2. Student Finance Update 30 th November 2010 Wiltshire College Andy Shenton Senior Student Finance Consultant South & Isle of Wight

3. Agenda Browne Review & 2012/13 Proposals Student Finance package for 2011/12 Customer Journey IAG for Students IAG Resources for Practitioners Quiz Questions & Answers

4. Lord Browne published his report on 12th October 2010 and The Secretary of State made a statement in the House of Commons responding to and endorsing the report the same day The Public Spending Review concluded on 20th October 2010 The Minister of State for Universities & Science made a statement to the house on 3 rd November 2010 outlining the governments proposals for HE Funding in 2012 and beyond, which included many of Lord Brownes recommendations A full white paper will be published during the winter 2012/13 Arrangements

5. Any reforms will be introduced for those entering higher education in 2012. Any changes to higher education funding and student finance will therefore not affect those already at university, those starting in 2011 and those who have left university and are in repayment The government normally tries to announce the details of the student support arrangements in the summer of the year when most students apply. So, for those starting university in autumn 2012, details on student support should be announced by summer 2011 Students who defer entry from 2011/12 to 2012/13 will have their loans and grants for living costs set at the 2012/13 rates. It will be for Universities to decide the level of tuition fees they charge. 2012/13 Arrangements

6. Summary of Proposals 2011/12 2012/13 * Tuition Fee Loan (Graduate Contribution) Max £3375 Two tiers: max £6,000 or £9,000 £9000 only in exceptional circumstances Fee Loans for part-time courses if intensity 1/3 + Maintenance Loan Variable amounts in 3 bands Means tested Variable amounts in 3 bands – details to be confirmed Loans increased for household incomes from £42K - £60K Maintenance Grant Max £2906 £25K / £50K thresholds Max £3,250 £25K / £42K thresholds HEI Bursary £338+ for those on full grant paying full fees New £150m National Scholarships Programme – obligatory for HEI to participate if fees exceed £6,000 Application Separate application process post UCASNo details yet Repayment 9% of earnings over £15K threshold Interest inflation linked (currently 1.5%) Written off after 25 years 9% of earnings over £21K threshold £21k - £41K - Tapered inflation RPI + 3% Written off after 30 years Early repayment arrangements being considered * Please note that these are ONLY proposals: NO decisions have yet been taken, and the package of support available to 12/13 entrants will not be announced until later in 2011

7. www.bis.gov.uk/highereducation

8. Whats New for 2011/12

9. Policy Changes for 11/12 Maximum Fees up £85 from £3,290 to £3,375 Minimum Bursary (if full fees) up from £329 to £338 All other support frozen at 2010/11 rates Other minor amendments to policy - do not affect eligibility

10. What can students get in 11/12 Tuition fee loan Maintenance loan Maintenance Grant Extra support for those with special circumstances

11. Fee amounts for 11/12 £3,375Maximum tuition fee for a publicly funded course: £3,375 Students can have a non-means tested loan to cover the full fee amount Fees are paid directly to the HEI Fees increase each year (in 2010/11 they were £3,290) Fee loans are only repaid once student is earning over £15,000 pa

12. Loan amounts for 11/12 ALL amounts have been frozen at 2010/11 rates Main loans are 72% non-means tested, 28% means tested Reduced loans are available to students on sandwich years and to some students who are in receipt of an NHS Bursary

13. Grant amounts for 11/12 £2,906Frozen at 2010/11 rates; maximum maintenance grant: £2,906 Grant is fully means tested Grant is non-repayable Maintenance loan is reduced by 50p for each £1 of grant payable

14. Loan & Grant thresholds 11/12 Households with total income under £25,000 will be eligible to receive full grant and non-means tested loan Households with total income between £25,000 and £50,020 will be eligible to receive a partial grant and partial means tested loan Households with total income between £50,778 and £57,708 will not be eligible to receive a grant, but may receive a partial means tested loan Households with income in excess of £57,708 will only be eligible to receive a non-means tested loan Note: The figures shown are based on a student living away from home and studying outside of London. Different thresholds will apply to those students living at home during their studies and those living/studying in London

15. H/hold income Maintenance GrantMaintenance LoanTotal support £25,000£2,906£3,497£6,403 £30,000£1,906£3,997£5,903 £34,000£1,106£4,397£5,503 £40,000£711£4,595£5,306 £50,020£50£4,925£4,975 £55,000£0£4,106 £60,000£0£3,564 Note: The figures shown are based on a student living away from home and studying outside of London. Different thresholds will apply to those students living at home during their studies and those living/studying in London

16. Max. Loan £4,950 Min. Loan £3,564 25k 30k 34k 40k £3,497 £3,997 £4,397 £4,595 45k 50k 50,708 55k 57,778 60k 70k + £4,760 £4,925 £4,950 £4,106 £3,564 £50 £381 £711 £1,106 £1,906 £2,906£6,403 £5,506 £5,503 £5,306 £5,141 £4,975 £4,950 £4,106 £3,564 Note: The figures shown are based on a student living away from home and studying outside of London. Different thresholds will apply to those students living at home during their studies and those living/studying in London

17. Other help in 11/12 Long Courses Loan: Extra means tested loan where study > 30 weeks Bursaries: Minimum of £338 (if qualify for full grant & charged max fees) Parents Learning Allowance: Maximum of £1,508 (means tested) Childcare Grant: 85% of actual costs (subject to limits & means test) Adult Dependant Grant: £2,642 (means tested) Special Support Grant: Replaces maintenance grant for some students Care Leavers Grant: Speak to your Local Authority (fact sheet) Other local support…. Investigate!

18. Help towards the additional costs that a student may be obliged to incur as a result of their impairment, health condition or specific learning difficulty In addition to the standard student finance package Does not have to be repaid Is not affected by the household income Looks at the specific needs of the individual in relation to their studies See Fact sheet Disabled Students Allowance

19. DSAs continued Allowance Part-time maximum support Full-time maximum Support Frequency of Payment Non-medical personal helper £15,390£20,520Annual Specialist equipment£5,161 Duration of course Other disability-related expenditure £1,293£1,724Annual Disability-related travel No Limit – reasonable spending can be claimed Full and part-time disabled postgraduate students can receive up to £10,260 a year

20. The Customer Journey

21. Design Customer JourneySpring ApplicationAutumn ResearchSummer Processing Term 1 Payment How & when do I apply ? What could I get ? When will I get it ? When do I pay it back ? Consistent High-Quality IAG Support from Practitioners

22. Research

23. www.direct.gov.uk/studentfinance

30. Other Research Tools UCAS Conventions Directgov Website Printed Literature

31. Research Apply Online

32. Online Application Process www.direct.gov.uk/studentfinanceLogin via: www.direct.gov.uk/studentfinance Register details online Customer Reference Number (CRN) allocated Choose password and secret answer Submit application online and send in supporting evidence: Financial details (prior year tax) Identity checking (data share with IPS) Non-means tested support paid to applicant where financial details remain outstanding at course start Track application progress via My Account

33. www.direct.gov.uk/studentfinance

44. Adviser application tools All available on the Practitioner Website: –Mock Account –CoC My Account Demo –Screen Videos of Applications I can come and take you through these in more detail http://practitioners.studentfinanceengland.co.uk

45. Research Application Processing

46. How to get things right! Send in all your evidence and your sponsors evidence straight away Evidence Fact Sheet on Directgov Make sure everything you send us has your CRN on it It can take a couple of days before we scan everything youve sent and it appears on the system, so please be patient We will hang on to original documents for up to 6 weeks, just in case we need to refer to them (for example, if we get a bad scanned image) If you want to check the progress of your application, use My Account

47. www.direct.gov.uk/studentfinance

52. Research Consent To Share

53. Consent to Share Consent to share (CTS or C2S) allows a customer to grant a third party permission to discuss their details and data with us. There are three different types of Consent to Share, depending on what is being shared and with whom: –Bursary Consent to Share –DSA1 Consent to Share –3 rd Party (General) Consent to Share

54. Bursary Consent Consent given on online or paper application (PN1) Universities and colleges use the information held by Students Loans Company to determine eligibility and entitlement to bursaries and/or scholarships to their students. We will share the relevant information, unless the customer indicates that they do not wish to do so on the application (online or paper) Opting out will delay any bursary payment due

56. DSA1 Consent Consent to share on a DSA1 application form (short or long) allows Universities/Colleges, DSA Needs Assessors and Suppliers of Equipment access to information on that form Universities or Colleges and DSA Needs Assessor may need to exchange information about an application to ensure the student gets the help and support that they need We will share the relevant information, unless the customer indicates that they do not wish to do so on the DSA1 form Opting out could delay arrangements being put in place – the student would have to liaise with all parties

58. 3 rd Party (General) Consent This is consent given by the student to allow us to share information with staff in general at up to two institutions Does not allow sharing of information regarding disability Could be a number of reasons: –travel –Financial –ongoing issues –personal preference (that someone else discusses their application with us)

59. 3 rd Party (General) Consent cont. A student can contact the us by phone or put their request in writing. They will need to provide the following details for the person they want to grant consent to share to: –Relationship –Full Name (or University or College name) –Password –Duration of the Consent to Share (this can be open ended if required) The advisor/assessor will then record these details for use when staff from the nominated institution wish to discuss an application. The institution is responsible for safeguarding the details

60. Research If things change…

61. Things a student can change: Bank Details Address Course and/or HEI Any personal details (up until the point of assessment) Any post-assessment changes need to be actioned traditionally

64. Change of Circumstances Form

65. Research Getting Paid!

66. Payment process for 11/12 Student Finance is paid in 3 instalments Maintenance loan and any grant entitlements are paid together The 1 st instalment triggered by enrolment The 2 nd & 3 rd instalments are automatically paid at the start of each subsequent term Loan & Grant are paid directly into the students bank account Fees are paid directly to the HEI

67. Student Finance letter: Colour coded to illustrate separate payments to HEI and student Securely confirms bank account Provides a breakdown of the calculation Additional sections to clearly explain next steps to receiving payment

68. Repayments

69. Loan Repayment Repayments are collected through tax system Starts in the April after graduation Only repay if earning above £15,000 per annum or £1,250 per month gross Repayments are based on how much you earn, not how much you owe ICR loans taken A/Y 05/06 or before written off when student aged 65 ICR loans taken A/Y 06/07 or after written off after 25 years

70. Income each year before tax Monthly salary Approximate monthly repayment up to £15,000Below £1,2500 £16,000£1,333£7 £18,000£1,500£22 £21,000£1,750£45 £24,000£2,000£67 £27,000£2,250£90 £30,000£2,500£112 Loan Repayment continued

71. Repayment continued Monthly repayment £7.5 0 £0 £10 £20 £30 £40 £50 £60 £70 £80 Annual salary £0 £15,000£19,000£21,000£17,000£25,000£23,000 £15 £22.5 £37.5 £45 £30 £52.5 £67 £75 £60 9%

72. Additional Info 0% interest charged 1st Sept 2009 to 31st Aug 2010 Do still pay if abroad Can make additional repayments at any time Calculate balance at www.studentloanrepayment.co.uk

73. Further Info on repayment Customer Care Team: 0141 243 3686 customer_care@slc.co.uk www.studentloanrepayment.co.uk

74. IAG Resources

75. 5 IAG Channels

76. Website: CSO: 0845 300 5090 Support & Signposting from Practitioners Social Media: Literature: IAG Support for Students

77. Service updates Deadline updates Application guidance Evidence return estimates Social Media

78. Prompt to apply online Printed product encouraging all customers to apply online in 2011/12 Available for download or order via Practitioner Website (mock up) NB. Availability of printed literature is yet to be confirmed for 2011/12

79. IAG Resources for Practitioners

80. IAG Support for Practitioners Practitioners Website – home of ALL our Practitioner resources Practitioners Helpline Team Practitioners Pack Quality Standards Materials Student Finance Consultant

81. Practitioners Website www.practitioners.studentfinanceengland.co.uk Comprehensive up-to- date information about student finance Wide range of resources to download or order

82. IAG Quality Standards Materials Materials developed with Practitioners Linked to national IAG Quality Standards used by Ofsted (fully cross-referenced) Resources ready to use with students: - Lesson Plan - 2x scripted PowerPoint presentations

83. PowerPoint Presentations Series of short presentation modules Fully scripted, ready to use with students Can be incorporated into your materials Range of topics: - Core presentation (full-time support) - DSA - Eligibility & Financial Assessment - Main Products - Part-time support - Supplementary Grants

85. Practitioner Pack & Fact Sheets Practitioner Pack: comprehensive overview Fact Sheets for particular groups e.g. - NHS & Social Work students - Disabled students - Care leavers Electronic format – latest versions online Can be incorporated into your materials Designed for use as Quick reference guides Handouts for events

86. Application Walkthrough & Demo Developed following multiple requests from Practitioners to Student Finance Consultants Two resources: (1) Series of Online Videos: walkthrough of different stages of application process (2) Interactive Demonstration Account which can be downloaded and used offline

87. Part-time Calculator Downloadable Excel spreadsheet Can be used with students to provide them with a personalised estimate of support

88. Resources which can be ordered Customer Information Pack: –Guide to Financial Support –Promotional Items –Prompt to Apply Online –Step-by-Step Guide to Applying NB. Printed resources for 11/12 are yet to be confirmed

89. Telephone Support: Practitioner Helpline Team (regulation experts) –9am to 4pm Monday to Friday Specialist Teams (DSA, Childcare etc) Regional Consultant: - Mock Account training - Specialist training on resources - IAG Quality Standards materials

90. http://www.slc.co.uk Stakeholder and DSA Bulletins Fortnightly updates on national processing figures

91. 2011/12 Key Messages Do your research early Dont wait until you know where youre going before applying Apply online from Spring 2011 Send in your signature & your evidence promptly Let us know straight away if anything changes Make use of My Account

92. Online support Students, Parents & Partners Customer website www.direct.gov.uk/studentfinance Practitioners Practitioner website www.practitioners.studentfinanceengl and.co.uk Practitioner helpline team ssin_queries@slc.co.uk

93. Telephone support Students & Sponsors Customer helpline0845 300 5090 Expert AdvicePractitioner helpline0845 602 0583

94. Contact Details Andrew_Shenton@slc.co.uk 07810 440233 http://practitioners.studentfinanceengland.co.uk

95. Twenty Questions Student Finance

96. Twenty Questions 12345 678910 1112131415 1617181920

97. 1. What will the maximum fee loan amount be in 2011/12?

98. £3,375

99. 2. What will the minimum bursary be in 2011/12 (assuming full fees)

100. £338

101. 3. Students only start repaying their loan when theyre earning how much?

102. £15,000 per annum

103. 4. Must a student know where they are going before applying for finance?

104. Absolutely not! Apply as early as possible!! They must put a course and HEI on their application, but it can just be one of their preferences at this stage - they can let us know if anything changes later.

105. 5. Can a Practitioner call SFE to talk about a students application?

106. Yes, but we can only discuss details with you if the student has given consent to share

107. 6. How can a student check to see how their application is progressing?

108. Log into My Account through Directgov. This will be quicker and easier than phoning.

109. 7. What tool can students use to see how much finance they could get?

110. Student Finance Calculator on the Directgov Website

111. 8. When do students get their first installment of loan and/or grant?

112. After they have enrolled and their university of college have confirmed attendance

113. 9. How is student finance paid to the student?

114. Directly into their bank account by BACS. The first installment is triggered by enrollment, the second and third installments are at the start of each subsequent term.

115. 10. How can a student tell us of any changes to their application details?

116. Some changes they can tell us about online, through My Account. Or they can download and send us a Change of Circumstances form - available on Directgov. Its important they tell us of any changes, especially if they change the HEI they are going to - if they dont then it could hold up their frist Loan & Grant payment.

117. 11. How and When should students apply for their student finance?

118. Online and as early as possible! We expect the service to launch in early spring 2011.

119. 12. How can a Practitioner keep up to date with all the latest news?

120. Make sure your Student Finance Consultant has your details! You can also register for updates through the Practitioners Website.

121. 13. If a student applies online, must their sponsors info also go online?

122. No, although this is the quickest and easiest way for a sponsor to provide their details.

123. 14. What things can a student can do to help us process their application?

124. Make sure they apply early Check to see what they and their sponsors need to send us Send in all the evidence together, as soon as possible after applying Include their CRN with everything they send us

125. 15. What things can a student access themselves through My Account?

126. Change their own Bank Details Change their Address Print off any correspondence we have sent View their Payments See the status of their Application Access the Online Change of Circumstances Change their Security Details & Profile

127. 16. How many people/institutions can a student give Consent to Share to?

128. In theory they can register as many as they like, but they can only have two live at any one time

129. 17. What tax year would we use to assess a 2011/12 applicant?

130. Tax year ended 5 th April 2010. All students must provide this, even if they want to apply for a current income assessment

131. 18. Student Loans taken out after 2006 are written off after how many years?

132. 25 years. Students who took out a loan before 2006 will repay until they reach 65 years of age.

133. 19. What if a student hasnt decided if HE is for them - should they apply?

134. Absolutely! Applying only puts the funding in place - they wont incur any debt or receive any payments unless they enroll at an HEI. If they decide not to go they can just let us know and we will cancel their support.

135. 20. How important is the Online Declaration form?

136. Very important! Even if a student has applied on time and sent us all the evidence we need, we cant make any payments to them until we have received a signed online declaration form. We must also have their NINO before we can make payments.

137. Any Questions