ADD SOURCE OF FUNDING TO VOS RESPONSES Find the best way to finance your future StudyLink Source of Funding to VoS l June 2014

BACKGROUND ›Verification of Study (VoS) is the information exchange StudyLink and education providers use to confirm learner enrolments and to determine student access to Student Allowance and Student Loan. ›Extension of the Youth Guarantee Programme (to year olds) and Fees Free Level 1 and Level 2 qualifications (to year olds) was announced as part of Budget 2013 by the Minister of Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment. ›Manual solution was implemented for 2014 academic year, with a system solution to be in place for the 2015 academic year. ›A system solution will future proof further targeting of student support by Government and will provide a robust system solution for StudyLink and education providers. StudyLink Source of Funding Presentation

OVERVIEW OF CHANGES ›StudyLink are currently building system changes that will use the Source of funding (SOF) code in the VoS to determine entitlement. ›Changes are required to the VoS exchange process to include the SOF code so student support eligibility and access for students can be more efficiently and accurately managed. ›SOF codes will be added to the VoS response file to determine eligibility to components of the Student Loan and/or Student Allowance. ›The SOF code that education providers need to provide will be the same as the funding code that would be supplied in the SDR to TEC for that student. StudyLink Source of Funding Presentation

LEARNER SOF CODE CHANGES ›StudyLink must be advised through the VoS process that the student’s SOF code has changed i.e. changes from a SAC to YG funded student to ensure we continue to pay the right student support. ›StudyLink will apply the SOF code change from the date the new VoS is received and we will advise the student of any changes in their entitlement. ›Students with enquiries regarding why their entitlement has changed mid course will be referred to the education provider. ›The education provider is responsible for ensuring that the student is advised of any changes to the SOF code as this could affect the student support they are entitled to receive. StudyLink Source of Funding Presentation

VOS ONLINE CHANGES ›The SOF code will be a required field in the StudyLink VoS Online tool before an enrolment can be submitted for education providers who manually respond to a StudyLink VoS request file for each student enrolment. ›A new funding code field will be inserted into the ‘VoS Processing’ and ‘Blank VoS’ web page in VoS Online. ›The funding code field will be a drop down list field that will contain the SOF code and the first 40 characters of the description e.g. 01 Student Achievement Component (SAC). ›Changes will be made to the manual VoS form that is completed by Education providers and faxed/ ed back to StudyLink (for non- VoS online users). StudyLink Source of Funding Presentation

BLANK VOS WEBPAGE StudyLink Source of Funding Presentation

VOS PROCESSING WEBPAGE StudyLink Source of Funding Presentation

WHEN DO THESE CHANGES TAKE EFFECT? ›For study starting on or after 01 January 2015 it will be mandatory for education providers to provide the SOF code with the VoS response file or through manual keying in VoS Online when they are confirming a student’s enrolment details ›It is expected that from 19 November 2014 the SOF code will be provided for each VoS response for any study starting on or after 01 January ›Students with 2014 study start dates will not need to have SOF codes supplied as is the case right now. StudyLink Source of Funding Presentation

TESTING AND IMPLEMENTATION StudyLink will be undertaking the following tasks: ›Engaging with SMS Vendors and education providers for electronic VoS users to support the implementation of changes ›Communicating a testing plan with each Education Provider/SMS Vendor that uses electronic VoS ›Undertaking VoS testing with electronic VoS users to ensure that the VoS exchange including the SoF code works as designed ›StudyLink to complete internal testing to ensure student support eligibility is determined and paid correctly through SAL ›Develop and provide training material/support for both electronic and manual VoS users ›There is no requirement for manual (or blank) VoS users to undertake testing. StudyLink Source of Funding Presentation

COMMUNICATIONS OVERVIEW StudyLink will also be regularly communicating with education providers/ SMS vendors by: ›Providing monthly updates/information via a website for education providers that will be going live in mid ›Technical system requirements around the SOF changes will be issued soon to all education providers. ›Providing updates in the quarterly ‘StudyLink News’ editions. ›For further enquiries please the project team at the below address: StudyLink Source of Funding Presentation

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