16 18 Bursary scheme, 24+ Loans Bursary & ncn Discretionary Learner Support fund Guidelines for the disbursement of funds in 2014/15 academic year
CONTENTS Page 1. Background 3 2. ncn 16 18 Bursary Scheme, dls & 24+ Loans Bursary commitment 4 3. Priorities 5 4. Learner Eligibility 6 5. Assessment criteria 8 6. Income bands 10 7. Categories of funding provided 10 Course fees 10 College-related childcare costs 10 College-related transport costs 12 College-related essential equipment 13 Progression, Employability, and Enterprise 14 8. Exceptional Circumstances 15 16-18 Bursary, 24+ Loan Bursary & dlsf 2014-15 Final August 2014 Page 2
1. Background 1.1 1. A key priority of the Government is to eliminate the gap in attainment between those from poorer and more affluent backgrounds, and to ensure every young person participates in and benefits from a place in 16-19 education and training. The Government provides funding to tackle disadvantage both through the Education Funding Agency s (EFA) funding formula and through support to help young people meet the costs of participating in education and training post-16. Learners who are eligible for support are not automatically entitled. Awards are subject to fund availability and are not an entitlement. 1.2 Discretionary Learner Support (DLS) is intended to support Learners with a specific financial hardship that prevents them from participating in learning. DLS is available to support Learners studying adult further education and skills in Colleges, External Institutions (EIs), Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), and Sixth Form Colleges. Learners, who are eligible for support, are not automatically entitled. Awards are subject to fund availability and it is not an entitlement. 1.3 24+ Advanced Learning Loans Bursary Fund The Loans Bursary Fund is aimed at helping vulnerable learners who are being funded through a Loan such as those with learning difficulties or disabilities, parents who need help with childcare, and ex-military personnel. Learners who are eligible for support are not automatically entitled to it. Awards are subject to fund availability and it is not an entitlement. 1.4 Free school Meals NCN will have a legal duty from September 2014, according to the Education Act 1996 which requires that students from disadvantaged backgrounds following FE courses will be eligible for a free school meal. 16-18 Bursary, 24+ Loan Bursary & dlsf 2014-15 Final August 2014 Page 3
2. ncn 16 18 Bursary Scheme, free school meals, 19+ dls & 24+ Loans Bursary commitment 2.1 ncn will: 2.1.1 Consider the availability of other strands of financial support for learners (including support funding through DWP and Jobcentre Plus) ahead of consideration for the College Bursary Fund or discretionary funds and ensure that learners exercise their entitlement to other forms of financial support before they pursue an application for college funds via Bursary, 24+ loans or dls. 2.1.2 Develop clear criteria showing how ncn will administer and distribute the funds. These policies will be available to learners via our website www.ncn.ac.uk and upon request. 2.1.3 Assess the learner s financial hardship by carrying out an income assessment. 2.1.4 Identify the learner s specific financial need which may prevent the learner participating in FE before making any financial award. 2.1.5 Pay 16 18 Bursary, 24+ Loans Bursary or dls financial awards in the form of goods or services or one-off or regular amounts which are for other than living costs. These will therefore not affect the level of benefits which the learner may be entitled to. ncn will make it clear at the time the payment is made to the learner, for what purpose the payment is given and whether it is one of a series, for services and goods or a lump sum payment. Free School Meals will also be offered to eligible 16-18 year old learners whose household income is less than 16,190 and whose families are in receipt of Child Tax Credits. Each day an eligible learner will receive a meal to the value of 2.41. If it is not redeemed this cannot be carried forward. In the majority of cases students will redeem a voucher to claim their free school meal entitlement. For students on work placement a monetary value will be awarded into bank accounts prior to the work placement commencing. 16-18 Bursary, 24+ Loan Bursary & dlsf 2014-15 Final August 2014 Page 4
3. Priorities 3.1 The priority target groups for the 16 18 bursary fund 24+ Loans Bursary and 19+ dls fund are as follows: Young people (aged 16 18) in care, care leavers, young people in receipt of income support and disabled young people in receipt of Employment Support Allowance who are also in receipt of Disability Living Allowance may be eligible to receive a bursary of 1,200 a year. ncn will use its discretion to make awards to young people in ways that best fit the needs and circumstances of its students. Bursary awards will be targeted towards young people facing financial barriers to participation, such as the costs of transport, meals, books and equipment. The priority group for the 19+ dls at ncn is learners who are economically or socially disadvantaged. For learners aged 19 and over this includes those who need support for essential equipment, transport, childcare (for learners aged 20 and over) or associated learning costs and are facing financial difficulty. 24+Loans Bursary will only be awarded to students who have a loan approved by the student loan company (studying a level 3 or 4 programme). 16-18 Bursary, 24+ Loan Bursary & dlsf 2014-15 Final August 2014 Page 5
4. Learner Eligibility 4.1 The residency eligibility criteria for dls is aligned to the residency criteria addressed in the document Learner Eligibility Guidance, part of the overall Education Funding Agency (EFA) 16 19 /Skills Funding Agency Funding Guidance 2014/15. These documents can be downloaded from the websites at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/16-to-19-bursary-fundguide https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sfa-funding-rules 4.2 Residency criteria are broadly determined by the following statement: They are a citizen of the United Kingdom and Islands, have Right of Abode (the right to live permanently in the United Kingdom without any immigration restrictions), or are a citizen of a country that is within the European Economic Area (EEA). 4.3 They have been ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom and Islands or the European Union (EU) or the European Economic Area (EEA) continuously for at least the previous three years on the first day of learning 4.4 Asylum seekers aged 16 18 are eligible to apply for support from the 16 18 Bursary fund. 4.4.1 The following Asylum Seekers aged 19+yrs are eligible to apply for dls: Asylum seekers who have legally been in the UK pending consideration of their claim by the Home Office for longer than six months and no decision has been made. Asylum seekers who are in the care of the local authority and are receiving local authority support under s23c or s23ca Children Act 1989 or s21 National Assistance Act 1948. 4.4.2 Asylum seekers who have been refused asylum but eligible and granted support under section 4 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999. Asylum seekers who are eligible for provision will have this provided in the form of course-related books, equipment or a travel pass. Under no circumstances can an asylum seeker aged over 19 receive learner support in the form of cash. NB The eligibility of failed asylum seekers receiving Section 4 support at the time of issuing this document is being reviewed by the 16-18 Bursary, 24+ Loan Bursary & dlsf 2014-15 Final August 2014 Page 6
Government. If a change is made, ncn will ensure that a Learner s eligibility is correctly assessed prior to them starting a course. 4.5 Learners must always be enrolled onto an EFA /SFA funded FE Learner responsive funded programme of study before any Bursary or dls award will be considered. 4.6 ncn will consider the availability of other sources of funding to which the learner might be entitled, e.g. New Deal for Lone Parents, New Deal for Partners, mobility component of the Disability Living allowance and tax credits, within the overall assessment process. Participants in the New Deal for Lone Parents scheme may not benefit from full payment of childcare support costs from ncn. They are eligible to apply for dls but ncn will take into account the level of individual New Deal benefits in assessing the level of need for support. Participants in all other New Deal options are not eligible for dls, as their funding needs are met under the New Deal scheme. 4.7 Learners must be aged 20 or over to receive support from dls funding for childcare. 24+Loans Bursary will only be awarded to students (studying a level 3 or 4 programme) who have a loan approved by the student loan company. 16-18 Bursary, 24+ Loan Bursary & dlsf 2014-15 Final August 2014 Page 7
5. Assessment criteria 5.1 All Learners will be required to provide parent/carers/own income evidence in the form of benefit evidence (dated no more than 3 months prior to the application date) or Tax Credit Award notice for the current year (2014-15) or pay slips (2 months or 8 weeks consecutive) with the current years Council Tax Bill/Statement (2014), or an official letter from an employer stating salary on company letter head with the current years Council Tax Bill/Statement (2014) or other relevant income evidence. 5.2 Learners aged 16 18 who fall into the vulnerable learner group should provide evidence appropriate to their circumstance for example: a letter setting out the benefit to which the young person is entitled; written confirmation of the young person s current or previous looked after status from the local authority which looks after them or provides their leaving care services. The learners identified as vulnerable will be issued a bus pass/tickets (if appropriate) and payments every 2 weeks to the total value of 1,200 in 2014/15. 5.3 Learners aged 19 (at the start of the academic year) and over living with parents / carers, may be assessed independently, if the learner is working and receiving a wage themselves. If the learner is not working, the learner will be assessed on their parents / carer s income. 5.4 For 24+ Learners studying on a level 3 or 4 programme, the college will check that a student has obtained a 24+ Loan to cover the course fees before any assessment for financial support is carried out. 5.5 ncn will not include Disability Living Allowance when assessing income of disabled learners ( the mobility component however will be included where an application for travel support is requested*). 5.6 Learners who are claiming independently but who have dependants themselves are allowed 1,000 per dependant. Where a learner is dependent upon parents carer s then again 1,000 per additional dependant is allowed. However, where a learner is assessed as independent but living with parents/ carer s there will be no allowance made for additional siblings living in the parental home. 5.7 Any learners who may be eligible for funding from an external source will be required to access the external fund before any dls will be considered. Funding which is provided by an external source e.g. DWP mobility component of DLA, will be taken into consideration when making any financial award. 16-18 Bursary, 24+ Loan Bursary & dlsf 2014-15 Final August 2014 Page 8
*This is subject to a successful Equality Impact assessment 5.8 All awards will be made on the basis that a learner should aim to achieve an acceptable level of attendance each term, which will ensure the success on their programme of study, and they should adhere to the Student Code of Conduct. Payments and support will be stopped if a student is excluded from college. Failure to have achieved this required level of attendance will require an intervention with the Personal Success Coach and/or Student Finance team, at this intervention strategies for improving attendance will be discussed. Short term goals will be set to improve attendance levels. The learner will receive support from the Personal Success coach, Student Services and their tutor to meet these goals. 5.9 All awards are made subject to the availability of funds allocated in September by Government. Awards will be made on a first come first served basis, and there is no guarantee that late applications will be funded. 5.10 An appeals process is set out in a separate document which allows the learner to appeal against the decision of the initial assessment. Appeals will be assessed by a panel of which will include Student Services Managers. The Head of Student Services may also sit on the panel. Appeals will be dealt with and responded to within 10 working days of receipt. Appeals will be automatically rejected if they do not provide adequate evidence to support the appeal. The Appeal Panels decision is final and no further appeal will be accepted without additional evidence. 5.11 Learners entitled to the Vulnerable learners 16 18 Bursary scheme who are studying less than 30 weeks a year will be awarded on a pro rata basis up to the sum 1,200. Part time learners may receive the discretionary Bursary, 24+Loans Bursary or dls adult funding on a pro rata basis if their course is 20 GLH or more in total duration. 5.11 The college reserves the right to request the return of any equipment or bus pass provided by the college should the learner withdraw before the end for the programme. If this is not returned to college within a reasonable period then a student may be invoiced for the costs associated. 16-18 Bursary, 24+ Loan Bursary & dlsf 2014-15 Final August 2014 Page 9
6. Income Bands The following income thresholds will be used when making assessments for 16 18 Bursary, 19+ dls & 24+ Loans Bursary funding: Household and Learner Income Bands* % of Maximum Award In receipt of State Means Tested Benefit Household Income Below 25,000 100% 100% The above income bands can increased by 1,000 for each additional dependent child Free school meals for 16-18 year olds Household income less than 16,190 and be in receipt of Child Tax Credits. 7. Categories of funding provided 7.1 Course fees for 19+ learners 7.1.1 dls funding will not be used to generally fund tuition fees for Learners, however in exceptional cases where a learner supplies a letter of appeal with related income evidence to prove that they would not be able to participate in education or training, due to exceptional hardship then this will be considered on a first come first served basis, in line with the boundaries of set faculty budgets, potential increased employability chances, and barriers to progression. The 24+ Loans Bursary cannot be used to fund tuition fees. 7.1.2 dls funding can be used to support Exam and Registrations fees and accreditation fees/professional membership fees and any fees/charges payable to external bodies including NUS membership for any learner who is in financial hardship, and in receipt of means tested benefit or low income. 7.2 College-related childcare costs 7.2.1 Learners aged 20 at the start of their course that require childcare whilst they attend college, will be expected to utilise fully all forms of support available to them firstly before they seek support from the dls 16-18 Bursary, 24+ Loan Bursary & dlsf 2014-15 Final August 2014 Page 10
fund from college. If childcare is requested and agreed they must take this at the closest childcare provision to the place of learning, in order for ncn to maximise funds accessible to learners. By choosing a setting closest to the place of study travel time and costs will be reduced. 7.2.2 Full time second year Learners will receive funding as a priority 7.2.3 The college will then consider by application date order, place availability within the chosen setting and the number of years previously supported with childcare. This is necessary to ensure that limited funds are maximised and that learners are supported to progress to gain employment outcomes as a priority. The Head of Student Services will have the final decision on such cases. 7.2.3 dls funding will only fund childcare for timetabled hours plus reasonable travel time to and from college. 7.2.4 dls and 24+ loans bursary fund will pay a contribution of childcare costs. The student will be expected to pay 10% of their costs. This will need to be paid daily or weekly according to the childcare setting. If this is not possible the student will have to arrange alternative childcare for one timetabled day per week. 7.2.5 Children aged three (the term following their 3 rd birthday) and four year olds are entitled to free childcare of 15 hours per week. Where possible, Learners will be expected to use these hours whilst studying at College. 7.2.6 dls and 24+ loans bursary fund may consider contributions towards the cost of registration fees/deposits in cases of financial hardship, the student will need to go through the official appeal route. It will contribute towards snacks, drinks and meals, but it will not cover any costs not included within the usual basic rate charged. Any changes to sessions required must be notified in advance in writing to the Student Finance Team. 7.2.7 Only those who cannot be accommodated within the setting closest to the learners place of study due to the following reasons may be considered for funding of a non ncn OFSTED approved childcare provider, where applicable evidence is required. Such cases will be considered and recommended by the Head of Early Years Services at ncn: The Learner studies at the ncn Hucknall Campus (which does not have an ncn nursery setting) and the Learner does not travel past another ncn nursery. An ncn setting cannot accommodate the child for at least 50% of their parent s timetabled hours. 16-18 Bursary, 24+ Loan Bursary & dlsf 2014-15 Final August 2014 Page 11
The learner requires breakfast or after school club provision which is a facility ncn does not provide. Learner has a disability or severe medical condition which presents difficulties in transporting their child to an ncn nursery as well as travelling themselves or the child has unusual severe physical, mental or medical needs that an ncn setting cannot support; therefore a suitable setting with specialist support is required. A learner may appeal against any of the above decisions to the Student Finance appeals panel; Student Service Managers, which may include the Head of Student Services. 7.2.8 ncn places a cap on the maximum weekly amount for a full time course of 160 that will be paid per child in line with the Care to Learn scheme. There is also a cap of 5 for breakfast club sessions, 10 for after school clubs sessions and 4.50 per hour for Childminders. 7.2.9 Subject to availability of dls Funds, from April onwards a study leave Childcare support scheme may be available. This will entitle every childcare funded Learner to receive up to *6hrs of funded childcare to be used for extra study/ revision activities which are not formally timetabled. These need to be arranged in agreement with the ncn childcare setting and through the Student Finance Team. Evidence of Exams or a supporting tutor statement will be required. 7.3 College related transport costs 7.3.1 Travel costs will only be considered if the learner lives over 1.5 miles from the College campus at which they study. 7.3.2 Learner s who have a free bus pass will not be eligible for transport costs. 7.3.3 The most cost effective transport will be provided for only and in many cases this will take the form of a pre purchased bus pass from one of the transport operators in the East midlands area. 7.3.4 Payments for travel outside of bus pass routes will be made on a regular basis via Bank Automated Credit System (BACS) directly into the Learner s bank account. However, ncn reserves the right to award travel support in other forms for example pre-paid bus tickets. 7.3.5 There is no cap on a travel award however the total award made to a learner will not normally exceed 1,200 for a vulnerable learner, or 700 for the 16 18 or 19+ discretionary funded learners. Where this total award does not meet the individual needs of a learner an appeal for an extra top up award will be considered, normally from term 2 onwards of the academic year. 16-18 Bursary, 24+ Loan Bursary & dlsf 2014-15 Final August 2014 Page 12
7.3.6 For 16 18 yr old Learners who are studying a combination of A level subjects across the Clarendon and HP campuses, who s Household income is above 25,00 but below 50,000, a kangaroo pass will be awarded to support the transition year without college hopper services. In addition 19+ yrs learners who s household income is above 25,000 but below 50,000 will be awarded 100 contribution towards travel costs, this will be awarded over 3 termly payments of 33 per term. 7.3.6 ncn may consider funding travel costs under exceptional / emergency circumstances. Household income evidence must be provided unless it is an extreme emergency where this is not possible for example homelessness. A referral through a tutor or Personal Success Coach is also required. These cases will be considered for emergency support by a hardship panel. 7.3.7 For 2014/15 only learners who are in receipt of Incapacity Benefit or Disability Living Allowance and if they were a student at ncn in 2013/ 14 and received full special travel support and who enrol on an agreed LLDD course in 2014/ 15 may receive a contribution towards transport costs. *For new supported learning learners who are in receipt of Incapacity Benefit or Disability Living Allowance and their household income is below 25,000 and who enrol on an agreed LLDD course. These students may receive a contribution towards transport costs if they do not receive the Mobility component of DLA. Evidence is required, no transport will be agreed until benefit evidence/ household income evidence is received. The learner s transport requirements will be assessed by the curriculum; this will only be provided in the form of taxi travel. 7.3.8 Learners who require any alternative travel support which is not detailed within this policy should apply in writing and submit relevant supporting evidence. Appeals should be sent to the appeals panel and their decision is final. 7.3.9 24+ loans students will receive a contribution towards travel and equipment costs. Any such bursary payments are subject to availability of limited funds and we be assessed on a first come first served basis. 7.4 College-related essential equipment 7.4.1 Equipment funded by 16 18 Bursary or 19+ dls will be essential for the course of study. These costs are supplied by each curriculum area via the Head of Academy and will be approved by the Student Services Manager prior to the start of 16-18 Bursary, 24+ Loan Bursary & dlsf 2014-15 Final August 2014 Page 13
the academic year in order for fair and consistent awards to be made. *This is subject to a satisfactory Equality impact assessment. 7.4.2 For 16-18 Learners In accordance with the funding guidance for 16 19 yr old learners Learners who are required to purchase essential equipment to support their learning will be notified at application stage of the recruitment process. Ncn will charge learners for this essential equipment which can be retained by the learner, in some cases the payment will be made to an external recommended supplier which has been sourced for best quality and price. The learner also has the option of borrowing the clothing or equipment free of charge if it is required to comply with Health & safety regulations. Learners may be required to pay for other non - learning associated costs e.g. laundry, library fees, replacement ID cards, these costs are not eligible for 16 18 bursary. An appeal may be submitted to apply for these costs. However any funding would be subject to the availability of funds and the priorities for funding being fully met by the budget at point of application. Charges may be made for optional extra activities and where the activity is taking place outside a required part of an agreed learning programme. Examples of optional extra activities include theatre, cinema or museum visits or other day or residential visits that are not a requirement of course syllabuses. The above costs are eligible for funding unless stated, from the 16 18 Bursary Fund or the DLS fund. 7.4.3 For co funded Adults Where a learner needs a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check to take part in work experience which is outside of the timetabled programme of study, ncn will charge them for this, this is eligible for dls funding. If the DBS check is required to take part in Learning we will not charge for this. If learning is associated with the learner s employment, their employer is responsible for carrying out and paying for this check and this will not be eligible for dls funding. Learners who are required to purchase essential equipment to support their learning will be notified at application stage of the recruitment process, the college has sourced the most cost effective suppliers for 16-18 Bursary, 24+ Loan Bursary & dlsf 2014-15 Final August 2014 Page 14
the benefit of students. Any equipment purchased can be used outside of college. All Fully funded adults will be given the option to supply their own materials (as specified by the college to ensure appropriate quality levels of products are used) to support their learning or pay a College fee and retain the materials and equipment. 7.4.4 Learners may be required to pay for other non - learning associated costs e.g. laundry, library fees, replacement ID cards, these costs are not eligible for dls or 24+ loan funding in the first instance. An appeal may be submitted to apply for these costs; however any funding would be subject to the availability of funds and the priorities for funding being fully met by the budget at point of application. All eligible learners will have access to apply to the 16-19 Bursary or the adult discretionary Learner Support funds but not the 24+ loans bursary fund, to support College materials and equipment fees associated with learning. 7.4.5 ncn will assess students for essential equipment costs to a maximum value of 500 per academic year in the first instance. Subsequent awards to fully fund the cost of such equipment will be subject to availability of funds. 7.5 Progression, Employability and Enterprise* This category is subject to availability of funds. By term 2 of the academic year all learners will be entitled to a progression intervention, carried out by their tutor. This will determine a learner s next stage of learning or destination aim. If during this intervention it is determined that a learner requires further support in terms of equipment, Clothing, travel costs, childcare or business start up grant to achieve their aim, then further support may be considered. Any business start up grant should be requested initially from the various organisations external to ncn. Ncn will consider support for other costs required by the learner in support of this. A letter of application should be submitted to the Student finance team outlining the request with evidence of need in the first instance (a tutor statement may be required) 7.6 Trips Charges may be made for optional extra activities which take place outside a required part of an agreed learning programme. Examples of optional extra activities include theatre, cinema or museum visits, sporting or enrichment activities or other day or residential visits that are not a requirement of course syllabuses. 16-18 Bursary, 24+ Loan Bursary & dlsf 2014-15 Final August 2014 Page 15
7.7 Food Therefore ncn has decided to categorise all trips associated with the course as follows: Core related to directly to an assessment or project that cannot be completed in another environment these cannot be charged for and therefore will not be eligible for financial support from the 16 19 bursary scheme. Optional trip to enhance the learning experience these will be charged for and therefore will be eligible for support from the 16 19 bursary scheme and dls fund. Tutors will have an opportunity during Term 2 to bid for additional funding towards trips. Students will be encouraged to fundraise for trips and activities that are classed as optional. For any trip to be funded the course leader/ head of academy must supply an application form which details the students who may be eligible for funding and what funding is required. This must be sent to the Student services manager for consideration at least 4 weeks prior to the trip date. 16 18 yr old learners who s household income is below 16,190 and not in receipt of working tax credits will be awarded a free meal for every timetabled day for the duration of their programme of study. This also includes any day which a learner is on work placement as part of their programme of study. A learner will receive 2.41 per day. For all other 16 18 yr old learners who s household income is below 25,000, they will be entitled to receive a contribution towards food whilst attending college. The amount of contribution will be dependent upon availability of funds each term. Learners will notified of their awards on completion of their application assessment. 8. Exceptional hardship circumstances 8.1 On occasion where a Learner is in severe exceptional financial hardship support may be sought via a hardship application or an appeal letter/email. This application must be supported by the Personal Success coach or tutor. 8.2 Support may be provided in exceptional cases if the Learner can evidence genuine emergency financial barriers which may prevent them from attending or completing their chosen programme of study. Support may be provided in the form of goods/services or monetary at the discretion of the hardship panel. 8.3 A student in need of emergency hardship funding will be assessed by the Student Services Manager, working in collaboration with the Personal Success coach and tutor where appropriate to ensure that a 16-18 Bursary, 24+ Loan Bursary & dlsf 2014-15 Final August 2014 Page 16
learner may continue on programme until any longer term welfare issues are addressed. Bus tickets, meals in the college refectory and supplies from the campus pantry will be provided until longer term solutions are found. The college will work with external agencies to ensure that a learner receives all the support available to them. 16-18 Bursary, 24+ Loan Bursary & dlsf 2014-15 Final August 2014 Page 17