<Your address

Your town/city

Your postcode>

<Date>

Head of Student Financial Services

Wilfred Brown Building

Brunel University

Kingston Lane

Uxbridge

UB8 3PH

Dear Sir or Madam

Re: Ancillary debt preventing <your name and student number> from <progressing / graduating / other

I am a <current / ex-> Brunel University student with an outstanding debt owed to the University.

[Explain the type of debt here, for example:]

·  I owe the University £xx for outstanding accommodation fees.

·  I owe the University £xx for library fees.

Whilst this debt is outstanding I am unable to <Progress to the next level of my degree / graduate / other This has meant that <explain the affect this has had on you>

The Office of Fair Trading released a report in February 2014 outlining their views on University Terms and Conditions in relation to debts such as mine. They have concluded that use of and reliance upon contract terms to withhold graduation or progression or otherwise exclude students from tuition for non-payment of ancillary debts, in a blanket fashion and regardless of the circumstances, is open to challenge as unfair under the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999 and/or unreasonable under the Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977. The OFT also considers that practices around the use of such terms may constitute unfair commercial practices under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008.

The OFT report states that a term found to be unfair by a court will not be binding on a consumer, and will therefore be unenforceable. The use of terms and practices that are potentially unfair and otherwise unlawful could be the subject of enforcement action.

The OFT guidance suggests that the University should not apply academic sanctions in relation to my non-academic debt. In light of this guidance, I request that <I am allowed to progress / I am allowed to graduate / other and the debt is dealt with separately.

[Explain the current status of the debt here, for example:]

• I have made a repayment arrangement with the University and expect to complete payments within Xmonths/years.

• I am happy to make repayments, please find my repayment plan proposal attached.

• I am unable to make repayments at the moment due to financial hardship.

Yours sincerely,

[your name printed]

[your signature]

[send a copy to the Student Centre]

CC: Student Centre, Bannerman Centre, Brunel University, Kingston Lane, Uxbridge UB8 3PH