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

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2013/14 HE Student Finance Assessing Eligibility Guidance Students starting courses before 1 st September 2012 214. Full-time distance learners who started a course before 1 st September 2012, in addition to being potentially eligible for full-time rates of DSAs, are also potentially eligible for a package of support equivalent to the fee and course grant available to part-time students who study at a level of 75% or more of the full-time equivalent (FTE). Students on full-time distance learning courses who are not covered by the disability exemption described in paragraph 214 will receive funding under Part 11 provided that they meet the various eligibility and qualifying criteria. This group of students will include disabled students who are electing to study on a distance learning basis. For the 2013/14 academic year continuing students will complete the shorter part-time student support application form to apply for support in connection with a full-time distance learning course using part-time application form PTG1. The package of support offered to eligible distance learning students in connection with their undertaking designated distance learning courses is similar to that offered to eligible part-time students. Authorities, HEIs and students will, however, wish to be aware of the following key differences: Regulation 120 sets out the criteria that a student must satisfy in order to be an “eligible distance learning student”. These criteria are not identical to those found in regulation 137 (eligible part-time students). The criteria in regulation 120 take into account that DSA will be payable to distance learning students (other than those who are treated as in attendance) under Part 11 of the Regulations and not Part 4 of the Regulations; Support is only payable to eligible distance learning students in connection with their undertaking designated distance learning courses. A “designated distance learning course” is a full-time distance learning course which has been specifically designated by the Secretary of State under regulation 122(2). If a full-time distance learning course is not specifically designated under regulation 122(2) then students on that course will not be eligible for the distance learning support package; The support payable to eligible distance learning students is set out in regulations 124 (covering fee grant and course grant) and 127 (covering disabled distance learning students‟ allowances); The maximum amount of fee grant payable to eligible distance learning students will be £1,270, which is the maximum payable to part-time students, and the maximum amount of course grant will be £275. SFE does not need to calculate a student‟s intensity of study to determine the maximum fee grant payable to a particular student. In all cases, this will be the lesser of; (a) the fees actually payable by the student; and (b) £1,270. The means test that applies to the fee and course grants is, however, identical to the part-time means test. All full-time distance learning students who are currently eligible for DSAs and are not treated as in attendance for the purposes of the Regulations will be paid DSA under regulation 127. DSAs are Version 1.8 72
2013/14 HE Student Finance Assessing Eligibility Guidance payable under regulation 127 at the full-time rates provided for in regulation 41 to reflect the position prior to 1 September 2007. Regulation 131 makes provision for the transfer of status of these students from eligible student to eligible distance learning student; Provision is also made for the transfer of status of students who were previously deemed to be eligible students but who did not qualify for support solely because they were not in attendance on a designated course (regulation 131). Students on a course in Scotland lasting four years or more 215. With the exception of gap year students who started their courses in 2006/2007, this paragraph does not apply to any students who started their course on or after 1 September 2006. „Old system‟ English domiciled students continuing on an honours degree course at a Scottish HEI which they began in September 2001 or after AND English domiciled gap year students starting in 2006/07, will have any assessed contribution to their tuition fee waived in their final year of study. This arrangement is referred to as the Quigley agreement and was agreed in September 2001 by the Scottish Executive (SE). To qualify the student has to be enrolled on an honours course of four or five years duration and at the time of commencing their studies, there was an equivalent course over a lower number of years in their home domicile. The Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) paid the tuition fee contribution on behalf of the Scottish Executive, though this is only for eligible students who have been assessed to make a part or full contribution to their fees. Eligible English students under the Quigley agreement are identified by the SFE using the single system and a „potentially eligible flag‟ applied to all identified student records. From the single system, the SFE is able to identify Quigley students by the „potentially eligible flag‟ when they apply for student support for the following academic year. SFE then issues the Financial Support Notification (FSN) to the eligible student which shows they are entitled to full fee support. The Quigley flag will then update to „eligible‟. Students are not informed of the details regarding their exemption from payment of tuition fees under the Quigley agreement. Instead, they are just notified that their tuition fees will be waived in their final year of study and their HEI receives the funds direct. SFE should be aware that the amount of assessed contribution that is being waived and paid for by the Scottish Executive should not be applied against any dependants‟ grants or the means-tested element of the loan and reduced by that amount. If the student is assessed for a contribution which exceeds the maximum amount of grant for fees then, in these circumstances, the amount above the maximum should continue to be offset against any dependants‟ grants or the maintenance loan which they are eligible for. SLC in conjunction with other external stakeholders will ensure that Scottish HEIs receive the Quigley payment the following February once SLC has received attendance reports. Version 1.8 73
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