Sale of Student Loans Act 2008

The Secretary of State may enter into arrangements (“transfer arrangements”) under which rights of the Secretary of State in respect of student loans are transferred to another person (“the loan purchaser”).

In subsection (1) “student loans” means loans made by the Secretary of State in accordance with regulations under section 22 of the Teaching and Higher Education Act 1998 (c. 30) (“loan regulations”).

Transfer arrangements may relate to—

Transfer arrangements may include provision—

Transfer arrangements shall have effect (and, in particular, a provision transferring rights or obligations is sufficient to effect the transfer).

Transfer arrangements may be made—

The Secretary of State shall take reasonable steps to notify the borrower within three months of transfer arrangements taking effect.

A loan in respect of which transfer arrangements are made may be referred to as a “transferred loan”.

Transfer arrangements may include any provision that the Secretary of State thinks appropriate (in addition to provision specifically permitted by this section or section 1).

Transfer arrangements may include provision—

Transfer arrangements may include provision as to who is entitled to interest, penalties or charges imposed or incurred after the transfer.

Transfer arrangements may include provision for the Secretary of State to pay compensation to the loan purchaser—

Transfer arrangements may include undertakings by the Secretary of State about the power to make loan regulations; in particular—

In subsection (5) the reference to loan regulations includes a reference to regulations under section 186 of the Education Act 2002 (c. 32).

Transfer arrangements may include provision for repurchase in specified circumstances.

Transfer arrangements may provide for the appointment of a person to consider disputes between the loan purchaser and the borrower in respect of a transferred loan.

Transfer arrangements may make consequential amendment of a document forming part of, or issued in connection with, loan arrangements.

The Secretary of State may incur expenditure in connection with transfer arrangements.

Rights transferred by transfer arrangements may be further transferred by arrangements between the loan purchaser and another person (“further transfer arrangements”).

In this Act (including this section) a reference to transfer arrangements includes a reference to further transfer arrangements.

In the application of this Act to further transfer arrangements—

Subsection (1) is subject to any provision of transfer arrangements prohibiting, restricting or controlling further transfer.

Further transfer arrangements may include provision—

Transfer arrangements may—

In entering into transfer arrangements the Secretary of State shall ensure (whether by reliance on subsection (6)(b) or (c) or otherwise) that the Secretary of State will be party to any further transfer arrangements.

The Secretary of State may enter into arrangements, under or in accordance with transfer arrangements, in connection with further transfer.

References in this section to the further transfer of transferred rights do not include references to arrangements under which—

After entering into transfer arrangements the Secretary of State shall lay before Parliament a report about the arrangements.

The report must include information about the extent to which the arrangements give good value; and for that purpose the report must reflect any guidance given by the Treasury about assessing value for money (including guidance to the accounting officer of the Secretary of State's department).

The report must be laid during the period of 3 months beginning with the date on which the Secretary of State enters into the transfer arrangements.

This section does not apply to further transfer arrangements (despite section 3(2)).

A reference in loan regulations to the Secretary of State as lender includes a reference to a loan purchaser.

Regulations by virtue of section 22(5)(a)(iii) of the Teaching and Higher Education Act 1998 (c. 30) (loan regulations: repayment) may make provision for the transmission of amounts—

Regulations by virtue of section 22(5)(f) of that Act (loan regulations: repayment) may enable the Secretary of State to require the reimbursement of costs or expenses incurred by a loan purchaser.

Amendments of loan regulations may have effect in respect of transferred loans.

Subsection (4) includes amendments which have effect in respect of loans made before the amendments are made.

But in amending loan regulations the Secretary of State shall aim to ensure that no borrower whose loan is transferred is in a worse position, as the result of the amendment, than would have been the case had the loan not been transferred.

Subsection (6) also applies to making or amending regulations under section 186 of the Education Act 2002 (c. 32).

Loan regulations, loan arrangements or transfer arrangements may include provision about repayment of loans to a loan purchaser.

In particular, regulations or arrangements may provide for—

A provision of loan regulations or loan arrangements which requires money to be paid to the Secretary of State or into the Consolidated Fund (whether as repayment, interest, charge or penalty) shall be treated in relation to a transferred loan as requiring payment to the loan purchaser (whether directly, through the Secretary of State or through another agent).

Subsection (3) is subject to any provision included in transfer arrangements by virtue of section 2.

In section 44(2)(e) of the Commissioners for Revenue and Customs Act 2005 (c. 11) (payment into Consolidated Fund: exceptions) after “Minister of the Crown” insert “ or other person ”.

Section 24 of the Teaching and Higher Education Act 1998 (c. 30) (supply of information by HMRC) shall have effect with the following modifications.

Modification 1 is that the permitted purposes for disclosure (under section 24(2)) include purposes in connection with loans that have been or may be transferred (including onward disclosure by virtue of subsection (4)).

Modification 2 is that section 24(2)(b) permits disclosure to a person or body who acts on behalf of the Secretary of State under the delegation of functions provisions, whether the person or body requires the information in that capacity or in the capacity of agent of a loan purchaser.

Modification 3 is that the class of permitted onwards disclosure (under section 24(3)) includes—

The reference in subsection (4)(b) to an agent includes an auditor.

At the end of section 24 of the 1998 Act add—

The Consumer Credit Act 1974 (c. 39) does not regulate loans made in accordance with regulations under section 22 of the Teaching and Higher Education Act 1998 (c. 30).

Subsection (1) shall be treated as always having had effect.

The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 does not regulate loans made in accordance with those regulations.

The Welsh Ministers may enter into arrangements under which rights of theirs in respect of student loans are transferred to another person.

In subsection (1) “student loans” means loans made by the Welsh Ministers in accordance with regulations under section 22 of the Teaching and Higher Education Act 1998.

The provisions of this Act apply in relation to arrangements made under subsection (1) (“Welsh transfer arrangements”) as to arrangements made under section 1(1).

In connection with Welsh transfer arrangements references to the Secretary of State are to be read as references to the Welsh Ministers, except in—

Nothing in this Act confers a power on the Welsh Ministers to make regulations under a provision which does not otherwise confer power on them; in particular, the provision permitted to be made by virtue of sections 5(2) and (3) and 6(2)(b) is to be made by the Secretary of State in connection with Welsh transfer arrangements.

Section 4 does not apply to Welsh transfer arrangements.