has anyone dealt with private loans or currently doing so?

besides my stafford i will be using a portion of private loans from sallie mae. someone raised a question and it states this on UKBA site "If you are applying from overseas, the loan funds must be available to you before you travel to the UK."

They dont get disbursed until end of september.....is this a problem? I have a finial disclosure letter from sallie mae stating how much and when they are being disbursed.....is this enough proof?

They've changed the requirements for this slightly, so take my experience with a grain of salt. But receiving loans that don't disperse until September should be okay. The UKBA knows US students receive loans that are sent directly to the university.

I had a Sallie Mae private loan and simply used an official letter from them detailing the amount of money that would be dispersed to my university, which date it would arrive, and which university it was going to. Sallie Mae do make a letter for visa use if you're applying for a visa, but it was absolute hell for me to get (I called them every day for a month and then contacted their lawyers to complain, and only then did they offer to overnight fedex it to me - at my own expense, of course). If you have been receiving letters from them by post, then you might be able to use those. If you're only getting the PDFs, you're going to need to call their terrible customer service centre and explain that they need to send you a letter detailing all of your loan information.

If you need any more info on SM private loans or want to see the letter I used for my visa application, just let me know.

They've changed the requirements for this slightly, so take my experience with a grain of salt. But receiving loans that don't disperse until September should be okay. The UKBA knows US students receive loans that are sent directly to the university.

I had a Sallie Mae private loan and simply used an official letter from them detailing the amount of money that would be dispersed to my university, which date it would arrive, and which university it was going to. Sallie Mae do make a letter for visa use if you're applying for a visa, but it was absolute hell for me to get (I called them every day for a month and then contacted their lawyers to complain, and only then did they offer to overnight fedex it to me - at my own expense, of course). If you have been receiving letters from them by post, then you might be able to use those. If you're only getting the PDFs, you're going to need to call their terrible customer service centre and explain that they need to send you a letter detailing all of your loan information.

If you need any more info on SM private loans or want to see the letter I used for my visa application, just let me know.

yes what did the letter they sent look like?

I was thinking of using the "final disclosure" letter, which stated the funds im getting, to my school and when they are going to be disbured" u think that will work? what does yours look like.

I hope things are the same

I'm also using dated experience here, but I had Loan Verification Letters from Sallie Mae which I think contained the same information that you're describing for your "final disclosure". 

It was apparently just what they were looking for as I remember the lady going through my documents (in-person appointment), getting to the loan letters and saying "That's what we like to see."

I got them by calling Sallie Mae and specifically requesting "Loan Verification Letters" for each loan I had with them.  I did have the same trouble elle.davis describes before I used the term "Loan Verification Letter".  Then they somehow magically knew what I was talking about.  You could maybe call them and see if that is still what they do?

I'm also using dated experience here, but I had Loan Verification Letters from Sallie Mae which I think contained the same information that you're describing for your "final disclosure". 

It was apparently just what they were looking for as I remember the lady going through my documents (in-person appointment), getting to the loan letters and saying "That's what we like to see."

I got them by calling Sallie Mae and specifically requesting "Loan Verification Letters" for each loan I had with them.  I did have the same trouble elle.davis describes before I used the term "Loan Verification Letter".  Then they somehow magically knew what I was talking about.  You could maybe call them and see if that is still what they do?

thanks, maybe ill call tomorrow. im so paranoid about getting everything right.

You are missing the additional information that goes which your original quote...

"or students applying from overseas, the loan funds must be available to the student before he/she travels to the United Kingdom, unless that loan will be an academic/student
loan from his/her countries national government and the loan will be released to the
student by his/her national government or via his/her Tier 4 sponsor on arrival in the UK."

Your loans are fine, you just need to prove you have them.  Like Noseovertail, I also got loan verification letters and included those with my packet. 

Thanks!!

On phone with Sallie Mae asking for "loan verification letter" and im getting the huh? Saying final disclosure letter is it, but im not sure...im confused. Is there a specific visa letter? Cause he seems to be clueless...

*well he said something like ill request for a confirmation letter for UK visa, processing team takes few business says and wont send it overnight but rather 7-10 business days!!!"

Crap, i i wonder if my final disclosure will work cause time is cruicial right now.

For anyone curious, this is the loan letter that Sallie Mae sent me specifically for visa purposes last year. It took me ages to get. If any of you are having problems getting anyone at Sallie Mae to help you after a period of time, let me know and I'll have a dig through my visa stuff since I have the contact details of their lawyers. Generally if you complain to them they get things done. 

Here's where you can download a PDF of the Sallie Mae letter. Let me know if the PDF doesn't work for you!
http://uploading.com/files/67a47emd/SallieMaeLoanLetter.pdf/

For anyone curious, this is the loan letter that Sallie Mae sent me specifically for visa purposes last year. It took me ages to get. If any of you are having problems getting anyone at Sallie Mae to help you after a period of time, let me know and I'll have a dig through my visa stuff since I have the contact details of their lawyers. Generally if you complain to them they get things done. 

Here's where you can download a PDF of the Sallie Mae letter. Let me know if the PDF doesn't work for you!
http://uploading.com/files/67a47emd/SallieMaeLoanLetter.pdf/

thank you very much, i hope this is the letter they will send out, that is if they actually send out anything!!

thank you very much, i hope this is the letter they will send out, that is if they actually send out anything!!

Just to let you know, they're going to send it on really cheap paper with a poorly printed letter head. That's a PDF version they sent me to use as I waited for the official one to come, which looked like it was a photocopy based on the print quality. But the embassy must be used to that by now.

If you or anyone has any problems after several attempts to get them to send letters, I recommend contacting Cindy Polisky at Cindy.A.Polisky@salliemae.com. Sallie Mae should record on your file every time you call and request a letter. If it takes more than a month and you've checked the status with customer service, receiving little aid, contact Ms Polisky. I do not advocate contacting her unless you can prove you've requested the letter weeks ago and have yet to receive it (and customer service has confirmed that your letter request is in the system).

I hope this advice proves unnecessary and all of you have a much better time dealing with Sallie Mae than I did last summer!