the threshold to the Student Loan Company (SLC). If you are on more than one plan type – and don't have a postgraduate loan – you will need to repay 9pc of your income over the lowest threshold out of all the different plan types that you have. Student loan interest rates Interest starts accumulating from the day you take out your loan, and rolls up until the day you pay off the loan – or it's written off. Student loan interest rates are generally linked to inflation. Since inflation can move up or down, interest rates will too. Again, the exact rate that your loan is charged at will depend on your plan. Interest rates in 2024-25 are outlined in the table below (unless a lower cap is applied): How do you repay your student loan? The payments are taken automatically through your employer's payroll system – before income tax is calculated – as soon as the relevant threshold is exceeded. If you are self-employed, you will calculate what you owe in tax and student loan repayments as part of your annual self-assessment tax return at the end of each tax year. Student loan repayments are due on Jan 31 following the end of the tax year, along with your income tax. So, for the tax year ending April 5 2025, your student loan payment will be due on Jan 31 2026. Student loan FAQs What happens to my student loan if I move abroad? If you are already repaying your student loan then you must continue making student loan repayments, if you are eligible to do so. You will need to get in touch with the SLC and inform them of your move. It will then take over the collection of the repayments. Thresholds may be different so you need to understand the rules depending on where you are moving and for how long. What if I drop out of university? Your level of maintenance loan will be reassessed based on the number of days you attended your course. If there is an overlap and some of your loan runs into the period after you've left, this would be regarded as an overpayment and you'll need to repay it straight away. If you are not able to repay the SLC can offer a repayment plan. If you are planning to return to your course then you might not have to repay straight away. The SLC might allow you to use the amount you were overpaid as a credit to be taken off your student finance payments when you come back. You will need to repay some of the tuition fee loan (once you start earning enough), with the amount depending on when you leave your course. You will need to pay back 25pc of the loan for the year if you suspend or leave in the first term, 50pc of the loan for the year if you suspend or leave in the second term, and all the loan for the year if you suspend or leave in the final term. Can I repay my student loan sooner? The rules allow you to make extra repayments towards your student loan at any time to help pay it off sooner. These will be in addition to the monthly repayments you must make when your income is over the threshold amount for your repayment plan. There is no penalty if you make extra repayments, and you can choose how these extra repayments are applied to the loan – it can either go towards reducing the total balance of your loan or if you have more than one plan you can nominate a specific plan and direct your payments to reducing that particular balance. It's worth remembering that once you make the overpayment, you cannot get that money back. If you want to pay off your loan in full, contact the SLC for a 'settlement amount' that tells you exactly how much you owe up to a certain date. It's important to check when your loan term finishes if you are considering making overpayments. If the date is in sight then you might not benefit from making extra repayments or clearing the loan, because it will be written off at the end of the loan term. Seek professional help from a financial adviser if you're unsure whether it's worth making extra repayments or clearing the loan.
