Cash-strapped mum in battle with Bradford College over study fees

Tyler Casey says she is ‘distraught’ after being approached by debt collectors for money the college says is owing. The original amount is £1,350 but the college has offered to reduce this.

Tyler claims she was misled about financial support available when she signed up for two courses - having given up a safe job with Calderdale Council in order to study.

Now, the 24-year-old owes money to her family, has had to find other work and has still not achieved the qualification she originally wanted.

Tyler says it is all made worse as she only took on the studies in a bid to better herself for her three-year-old daughter. “I wanted to set a good example,” she said.

Bradford College says procedures have been followed and that Tyler received suitable advice every step of the way.

Tyler, who lives in Ripponden, quit her council job to try to gain accountancy qualifications, signing up for daytime business studies and a night accountancy course just over a year ago.

“The college was helping me with funding for one course and a student loan for the other,” she said. “Then on the first night the tutor told me I could not do two courses, that I had to decide which course to continue with.

“I opted for the night course as I had been told I could get a loan for this. But I was then told I couldn’t because of the type of course it was. I thought it was all OK.

“It turned out I would have to pay for it myself. I explained I had quit my job and that I was borrowing from family to pay the rent. I got no support.

“The college said there was an amount of £1,350 to pay. I said I couldn’t. I had found a job but because of my debts I was already paying off £100 a month.

“They offered to reduce this to £800 but I couldn’t afford that either. I offered £600 from a credit card. That was all I had. They said I could pay this and then £100 instalments to complete the amount. I said I could not promise that but they did not accept that.”

Last week, Tyler arrived home to a letter from debt collectors saying Bradford College wanted £1,350 and around £200 for their own costs. “I was totally distraught,” she said.

She has appealed to a debt collection agency to liaise with the college and the matter is now on hold.

“I gave up my job in the payroll department of Calderdale Council - which I enjoyed - to progress to be an accountant and set an example for my daughter, Millie,” says Tyler.

The single parent lives on benefits and pay from a part-time job as a finance assistant in Elland.

“I don’t dispute I owe £1,350,” she said. “I was not trying to get out of paying. I just didn’t have it.

“I was misled. I was given conflicting information. I honestly thought I could do this.”

She says Bradford College has ‘not treated me very well’. “I have had a really bad experience. I couldn’t believe it when I got the letter from the debt collectors.”

Although she finished the course, Tyler failed the exams and is now trying again as an external student with Kirklees College.

“I still want to be an accountant,” she says.

In a statement, Bradford College says it sympathises with Tyler over her difficulties and the stress she has been under.

“We are committed to providing advice to all students and do our best to be as clear as possible,” said a spokesman. “We understand circumstances change and urge students to come back to us if that happens.

“Tyler was told she qualified for a loan for the daytime course but not for the accountancy studies. She was never advised she could apply for a loan for this.

“A full investigation has found that none of our teams advised her to quit her job.

“She was not charged for the daytime course.

“In September 2018, she made a complaint about payment for the accountancy course. We decided the fees would still need to be paid as she was studying. She appealed, but the decision was upheld.

“Her attendance on the course was good. The college delivered the course and paid exam fees.

“After the appeal, our finance department made contact to recover the fees for the completed course. We offered to reduce the amount to £800 and in August still further to £700 - just over 50 per cent of the total.

“Tyler accepted this and said she would send £500 immediately with the rest to follow. We received no money and Tyler said she would pay £600 as soon as she had a new credit card.

“To date, we have not received any payment. We tried without success to contact her and finance followed college processes and passed the debt to an external recovery agent, standard procedure in such circumstances.”