1. STUDENT FINANCE 2018/19 Aimhigher Conference July 2018 Ahmar Ehsan
Funding Information Partners Account Manager
Student Loans Company

2. i SESSION CONTENTS SFE Undergraduate Updates
2018/19 Student Finance England Policy
Student Loan Applications and Repayments
SFE Resources

3. ACADEMIC YEAR 2018/19 UPDATES
SFE Undergraduate News and Updates:
DSA Applications now available online (faster process for students)
E-signatures available for new students applications since 25th March 2018
Password Reset – One Time Pass-code
Migrant Worker – sample checking of evidence requirements
Education Review – Autumn Early Indicators

4. STUDENT FINANCE 2018/19 POLICY UPDATES
SECTION 1
All information subject to final policy approval

5. i STUDENT FINANCE 2018/19 GENERAL ELIGIBILITY - RESIDENCY
Students need to meet certain residency criteria in order to be eligible for
financial support from SFE:
Settled status – can live in the UK without any Home Office restriction
Ordinarily resident in England on the first day of the first academic year
of their course
Been living in the UK for the three years immediately prior to this date
Tuition Fee Loans only for European Union (EU) students*, who do not meet the five year UK residency requirements for maintenance support
*EU students must have lived within the EEA for 3 years prior to
the first day of the first academic year of the course i

6. STUDENT FINANCE 2018/19 GENERAL ELIGIBILITY - EXCEPTIONS
Students may still be entitled for support if they qualify under any of the
exceptions to the general residency rules:
The student, their spouse, civil partner, parent/stepparent are recognised by the UK government as a refugee and lived in England since this status was awarded
The student, their spouse, civil partner, parent/stepparent, have been granted Humanitarian Protection to stay in the UK and meet the standard residency requirements
EEA /Swiss migrant workers and the children of Swiss nationals and Turkish workers who meet the set employment/residency requirements
The practitioners support team ( ) can also provide clarification on complex residency
issues, consent to share may need to be established if discussing a specific students situation without
them being present. Students can set up consent to share for their account by contacting SFE and
nominate/provide details of any relevant parties and go through necessary security requirements.

7. STUDENT FINANCE 2018/19
NON-UK NATIONALS WHO HAVE LIVED IN THE UK A LONG TIME
The long residency regulation extends eligibility for student finance out to
students who qualify under and can evidence one of the following criteria:
Applicants aged under 18 years of age are required to have lived in the UK for at least 7 years
Applicants aged 18 years and above are required to have either spent
at least half their life in the UK, or at least 20 years in the UK
This needs to include three years’ lawful ordinary residence before the first day of the first academic year of the course for all such applicants
Residency and eligibility can be complex areas to fully understand, if a student is in doubt they can call SFE on i

8. STUDENT FINANCE 2018/19 POLICY OVERVIEW – TUITION FEES & LOANS
SECTION 1
All information subject to final policy approval

9. TUITION FEES AND LOANS POLICY OVERVIEW
The following maximum tuition fee caps apply in academic year 2018/19 to
HEFCE funded institutions in England with OFFA Access Agreements and
a Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) award:
Full-time course maximum fee: £9,250
Part-time course maximum fee: £6,935
2016 cohort SFE students at publicly funded institutions in England will be able to apply for a non-means tested Tuition Fee Loan to meet the full costs of their tuition

10. STUDENT FINANCE 2018/19 MAINTENANCE SUPPORT – 2016 COHORT
SECTION 1
All information subject to final policy approval

11. MAINTENANCE SUPPORT 2016 COHORT FULL-TIME STUDENTS
The revised package of Maintenance Support for new entrants into Higher
Education in academic year 2018/19 (2016 Cohort):
The maximum levels for Maintenance (Living Cost) Loans available for academic year 2018/19 increased by 3.2% in line with inflation
Maximum levels of Maintenance (Living Cost) Loan have increased to;
£11,354 For students not eligible for benefits or aged over 60
£12,382 For students eligible for benefits but not aged over 60
£3,680 For students aged over 60
Maximum loans for living costs for new full-time students and eligible continuing full-time students starting their courses on or after 1 August 2016 will be increased by forecast inflation (3.2%) in 2018/19.
The maximum loan for living costs for 2018/19 will be £8,700 for students living away from home and studying outside London. The equivalent loan rate for students living away from home and studying in London will be £11,354; for those living in the parental home during their studies, £7,324; and for those studying overseas as part of their UK course, £9,963.
The maximum loan for living costs for 2018/19 will be £9,916 for students who are eligible for benefits who are living away from home and studying outside London. The equivalent loan rate for students who are eligible for benefits who are living away from home and studying in London will be £12,382; for those living in the parental home during their studies, £8,640; and for those studying overseas as part of their UK course, £11,090.
The maximum loan for living costs in 2018/19 for new full-time students and eligible continuing full-time students starting their courses on or after 1 August 2016 who are aged 60 or over on the first day of the first academic year of their course, will be increased by forecast inflation (3.2%) to £3,680.

12. £ £ £ £7,324 £8,700 £11,354 MAINTENANCE SUPPORT
MAXIMUM MAINTENANCE LOAN RATES 2018/19
2016 cohort FT students, not eligible for benefits or aged over 60
Parental Home Rate:
Live at home while they study
£7,324
Elsewhere Rate:
Live and study away from home outside London
£8,700
London Rate:
Live and study away from home in London
£11,354
Household Income Assessment
The income assessment for full year and final year rates of loans for living costs is calculated as follows:
Parental Home Rate: £1 reduction in loan for every complete £8.10 increase in income above £25,000.
London Rate: £1 reduction in loan for every complete £7.87 increase in income above £25,000.
Elsewhere Rate: £1 reduction in loan for every complete £8.01 increase in income above £25,000.
Overseas Rate: £1 reduction in loan for every complete £7.93 increase in income above £25,000.
The income threshold for the minimum non-income assessed full rate of overseas loan is: £65,816.
The income thresholds for the minimum non-income assessed final year rates of loans are: £56,833 (Home), £67,239 (London), £60,717 (Elsewhere), and £62,533(Overseas).

13. MAINTENANCE SUPPORT FULL YEAR MAINTENANCE LOAN RATES
2016 cohort FT students, not eligible for benefits or aged over 60
Full Year Student*
Maximum
Loan
Non-Income Assessed
Income Assessed
Parental Home
£7,324
£3,224
£4,100
Elsewhere
£8,700
£4,054
£4,646
London
£11,354
£5,654
£5,700
Overseas
£9,963
£4,816
£5,147
*Lower amounts available for final year students

14. SUPPLEMENTARY SUPPORT
DISABLED STUDENTS’ ALLOWANCES
SECTION 1
All information subject to final policy approval

15. DISABLED STUDENTS’ ALLOWANCES
INTRODUCTION
Disabled Students’ Allowances provide help towards the additional costs a
student may face as result of their disability, long-term health condition,
mental-health condition or specific learning difficulty:
DSAs Support:
Is available in addition to the standard student finance package,
Does not have to be repaid,
Is not affected by household income,
Looks at the specific needs of the individual student
DSAs rates have risen inline with inflation (3.2%) for academic year 18/19
Maximum grants for undergraduate students with disabilities will be increased by forecast inflation (3.2%) in 2018/19.
For a full-time course: to £21,987 for a non-medical personal helper, £5,529 for major items of specialist equipment and £1,847 for other disability related expenditure.
For a part-time course: to £16,489 for a non-medical personal helper, £5,529 for major items of specialist equipment and £1,385 for other disability related expenditure.

16. i DISABLED STUDENTS’ ALLOWANCES 2018/19 MAXIMUM RATES Allowance
Part-Time
Max Support
Full-Time
Frequency
of Payment
Non-medical personal helper
£16,489
£21,987
Annual
Specialist equipment
£5,529
Duration of Course
Other disability-related expenditure
£1,385
£1,847
Disability related travel
No Limit – Reasonable spending can
be claimed
The equipment allowance is for the duration of the course. The other two allowances are annual amounts.
The maximum DSAs for part-time students. The specialist equipment allowance is for the duration of the course and is not pro-rated. The remaining allowances are allowances per academic year and are pro-rated according to the intensity of study.
The maximum grant for disabled postgraduate students in 2017/18 is £10,993 per academic year.
For both full-time and part-time postgraduate students, there is
a single allowance of up to £10,993 per academic year i

17. i DISABLED STUDENTS’ ALLOWANCES ONLINE APPLICATIONS
Many students will now be able to make their application for DSA online:
To apply for DSA online, students;
Must be full-time undergraduate
Must be studying from 2017/18
Must be applying for DSA for the first time
Must apply for core support (even if £0 requested)
The online DSA application process is available to both new and returning
students, but they must be ‘new’ to DSA’
The ‘My Account’ information will direct students to send their evidence
to or via post to the usual address
All other students will apply for DSA using a paper application form
and following the existing process i

18. STUDENT FINANCE 2018/19 DEPENDANTS’ GRANTS
SECTION 1
All information subject to final policy approval

19. i DEPENDANTS’ GRANTS 2018/19 POLICY OVERVIEW Childcare Grant:
Based on 85% of actual registered/approved childcare costs*, subject to a
maximum of: £ per week for one child £ per week for two or more children
Parents’ Learning Allowance:
Help with course-related costs for students with dependent children, the
amount received will be between £50 and £1,669
Adult Dependants’ Grant:
Normally for the student’s partner or other adult financially dependent on
the student where the adult’s net income is not more than £3,796 p.a.
The maximum grant available is: £2,925
Maximum dependants’ grants (adult dependants’ grant, childcare grant and parents’ learning allowance) will be increased by forecast inflation (3.2%) in 2018/19 for all new and continuing full-time undergraduate students.
Childcare Grant
Students can apply for a Childcare Grant if they’re a full-time undergraduate student and at the beginning of the academic year they:
• have at least one dependent child who is under 15 and in registered or approved childcare; or
• have at least one dependent child who is under 17, is registered as having special educational needs and is in registered or approved childcare.
Students may also be able to get a Childcare Grant if they:
• normally live in England and are studying abroad as part of your UK course; and
• can use childcare provided under a Ministry of Defence accreditation scheme while you’re abroad.
If the student or their husband, wife or partner gets the childcare part of Working Tax Credit, they won’t be able to get a Childcare Grant as well. But can choose to get Childcare Grant instead of the childcare part of Working Tax Credit.
Types of childcare that qualify
Students can only apply for the Childcare Grant if their childcare provider is registered or approved by Ofsted or the Commission for Social Care Inspection.
Students won’t be able to get the Childcare Grant if the childcare provider they use is:
• their partner;
• a relative of their child and providing care in their child’s home;
• a relative of their child and is:
- approved under the Approval of Child Care Providers Scheme in Wales, or the Approval of Home Child Care Providers Scheme in Northern Ireland;
- providing care away from your child’s home; and
- only caring for children he or she is related to.
A relative of the child means a parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, brother, sister, related by blood or marriage, or a person with a strong relationship to the child (for example, someone acting as a parent to their partner’s children
At the end of each term, SFE ask students to fill in a Childcare Costs Confirmation Form (CCG2). This will help us make sure they have been paid the correct amount of Childcare Grant.
HM Revenue & Customs won’t count any Childcare Grant or Parents’ Learning Allowance students get when working out their entitlement to tax credits and other state benefits, but they will take any Adults Dependants’ Grant into account.
The amount of childcare grant payable in 2017/18 will be based on 85% of actual childcare costs, subject to a maximum grant of £ per week for one child only or £ per week for two or more children.
Where a childcare provider has not been identified, the amount of childcare grant payable in 2017/18 will be based on 85% of actual childcare costs, subject to a maximum grant of £ per week. This lower rate payment will be made until details of the childcare provider have been submitted but subject to a maximum of one academic quarter (usually a term)
GRANT IN RESPECT OF AN ADULT DEPENDANT.
Where applicable, the maximum grant in 2017/18 in respect of one dependant of the student who is either the student’s partner or an adult dependant will be £2,925.
“Partner” is currently defined in the Student Support Regulations. A student’s spouse or civil partner would fall within the definition. In certain cases, a person living with the student as if he were the student’s spouse or civil partner will also be covered.
Where the student does not have a partner within the meaning of the Regulations, a student may be eligible for this grant in respect of one adult dependant whose net income does not exceed £3,796.
*Where a childcare provider has not been identified, the amount of
Childcare Grant payable will be a maximum of £ per week i

20. STUDENT FINANCE 2018/19 POLICY – INDEPENDENT STUDENT STATUS
SECTION 1
All information subject to final policy approval

21. i STUDENT FINANCE 2018/19 INDEPENDENT STUDENT STATUS
A student can be assessed as being independent if they:
Are 25 or over before the start of the academic year
Are married/in a civil partnership/divorced (even if under 25)*
Have care of a child
Have no living parents
Are irreconcilably estranged from their parents
Have been the subject of a care order (Care Leavers)
Cannot trace their parents or it is not practical or possible to contact them
Have supported themselves financially for at least three years**
*The income of the student’s husband, wife or civil partner will be
taken into account **Prior to the start of their course i

22. ESTRANGED STUDENTS Further Information Charities and Other Support;
Stand Alone
PROPEL
The Become Trust
Brightside
NNECL
Care Leaver Associations

23. USEFUL SLC CONTACTS Independent Enquiries Inbox - Darlington Based
Estrangement - Estrangement Assessors - Darlington Based
Tel:

24. STUDENT FINANCE 2018/19 PART-TIME STUDY
SECTION 1
All information subject to final policy approval

25. i PART-TIME MAINTENANCE LOAN INTRODUCTION
The Department for Education (DfE) introduced Part-Time Maintenance
Loans (PTML) for eligible part-time (PT) undergraduate students in AY 18/19:
Tuition Fee Loans available – max amount £6,935 for AY 18/19
Maintenance Loans launched for new students starting some courses in AY 18/19, e.g. Bachelor degrees, Integrated Masters, PGCEs
Further part-time courses planned to be in scope in future academic years
Maintenance Loan amounts will be a proportion of the full-time amounts, linked to course intensity, paid to student in 3 instalments per academic year
More info and applications at
The intent of this policy change is to:
Increase the number of England domiciled students undertaking PT courses by providing greater access to student finance; and
Promote greater parity between FT and PT support.
This change also forms part of the Government’s wider objective to support lifelong learning and widening participation.
From AY 19/20, DfE intends to include all eligible level 4, 5 and 6 courses, plus PGCE courses as in scope for PTML – the inclusion of these is delayed to allow for the Office for Students’ new regulatory framework to be established.
DfE also intends to extend PTML to all distance learners from AY 19/20; this is subject to an adequate control regime being set up under the new regulatory framework and is subject to ministerial sign-off.
*Students who are ordinarily resident elsewhere in the UK should
apply to their own domicile for PT student support i

26. PART-TIME MAINTENANCE LOAN
ELIGIBLE COURSES
Summary of qualifications and Part-Time funding available in AY 18/19:
Eligible courses
PT courses may be designated for support where they are provided by authority funded or alternative HE Providers (HEPs), with or without degree awarding powers in either case.
Note that courses may be provided by HEPs that do not have degree awarding powers under a franchise arrangement with an eligible provider that does have these powers; these courses may also be eligible for PT support.
Eligible courses for PTML are designated PT courses leading to the following qualifications only:
Integrated master’s degree*
Postgraduate Certificate in Education** (Level 7)
Bachelor’s degree (with or without Honours)
Graduate diploma***
Graduate certificate***
Professional Graduate Certificate in Education
Foundation degree**** in:
Dental health / dental therapy
Diploma of Higher Education (DipHE)**** in:
Operating department practice
*Note that integrated master’s degrees are treated as equivalent to Honours degrees for the purposes of PT funding.
**Applicants who already have Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) are not eligible for PT support for another teacher training course which conveys QTS. Note that those who have Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills status (QTLS) may still receive funding for a course which conveys QTS.
***Only eligible for PT support where a degree is not a condition of entry to the course (currently checked manually by SLC at the point of assessment).
****DfE is restricting PTML for courses that are below the level of a degree to only those specific courses listed here.

27. STUDENT FINANCE 2018/19 APPLICATIONS & ASSESSMENT - OVERVIEW
SECTION 2
All information subject to final policy approval

28. i STUDENT FINANCE APPLICATIONS KEY MESSAGE – APPLY EARLY
Each year thousands of students apply late for their finance and have no
way to pay for their course or accommodation, some even have to drop out!
Please encourage the students you work with to apply on time!
It can take up to six weeks to process an application so apply early
The easiest way to apply is online at gov.uk/studentfinance*
Students don’t need a confirmed place at university or college to apply
Apply with their preferred choice, they can change details later if needed
*If they cannot apply online (EU Students), applicants will be
directed to the relevant paper forms and supporting documents i

29. i STUDENT FINANCE APPLICATIONS COMPLETING AN APPLICATION
Before starting an application, students should have the following to hand:
• Passport - SFE can check identity using valid UK passport details
• University and course details
Bank account details and National Insurance number
The easiest way for parents or other sponsors to support a students
application is online through GOV.UK, providing information including:
• National Insurance number(s)
Household income information (Based on prior tax year)
Details of other child dependants
Many bursaries and scholarships can be applied for directly if
students/sponsors consent to share the information given to SLC i

30. STUDENT FINANCE APPLICATIONS
IDENTITY EVIDENCE – NON-UK STUDENTS
SFE require one of the following documents to be sent as proof of identity:
EU National Identity Card (Must be in date)
Original Non-UK Passport (Must be in date)
Biometric Residence Permit cards
Non-UK Students may also need to submit the following evidence:
Original Home Office documents - To prove refugee status or leave to enter or remain status
Photocopies of P60, Contract of Employment, Tax Returns or a P45 - To prove European Economic Area (EEA) or UK work details
UK address history to confirm residency details

31. STUDENT LOAN REPAYMENTS
INCOME THRESHOLD INCREASE
SECTION 3
All information subject to final policy approval

32. i STUDENT LOAN REPAYMENTS AN OVERVIEW
Students won’t make repayments until their future income is over £25,000
a year gross (before tax), or the weekly/monthly equivalents:
If they study a full-time course, students will be due to start repaying in
the April after graduating from/leaving higher education
They’ll repay 9% of any income earned over £25,000 and if employed, deductions will be made from their pay through the HMRC tax system*
If their income falls to £25,000 or below their repayments will stop
Any outstanding loan balance will be written off 30 years after entering repayment
*If students move or work overseas, repayments will be 9% of any
earnings over the threshold for the country they are living in i

33. Monthly repayment comparison of £21,000 and £25,000 thresholds:
STUDENT LOAN REPAYMENTS
THE ‘NEW’ FIGURES
Monthly repayment comparison of £21,000 and £25,000 thresholds:
Annual Gross Income
Monthly Repayment
£21,000)
£25,000)
£25,000
£30 £0
£30,000
£67
£37
£35,000
£105
£75
£40,000
£142
£112
£45,000
£180
£150
£50,000
£217
£187
£60,000
£292
£262
Income
£25,000
Link to page is Live!
A basic way of working out the monthly repayment would be to divide £4,000 by 12 giving £ and that by 9% giving a monthly payment of £30.
The interest rate is updated once a year in September, using the rate of RPI from March. RPI as of March 2017 was 3.1% so 17/18 students (Sept 17) will be charged 6.1% while in their first year of study. Details on this can be found on the repayment website.
Full Time Student Interest
While studying until entering repayment = RPI +3%
On Entering repayment interest is linked to earnings
Under £21,000 = RPI Only
£21,000 to £41,000 = RPI + up to 3%
Over £41,000 = RPI + 3%
Part Time RPI
While studying on a course until whichever comes first of: The April after graduating or leaving a course; or
The April after the fourth anniversary of the start of a course - RPI + 3%
From the April after graduating or leaving a course, or after the fourth anniversary of the start of a course, but before April RPI £0
9% Deducted from?
Monthly
Repayment? £0
The government announced that the income threshold for ‘Plan 2’ student loan repayments increased to £25,000 from April 2018 i

34. Interest levels will depend on a students income and circumstances:
STUDENT LOAN REPAYMENTS
THE INTEREST – FULL-TIME
Interest levels will depend on a students income and circumstances:
During study until
entering repayment
Interest Rate:
Retail Price Index +3% %
Interest rate is:
Set at RPI Only
Income:
Under £25,000
Interest Rate:
RPI Only %
Income:
£25,000 to £45,000
Interest Rate:
RPI + up to 3% %
Income:
Over £45,000
Interest Rate:
RPI +3% %
The interest rate is updated once a year using the RPI figure
from March which is carried forward and applied in September i

35. STUDENT LOAN REPAYMENTS
DEDICATED WEBSITE
Click image to link to page!

36. SFE RESOURCES
FOR PRACTITIONERS AND STUDENTS
SECTION 4

37. SFE RESOURCES WWW.PRACTITIONERS.SLC.CO.UK – A NEW LOOK!!
Click image to link to page

38. i SFE RESOURCES SFE INFORMATION ON UCAS
To help students as they plan to go to university, we’ve launched a new space
on the UCAS website:
It has all the student finance information they need, including;
What they can get
How to apply
How and when to repay
There’s also student finance information for continuing students and for
anyone thinking about doing a postgraduate course
To help students as they plan to go to university, we’ve launched a new space on the UCAS website. It has all the student finance information they need, including: what they can get,
how to apply, and
how and when to repay.
There’s also student finance information for continuing students and for anyone thinking about doing a postgraduate course. For the most up-to-date information, encourage your students to visit
For the most up-to-date information, encourage your students to
visit: i

39. KEEP IN TOUCH CONTACT DETAILS Contact Me: ahmar_ehsan@slc.co.uk
Contact Us:
FI Partners Account Manager Team

40. YOUR VIEWS MATTER!! ONLINE PRACTITIONER FEEDBACK SURVEY
As a valued partner, your opinions on the effectiveness of the engagements
and service we deliver are always welcomed and appreciated:
Please take a few minutes to complete our short online survey and review
any meetings, update sessions or training events attended, and to;
Provide your suggestions on content for any future events or for any
new/enhanced resources you’d like considered
Register yourself and/or your colleagues to receive relevant updates about student finance
A link to the survey can be found on the FI Account Managers page of our
Practitioners website: