SFE Assessing Eligibility Guidance 2013/14 - Practitioners - Student ...

2013/14 HE Student Finance
Assessing Eligibility Guidance
Regulations 5(7) and 5(8) allow the two parts of the architecture
course, which may be undertaken at different institutions, to be
treated as one single course for student support purposes. The
Department is of the view that this position is unaffected by a
student undertaking a year‟s practical experience between the two
parts. The final year of Part 1 will therefore attract the full-year loan
rate, rather than the final- year loan rate. The Department is also of
the view that the two Parts can still be treated as a single course
even if a student takes a break of more than one year between
them provided it is clear that the student had not withdrawn from
the overall course at the end of Part 1. So, for example, if a student
completes Part 1 and a year of practical experience and then
decides to take a year out before starting Part 2, he can still be
treated as attending the same single course provided the facts of
his case do not show that he withdrew from the course at the end
of Part 1.
The Regulations do not require a student to declare, before starting
or completing Part 1, his intention to attend both Parts 1 and 2 in
order for the two Parts to be treated as a single course. However,
establishing the student‟s intentions at the outset of or during Part
1 may assist the SFE in determining how to treat a student who
does not follow the typical pattern of study.
The Department is of the view that a student who takes more than
a single year out between Parts 1 and 2, and notifies his SFE of
this and his intention to resume his studies at a later date, should
be treated in the same way as any other student who has
temporarily suspended his studies. For example, if after completing
his year of practical experience a student decides to take a year
out, then provided that he has notified his SFE that he is doing so,
he should normally remain eligible for full support for Part 2 of the
course. This would apply equally if a suspension of study notice
was received from the student‟s HEI.
If a student does not follow the typical study pattern and the SFE
has not received a notification from the student or the relevant HEI,
the Department is of the view that an SFE should only treat that
student as having temporarily suspended his studies if it is clear on
the particular facts of the case that the student had not withdrawn
from the course at the end of Part 1. The Department is of the view
that where a period of three years has elapsed since the student
completed Part 1 (in other words two years after one would expect
the period of practical experience to have been completed), it may
be reasonable to determine that the student has withdrawn from
the single course. However, SFE will need to satisfy itself, on a
case by case basis, that such a decision would be appropriate.
The previous study rules should apply in the case of any student
who is treated as having withdrawn from the original single course.
Consequently, such a student would not be eligible for tuition fee
support for a Part 2 course.
If a student applies to SFE for support in respect of Part 2 of the
architecture course where this is not being undertaken in
conjunction with a Part 1 course, and thus cannot be treated as
part of a single course, the student is not likely to be eligible for fee
support or maintenance grant for the Part 2 course. The reason for
this is that the student will probably already hold a first degree or
equivalent qualification and as a result they would be ruled out of
Version 1.8 68