paying US student loan while living in the UK - possible?

I'll be graduating US Uni on May 2006.  In a matter of few months -early/mid autumn I'm out of here, flying to the UK, most likely London to start a life .   Upon graduating, I'll be left with a nice amount of US dollars to pay off: my student loan, which I'll have to start paying off by the end of the grace period of six months.  I'm sure there must be a way for me to pay it off to the American lender from the UK.  Has anybody ever done it?     I've been asking around and I've heard of having two paypal accounts, UK one and US one and transfer money from one to the other or something.  I'm sort of expecting a lot of problems with this issue, but I refuse to think it can't be done.  Anybody?

I've kept a US bank account and deposit money in there monthly to pay off bills.  My dad is a co-signer just in case there are any issues.  It's worked out decently since I moved over here.

I agree with Onetiger,

Keep a US bank account in operation whilst your over here for ongoing US concerns and ultimatley, an account that's operable if you ever need to go back due to whatver circumstances.

Hopefully you'll be able to get yerself a job here that pays well enough for you to save a Sterling amount that when converted to US Dollar amount is more than you would've been paying had you still been in the US!

Good luck with your move over here!

Dennis! West London UK!!

When it comes to getting money from debtors, the federal loans programme will find a way to get it! 

Others give good advice: keep an American account and pay it that way.  I paid mine with my UK credit card, then paid the bill off straight away ... the conversion rate was very nice!

Well, at least I know it's possible and others have done it before.    Thank you guys!

I paid mine with my UK credit card, then paid the bill off straight away ... the conversion rate was very nice!

I think that's how I'm going to do it. It definitely makes good sense to take advantage of the exchange rate and also not pay any fees for transfering money about. US bank accounts irritate me because it's so hard to find one that never charges you fees - I had an "ATM only" one that didn't have any attached fees but when I moved here I needed to send my mom in with deposits (she's older and doesn't do ATMs. LOL.) so on went the fees. I finally just closed it so now I don't have a US bank account and quite honestly would rather keep it that way....

So thanks for the credit card suggestion, Frances!