Learner Eligibility & Funding Information · 2017-05-22 · SLC have created a range of resources...
Transcript of Learner Eligibility & Funding Information · 2017-05-22 · SLC have created a range of resources...
Learner Eligibility & Funding Information
Session Contents
Session Contents:
• The FI Partners Account Manager Team
• The Advanced Learner Loan
• Learner Eligibility – Overview and Examples
• Application Process – Overview and Best Practice
• ALL Repayment – Overview and ‘FAQs’
• Advanced Learner Loan Resources
Session Contents
The FI Partners Account Manager Team
‘Working with partners across England and Wales, the team is responsible for establishing
and managing relationships with admissions, outreach and recruitment staff from across the
HE and FE sectors’
• While the above is a good summary, it would take more than a few lines to cover the true
extent and variety of the support the team offer our partners
• Our high level service offer is to communicate key student finance messages through
bespoke practitioner training sessions and via timely remote updates
• We work closely with the FE Account Managers to ensure providers have access to
eligibility, process and marketing guidance as well as business to business support for
administration of the loans
The FI Partners Account Managers
As highlighted, the FIPAM team welcome engagements with practitioners from across the FE
College and Learning Provider network to provide you the support you need when you need it:
• Delivering tailored ALL policy, application and repayment training/updates for providers
• Advice on accessing and utilising the wide range of ALL resources SFE make available
And for some context, in the 2016/17 Academic Year to date we have been involved in;
The FI Partners Account Managers
To 1035
Advisers/Practitioners
across the LP Network
Delivering 90+
Staff Training/Update
Sessions
The Advanced Learner Loan
Long Residency Eligibility Criteria
A new eligibility category of long residency has been introduced meaning those
with Discretionary/Limited Leave to Remain may now be eligible for Advanced
Learner Loans under this new regulation
Student support will now be available for those students who are:
• Aged 18 years and above who have either spent at least half their life in the
UK or at least 20 years in the UK prior to the first day of the first academic
year of their course
Policy Enhancements
for AY 2017/18...
ALL Policy Overview
Overseas Armed Forces Personnel
The second major change for 2017/18 AY affects members of the Armed Forces who
are serving overseas and their families
At present, eligibility rules bar members of the Armed Forces serving overseas from
accessing support whilst out of the country:
• From 2017/18 AY, an exception to this has now been introduced to allow
members of the Armed Forces and their families to apply for Advanced Learner
Loans, whilst serving overseas
Policy Enhancements
for AY 2017/18...
ALL Policy Overview
Learner Eligibility
Learners must satisfy certain criteria in order to be eligible for an Advanced Learner Loan:
• Study an approved learning aim at an approved Learning Provider in England
• Be aged 19+ on the first day of their learning aim
• Not have exceeded the maximum amount of Advanced Learner Loans available
• Meet the required residency criteria to be eligible as;
• A UK ‘home’ Learner
• An EU Learner (Inc EEA Migrant Worker etc)
• An RoW Learner (Inc Indefinite Leave, Refugee etc)
Learner Eligibility
Learners must satisfy certain criteria in order to be eligible for an Advanced Learner Loan:
• Learners must be resident in UK on the first day of the learning aim
• UK nationals must be resident in UK for 3 years prior to the start of their learning aim
• Learners who live in the rUK (Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland) will apply to SFE as
long as they study at an approved Learning Provider in England
• EU nationals must be resident in EEA for 3 years prior to the start of their learning aim
• Rest of the World nationals must demonstrate ‘settled status’ with no limitation or
restriction on the length of stay in UK
Learner Eligibility
It’s easy for most learners to provide the basic eligibility evidence to support their applications:
• Studying an approved learning aim at an approved provider
(Evidenced by completed LAFIL)
• Learners must be aged 19+ on the first day of the learning aim
(Evidenced by ID documentation submitted)
• Learners must not have exceeded the maximum amount of Advanced Learning Loans
available
(Evidenced by LP Operations Portal records)
• All learners must be resident in UK on the first day of the learning aim
(Evidenced by ALL application form)
Learner Eligibility
Based on call volume, most learner eligibility queries received relate to providing acceptable
ID evidence, which often depends on a learner’s unique situation:
• UK Nationals resident in UK for 3 years prior to the start of their learning aim
(Evidenced by ALL application form and ID evidence - Passport details form with valid UK
passport or original Birth Certificate with accompanying ADIF
• EU nationals resident in EEA for 3 years prior to the start of their learning aim
(Evidenced by ALL application form and ID evidence - original in date passport or original
in date national identity card)
• Rest of the World Nationals demonstrating ‘settled status’ in the UK
(Evidenced by original ID evidence and accompanying immigration status documentation,
based on the circumstances)
Learner Eligibility
Learner Category Eligible Status
UK National (UK) UK National
Spouse of a UK National
Status Evidenced By
UK National (UK)
Passport or original Birth Certificate with ADIF (applicant
declaration of identity form) Form
Passport or original Birth Certificate with ADIF Form and
Marriage Certificate
The following slides outline the main, eligible residency criteria and the supporting
evidence learners can/should provide:
Learner Eligibility
Learner Category Eligible Status
EU National (EU)
EU National
EEA Migrant Worker
Family Member of an EEA National
Child of a Swiss National/Child of Turkish Worker
Status Evidenced By
EU National (EU)
Passport or National ID Card
Passport or National ID Card and evidence of UK employment
Passport or National ID Card and evidence of visa status
Passport or National ID Card and evidence of parents ID and/or
employment status
Learner Eligibility
Learner Category Eligible Status
Rest of the World
Nationals (RoW)
Refugee Status/Family Reunion Visa
Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR)
Humanitarian Protection (HP)
Right of Permanent Residence (ROPR)
Status Evidenced By
Rest of the World
Nationals (RoW)
Home Office Documentation stating Refugee status
(No 3 year residency requirement)
Home Office Documentation stating ILR status
Home Office Documentation stating Humanitarian Protection
Home Office Documentation stating ROPR
Learner Eligibility
Application Process
Our ‘Application Quick Guide’ highlights seven key steps in completing an ALL application:
• In the real world however it is understood that each learner
is unique and their situation may not follow the application
‘Happy Path’
Regardless of the complexities of individual applications some
requirements are universal;
• All sections need to be completed accurately
(Course/contact details etc..)
• All learners need to download, print, sign and return
their Declaration Form asap
Application Overview
‘Happy Path’
ALL Applications
LAFIL obtained from Learning Provider
UK National – Passport details provided
Full 3 year residency history evidenced
Learner has no previous ALL study
See our ‘Walkthrough’ for example of how to complete an online application
What criteria would make up a straightforward ALL application assessment?
Application Overview
Common Escalation
Reasons with
ALL Applications
NO LAFIL obtained from Learning Provider
UK, EU, RoW Nationals – Additional evidence
required
ADIF Form completion/submission errors
Gaps in residence history (paper apps)
Previous ALL study/exhausted loan allocation?
See our ‘Walkthrough’ for example of how to complete an online application
What are some of the frequent issues our assessors see with ALL applications?
Application Overview
Various forms may be required to aid successful completion of ALL applications:
• UK Passport Form Birth/ADIF Form
• Evidence Return Form Loan Request Form (Change Amount)
Migrant Workers:
• UK Employment Status Form - Issued by SLC as applications suggest applicable
Application Declaration:
• DfE Declaration Form - Can be downloaded from a Learners’ ‘My Account’
Application Overview
Do you have established plans for following up with learners to
ensure they are returning their Declarations in good time?
Advanced Learner Loan Repayment
Repayment
There are a few essential messages learners should understand about their ALL repayments:
• You won’t make repayments until your income is over £21,000 a year
• You’ll be due to start repaying in the April after completing/leaving your course
• You’ll repay 9% of your income over £21,000 and if you’re employed deductions will be
made directly from your pay, through the HMRC tax system
• If your income falls to £21,000 or below your repayments will stop
• Any outstanding loan balance is written off 30 years after entering repayment
• SLC will write off the outstanding balance for an Access to HE Diploma ALL once a
learner successfully completes a subsequent HE course
ALL Repayment
£30 Monthly
Repayment? £4,000 9% Deducted
From?
Income each year
before tax
9% will be deducted
from
Monthly Repayment
(Approx)
£21,000 £0 £0
£22,000 £1,000 £7
£30,000 £9,000 £67
£35,000 £14,000 £105
£40,000 £19,000 £142
Income
£25,000
www.studentloanrepayment.co.uk
ALL Repayment
Interest levels applied will depend on a learner’s income and circumstances:
Interest rate is:
Set at RPI Only Interest Rate:
RPI Only
During study until
entering repayment
Income:
Under £21,000
Interest Rate:
Retail Price Index +3%
Income:
£21,000 to £41,000
Income:
Over £41,000
Interest Rate:
RPI + up to 3%
Interest Rate:
RPI +3%
ALL Repayment
Income Contingent Student Loans for post 2012 students:
0.9%
3.9%
1.6%
4.6%
6.1%
3.1%
RPI Max Interest RPI Max Interest RPI Max Interest
2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 TBC
To what extent are the learners you work with concerned about
the interest rate on their loans?
ALL Repayment
Repayment
SLC have created a range of resources helping learners understand how loan repayment
works, their responsibilities and advice for complex scenarios:
In depth information about repayment can be found at;
• SLC’s online repayment guides on slc.co.uk
• The Advanced Learner Loan Terms and Condition Booklet
• The dedicated SLC Repayment Website
...and did you know
Resources and ‘button links’ are available from the Practitioners Website to easily embed on
your own website, directing learners straight to SFE/SLC information
ALL Repayment
Repayment
Here are a few of the questions learners have asked about repayment of an ALL:
“How does repayment work if I also have a HE loan from a few years ago?”
“I am onto my third FE Loan, does that affect how much and how I repay?”
“How will the write-off for my Access to HE Loan work?”
“What is the current interest rate on my loan?”
“I’m studying to start my own business, is repayment different for me?”
• www.studentloanrepayment.co.uk www.practitioners.slc.co.uk
• SLC Repayment Quick Guide ALL Terms & Conditions Guide
Do you know the answers? They can all be found using our
extensive range of resources/websites (Examples above)
ALL Repayment
Advanced Learner Loan Resources
A new look Practitioners Website will be launching soon!! !
ALL Resources
Resources for both learners and practitioners include;
• Guides, Videos and Factsheets
• Repayment and Application Quick Guides
• Eligibility Checker
• Terms and Conditions Guide
• Media, website and promotional materials
• Loan Provider Toolkit
ALL Resources
Contact Us:
Funding Information Partners Account Manager Team
www.practitioners.slc.co.uk