The New Student Finance Service

2 Contents Background to the Student Loans Company Customer First Programme The New Student Finance Service The SLC’s Changing Role Customer Engagement Customer Focus Groups Information, Advice & Guidance (IAG) My Fact Find Applications & Assessments HEI Services Stakeholder Engagement

3 Background Non-departmental Public Body and a limited company –to allow private sector input at Board level –DIUS and ELLD ministers as share-holders –Reports to Government Education Departments for England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales Non profit-making Loans and Grants totalling almost 1 million students p.a. Tuition Fee payments to HEI’s approx £1.6B Joint administration of repayments with HMRC, for 2 million customers 170 HEI’s in the Bursary Administration systems (HEBSS). FE student funding in Wales and Northern Ireland Report to government Education Departments for England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales

4 Student Loans Company Employs more than 1,800 staff Provides a service to over 3 million customers 700 universities and colleges A further 174 award agencies Handles over 2.7 million telephone calls annually Issues almost 9 million items of mail Customer Advisers and administrators handle thousands of enquiries each week Consistently achieves high customer satisfaction in independent monthly surveys, averaging in the order of 93% ‘Good’ or ‘Excellent’

5 The Student Loans Company UK wide delivery organisation, headquartered in Glasgow Country specific services for student finance Administer national repayment system with HMRC GLASGOW HQ Functions ICR Contact Centre ICT and ICR Product Development Operations HILLINGTON Printing, mailing, Correspondence DARLINGTON Application Processing Specialist Advice England Service EU Loans CPU Contact Centre COLWYN BAY Welsh Service

6 Student Loan Company’s Changing Role Full responsibility and accountability, E2E. Application and assessment processing with extended on-line facilities Customer contact management Publicity and direct IAG through multiple channels, Indirect IAG to 3 rd party Partners Key joint developments with NASMA and UCAS Stakeholder relations & interests The ‘expert voice’ in student finance

7 Customer First Programme The name of the change programme to design and deliver the new student finance service. Customer First is a DIUS-sponsored joint programme with SLC, HMRC and HEIs as delivery agents. It takes the form of a rolling 4-year programme of change, with SLC and the LA’s involved. HEI’s recognised as a key delivery partner – consultation group – engagement plan – separate strand of the development programme

8 The New Student Finance Service In England, service has a new identity Applies to English students studying in UK HEI’s Many changes will apply to Wales and Northern Ireland who retain their logos In England the new service is centralised with Student Loans Company. Welsh LEAs, SAAS and Northern Ireland ELB’s remain.

9 Customer Engagement Focus Groups Defined customer needs Defined key principles for design process Tested through survey of 1800 customers Specialist focus groups on targeted support needs and repayment Redefined outline design

10 Customer Focus Groups

11 Information, Advice & Guidance (IAG) A new area of responsibility Promotion about how student finance works “Raising Awareness” campaign Promoting Applications campaign IAG support throughout the period of their loan Support to parents and sponsors Channel of choice e.g. web, phone, text, paper Network of 12 regional SF managers Third Party providers and delivery channels

12 My Fact Find Integrated On-Line Calculator –a personalised quotation and comparator based on HEI and course choice –Tuition Fee information –includes statutory support and bursary support –can select up to 5 courses and compare finances –‘Enhanced Ready Reckoner’ from Sept 2008 –My Fact Find available from April 2009 –information available re. supplementary grants –Repayment illustration –Budget Calculator –Customer Channel of Choice available

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16 Applications & Assessments Simplified application process, primarily on-line Customer confirms course and HEI choices with UCAS and is directed to student finance application page UCAS choices and personal details automatically pass into student finance application from 2010/2011 AY Applicants get an instant interim assessment Can track progress of application on line and through IVR technology Easy re-application process

17 Working with UCAS June Data share system commences Sept Further data sharing options Supporting each others seminar programme Future options for the course database – common extract from HEI’s – shared database

18 Student Journey Information And Guidance Fact Find Application & Offer Enrol at HEI Payment Account Repayment Time-line From April of the year prior to Enrolling (i.e. -18 months) September the year prior to Enrolling (i.e. -12 months) September in line with UCAS Admission (i.e. -12 months) Start of Term (i.e. zero months, zero days) Start of term + 2 days (i.e days) On-going on-line services Pre-graduation work to prepare for repayments The annual cycle for applying for student finance is changing: Annual Application Timing

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21 More information More information about the Student Loans Company, and what they currently do, is available from the Student Loans Company website: The Student Loans Company Headquarters in Bothwell Street, Glasgow

22 Any Questions?