1. STUDENT FINANCE 2015/16
A PRACTITIONERS INTRODUCTION

2. i SESSION CONTENTS Section 1 – The Student Finance Package
Section 2 – Additional Support
Section 3 – Student Loan Repayment
Section 4 – Application Information
Section 5 – Resources

3. THE STUDENT FINANCE PACKAGE 2015/16
SECTION 1
THE STUDENT FINANCE PACKAGE 2015/16

4. 1 THE STUDENT FINANCE PACKAGE TUITION FEE LOAN MAINTENANCE SUPPORT
SUPPORT AVAILABLE TO STUDENTS INCLUDES:
TUITION FEE LOAN
MAINTENANCE SUPPORT
BURSARIES & SCHOLARSHIPS
ADDITIONAL SUPPORT
All figures used in this section are subject to final parliamentary
approval of 2015/16 student finance policy

5. SECTION 1
TUITION FEES & LOANS

6. 1 TUITION FEES & LOANS OVERVIEW
The maximum tuition charges for full-time courses will be maintained at £6,000, or £9,000*
Maximum Tuition Fee Loans for full-time courses will also be maintained at £9,000 (or £6,000 for specifically designated courses at private institutions)
The Tuition Fee Loan doesn’t depend on household income
SLC pay any Tuition Fee Loan requested directly to a university or college so eligible students shouldn't have to pay any fees upfront
Link is live to Offa website!
Eligibility notes included for reference!
Personal Eligibility
Where you live
Normally you must be living in the UK on the first day of the first academic year of your course and ‘ordinarily resident’ in the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man for three years immediately before this date.
‘Ordinarily resident’ means where you usually live, apart from temporary or occasional absences.
Exceptions
If the student, their spouse, civil partner, parent/stepparent are recognised by the Government as a refugee and lived in this country since this status was awarded.
If the student, their spouse, civil partner, parent/stepparent, have been granted Humanitarian Protection to stay in the UK by
the Home Office, resulting from a failed asylum application.
If student is the child of a Swiss national or Turkish worker, and been ordinarily resident in the EEA and Switzerland/Turkey for the three year period immediately before the first day of the first academic year of their course
Course Eligibility
The course studied must be in the UK and one of the following:
• a first degree, e.g. BA, BSc or BEd
• a Foundation Degree
• a Certificate of Higher Education
• a Diploma of Higher Education (DipHE)
• a Higher National Certificate (HNC)
• a Higher National Diploma (HND)
• a Postgraduate Certificate of Education (PGCE)
• Initial Teacher Training
Previous Study
Students won’t normally be able to get a Tuition Fee Loan if they already hold a qualification equal to or higher than the one they plan on studying for.
If they have already received student finance for part of a course that they didn’t complete they will only be able to receive finance for the number of years of the course, less the number of years they already had funding for.
*Publicly funded institutions with an approved Offa Access
Agreement -

7. 1 TUITION FEES & LOANS SANDWICH & PLACEMENT YEARS
Policy for students starting their courses on or after 1st September 2012:
Students on sandwich placements will be charged 20% of the
maximum full-time tuition charge – Maximum charge of £1,800
Students on Erasmus placements will be charged 15% of the
maximum full-time tuition charge – Maximum charge of £1,350
Students on overseas placements will be charged 15% of the
maximum full time tuition charge – Maximum charge of £1,350
Sandwich Placements – tuition charges between £1,200 and £1,800 for HEI’s with approved OFFA Access Agreements
Erasmus Placements – tuition charges between £900 and £1,350 for HEI’s with approved OFFA Access Agreements
Non Erasmus Overseas Placements – tuition charges between £900 and £1,350 for HEI’s with approved OFFA Access Agreements

8. SECTION 1
PART-TIME STUDENTS

9. 1 TUITION FEES & LOANS OVERVIEW
Publicly-funded universities or colleges can charge up to a maximum tuition fee level of £6,750 a year for part-time courses*
New, eligible part-time students can apply for a non means tested loan to cover the cost of their tuition at these institutions
The actual amount charged will depend on the intensity of a course
Course intensity is how long it takes to complete a part-time course
compared to the equivalent full-time course
Students starting designated P/T courses provided wholly by a private university or college can apply for up to £4,500 in Tuition Fee Loan
Eligibility info in for reference:
Personal Eligibility:
Where you live
Normally you must be living in the UK on the first day of the first academic year of your course and ‘ordinarily resident’ in the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man for three years immediately before this date.
‘Ordinarily resident’ means where you usually live, apart from temporary or occasional absences.
Exceptions
If the student, their spouse, civil partner, parent/stepparent are recognised by the Government as a refugee and lived in this country since this status was awarded.
If the student, their spouse, civil partner, parent/stepparent, have been granted Humanitarian Protection to stay in the UK by the Home Office, resulting from a failed asylum application.
If student is the child of a Swiss national or Turkish worker, and been ordinarily resident in the EEA and Switzerland/Turkey for the three year period immediately before the first day of the first academic year of their course
Course Eligibility
The course studied must be in the UK and one of the following:
• a first degree, e.g. BA, BSc or BEd
• a Foundation Degree
• a Certificate of Higher Education
• a Diploma of Higher Education (DipHE)
• a Higher National Certificate (HNC)
• a Higher National Diploma (HND)
• a Postgraduate Certificate of Education (PGCE)
• Initial Teacher Training
Previous Study
Students won’t normally be able to get a Tuition Fee Loan if they already hold a qualification equal to or higher than the one they plan on studying for.
If they have already received student finance for part of a course that they didn’t complete they will only be able to receive finance for the number of years of the course, less the number of years they already had funding for.
*With an Offa approved Access Agreement

10. 1 OTHER SUPPORT FOR PART-TIME STUDENTS
Part-time students will not be entitled to a loan or grant towards living costs but can access Disabled Students’ Allowances (DSAs)
Bursaries or scholarships offered by universities and colleges may provide additional support based on factors such as income or academic achievement
Continuing students whose course began before September 2012 can still apply for a means-tested fee and course grant
Part-time study & benefits
Part-time students can usually still claim benefits that depend on
household income (means-tested benefits) such as; Universal Credit, Income-based Jobseekers Allowance or Housing Benefit if unemployed
Students should contact their Jobcentre Plus or Department for
Work and Pensions for an on-going benefit eligibility assessment

11. SECTION 1
MAINTENANCE SUPPORT

12. 1 MAINTENANCE SUPPORT OVERVIEW
Maintenance support is available to help with living costs a student
will face while in higher education
Two main types of support are available, Maintenance Loan and Maintenance Grant
The Maintenance Loan is repayable and all eligible students are
entitled to receive some funding
The loan level available depends on where a student lives and studies
Maximum Maintenance Loan levels for 2015/16 have been increased
by 3.34%

13. 1
MAINTENANCE LOAN
EXAMPLE 2015/16 MAXIMUM RATES
Up to
£4,565
Parental Home - Live at home
Up to
£5,740
Elsewhere - Live away from home
and study outside of London
Up to
£8,009
London - Live away from home and study in London
Up to
£6,820
Overseas - Study overseas as part of
a UK course

14. 1 MAINTENANCE LOAN MEANS TESTING Full-Year Student*
65% Non Means Tested
35% Means Tested
Maximum Loan
Parental Home
£2,967
£1,598
£4,565
Elsewhere
£3,731
£2,009
£5,740
London
£5,205
£2,804
£8,009
Overseas
£4,433
£2,387
£6,820
*Lower rates are available to final year students
Additional loan is available for each extra week of study for
students attending their course beyond 30 weeks

15. 1 MAINTENANCE GRANT Household Income: Full Grant of £3,387
MAINTENANCE SUPPORT
MAINTENANCE GRANT
OVERVIEW
The maximum Maintenance Grant will be maintained at £3,387
How much grant a student can get depends on their household
income (100% means tested)
Existing household income thresholds maintained for 2015/2016:
Household Income:
Up to £25,000
Full Grant of £3,387
The maximum amount of the maintenance grant is £3,387. Students will qualify for the maximum where their household income is £25,000 or less. Students lose £1 of grant for every complete £5.28 of household income above £25,000, up to a household income of £42,620 where the student qualifies for a minimum grant of £50. Where household income exceeds £42,620, no grant is payable.
Students with household incomes of £42,620 or less have their loan for living costs reduced by £0.50 for every £1 of Maintenance Grant awarded. Students with household incomes between £42,620 and £42,875 qualify for the maximum amount of loan for living costs.
Students with household incomes above £42,875 lose £1 of loan for every complete £9.90 of income above £42,875 until the amount they received reaches 65% of the maximum amount (indicated at (+) in the table above), at which point there is no further reduction.
Household Income:
Up to £42,620
Partial Grant
The maximum Special Support Grant, which is paid to certain students eligible for benefits will also be maintained at £3,387

16. 1 GENERAL ELIGIBILITY INDEPENDENT STUDENTS
What does being an independent student mean?
Student Finance England will not take any parental income into
account when assessing student entitlement for support
If married or in a civil partnership, SFE will take into account the
income of the students husband, wife or civil partner
A student is considered independent if:
• They have care of a person under the age of 18 on the first day of
the academic year for which they are applying for support
• They’re 25 or over on the first day of the academic year for which
they are applying for support

17. 1 GENERAL ELIGIBILITY INDEPENDENT STUDENTS - CONTINUED
A student is considered independent if:
They’ve been married or formed a civil partnership before the start of the academic year even if that marriage or civil partnership has ended
• They have no living parents
• They’ve supported themselves for at least three years before the start of their course
They’ve not communicated with their parents for one year before the beginning of the academic year for which they are applying for support, or can demonstrate a permanent estrangement from their parents
Additional Criteria below in case you don’t want to use both slides!
They have not communicated with their parents for one year before the beginning of the academic year for which they are applying for support, or can demonstrate a permanent estrangement from their parents.
Their parents live outside of the EC and an income assessment would put them in jeopardy, or if not reasonably practicable for them
to send funds to the UK if a contribution were assessed. (This may apply if they are a refugee)
• Subject to certain exceptions, they were looked after by a local authority throughout any three month period ending on or after the
date on which they turned 16 and before the first day of the first academic year of their course.

18. 1 GENERAL ELIGIBILITY INDEPENDENT STUDENTS - CONTINUED
A student is considered independent if:
Their parents cannot be traced or it is not practical or possible to contact them
Their parents live outside of the EC and an income assessment would put them in jeopardy, or if not reasonably practicable for them to send funds to the UK if a contribution were assessed
• Subject to certain exceptions, they were looked after by a local authority throughout any three month period ending on or after the date on which they turned 16 and before the first day of the first academic year of their course
Students classed as leaving care:
Students leaving the care of their local authority will be classed as independent by Student Finance England, providing they don’t
return to the care of their parent(s)
Their assessment for student support will not be based on the household income of their parent(s) meaning they will be entitled to
a full non-repayable Maintenance Grant
A letter from a Social Worker or Support Worker can be used as confirmation of the student being in legal care of the LA and
therefore proof of their independent status.
This should be sent to Student Finance England as evidence to support the student finance application.
*An independent eligible student is an eligible student who has been looked after by a local authority (within the meaning of section 22
of the Children Act 1989(79) throughout any three-month period ending on or after the date on which the student reached the age of
16 and before the first day of the first academic year of the course (“the relevant period”) provided that the student has not, at any time
during the relevant period, been under the charge or control of the student’s parents. The Education (Student Support) Regulations
2009; Schedule 4, paragraph 2(f).

19. 1 COMBINED MAINTENANCE SUPPORT LIVING AWAY FROM HOME, OUTSIDE LONDON
Household Income
Maintenance Grant
Maintenance Loan
Total
£25,000 & under
£3,387
£4,047
£7,434
£30,000
£2,441
£4,520
£6,961
£35,000
£1,494
£4,993
£6,487
£40,000
£547
£5,467
£6,014
£42,620
£50
£5,715
£5,765
£42,875 £0
£5,740
£50,000
£4,998
£62,143 & over
£3,731
Link is live to GOV.UK calculator
The maximum amount of the maintenance grant is £3,387. Students will qualify for the maximum where their household income is £25,000 or less.
Students lose £1 of grant for every complete £5.28 of household income above £25,000, up to a household income of £42,620 where the student qualifies for a minimum grant of £50. Where household income exceeds £42,620, no grant is payable.
Students with household incomes of £42,620 or less have their loan for living costs reduced by £0.50 for every £1 of Maintenance Grant awarded. Students with household incomes between £42,620 and £42,875 qualify for the maximum amount of loan for living costs.
Students with household incomes above £42,875 lose £1 of loan for every complete £9.90 of income above £42,875 until the amount they received reaches 65% of the maximum amount (indicated at (+) in the table above), at which point there is no further reduction.
Students can get a quick estimate of their student finance
entitlement using the calculator on gov.uk/studentfinance

20. BURSARIES & SCHOLARSHIPS
SECTION 1
BURSARIES & SCHOLARSHIPS

21. 1 BURSARIES & SCHOLARSHIPS BURSARIES & SCHOLARSHIPS OVERVIEW
Many universities and colleges offer financial support to their students
through bursaries and scholarships
Bursaries:
Linked to personal circumstances and often, household income
Awards can include fee reductions, discounted accommodation or cash
Scholarships:
Often based on academic results or ability in sport, art or music etc..
Can be subject specific and are limited in numbers
Students should check university websites early and ask at open
days for information on support available and how to apply

22. 1 BURSARIES & SCHOLARSHIPS STUDENTS LEAVING CARE – BUTTLE TRUST
Click image to go to page!
See which universities and colleges carry the Buttle Trust Quality Mark for commitment to supporting students in and leaving care

23. SECTION 1
ADDITIONAL SUPPORT

24. 2 ADDITIONAL SUPPORT OVERVIEW
Extra money or support may be available to students if they:
Have children or adults dependent on them
Have a disability, long-term health condition, mental-health condition
or specific learning difficulty
Are studying an NHS or Social Work course
NHS courses include:
Nursing, midwifery, physiotherapy, chiropody, dietetics, radiography, occupational therapy, the later stages of medicine and dentistry
Link is live to NHS student bursary page!
For further information and applications students should visit:

25. 2 ADDITIONAL SUPPORT DISABLED STUDENTS’ ALLOWANCES
Disabled Students’ Allowances provide help towards the additional costs
that 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 in relation to their circumstances and studies
8 Week average application turn around for 13/14
Students need to be aware the DSA application process can take up to 10 weeks!

26. Part-Time Maximum Support Full-Time Maximum Support2
ADDITIONAL SUPPORT
DISABLED STUDENTS’ ALLOWANCES
Maximum DSA rates maintained for 2015/16:
Allowance
Part-Time Maximum Support
Full-Time Maximum Support
Frequency of
Payment
Non-medical personal helper
£15,543
£20,725
Annual
Specialist equipment
£5,212
Duration of Course
Other disability-related expenditure
£1,305
£1,741
Disability related travel
No Limit – Reasonable spending can be claimed
For both full-time and part-time postgraduate students there is a single allowance of up to £10,362 a year

27. 2 ADDITIONAL SUPPORT STUDENTS WITH DEPENDANTS’ Childcare Grant:
Based on 85% of actual registered/approved childcare costs up to
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
Amount received will be between £50 and £1,573
Adult Dependants’ Grant:
Normally for the student’s partner. Can be for another adult who is
financially dependent on the student where the adult’s net income is not
more than £3,796 p.a. Maximum grant available: £2,757
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 maximum Dependants Grant levels will be increased by
3.34% for 2015/16

28. 2 STUDENT FINANCE POLICY POINTS OF INTEREST
Proposals submitted for Sharia law compliant finance system
Student Finance Wales service and launch of part-time applications
Changes to DSA’s (funding will no longer be provided for)
Standard specification computers, software, associated peripherals and associated warranties/insurance
Non-specialist non-medical help (NMH) support or general consumable items
DSA funding will no longer be provided for
standard specification computers, software, and associated peripherals
warranties and insurance associated with standard specification computers.
non-specialist non-medical help (NMH) support – Bands 1 and 2 of the new NMH Reference Manual
additional costs of accommodation where the accommodation is provided by the HEI or an agent of the HEI.
general consumable items
DSA funding will continue to be provided for support for students with Specific Learning Difficulties that are described as ‘more complex’.
Implementing the changes
BIS will be engaging with HEFCE and sector colleagues on how to deliver these changes. This will take place through the usual channels (i.e. via the SLC, SLC’s Disabled Students Stakeholder Group (DSSG) and sub groups, BIS’ Student Support Stakeholder Interest Group (SIG), and via the Disabled Students’ Allowances Quality Assurance Group (DSA QAG)).
SFE will begin to use the definition of a disability set out in the Equality Act but in the past we have not been permitted to do so. Medical Evidence has always been reviewed on a case by case basis and although we do hold a list of all conditions we have accepted in the past, this list is not used to compare against to make decisions on new evidence. Each piece of Med Ev is reviewed on its own merit.
Updates and student support information notices can be found at:

29. STUDENT LOAN REPAYMENTS
SECTION 3
STUDENT LOAN REPAYMENTS

30. 3 STUDENT LOAN REPAYMENTS AN OVERVIEW
Students won’t make repayment contributions until their income is
over £21,000 a year (£1,750 pm) gross
Full-time students will begin to repay in the April after graduating from/leaving their HE course (from April 2016 at the earliest)
Part-time students enter repayment in the April 4 years after they started their course, or the April after they leave their course*
Repayments will be a basic 9% of income earned over £21,000, but
if income falls to £21,000 or below, repayments will stop
Early repayments can be made at any time, but any outstanding
loan balance will be written off 30 years after entering repayment
Current system students who started their course before 1 September 2012 will now will pay 9% of any income over £16,910 before tax per year after the April 2014 inflation increase.
Current system students who started their course on or after 1 September 2012 will pay 9% of any income over £21,000 before tax per year, and will see a similar annual threshold rise after the inflation increase.
Overseas income assessment
If a student will be overseas for more than 3 months when in repayment, they will need to complete an Overseas Income Assessment Form to enable us to calculate how much they need to repay.
On the Overseas Income Assessment Form students should provide us with details of their circumstances and prospective income. They will also be required to provide evidence of your income or means of support.
We will then send the student a repayment schedule showing how much they need to pay each month. The monthly payments will be based upon the earnings threshold for the destination country
The repayment threshold for the UK is £21,000. So anyone with an annual salary of over £21,000 is required to repay their loan and they pay 9% of their earnings over this threshold.
If students are living overseas we work out their monthly repayment amount using the same principles as for those who live in the UK. So, they will repay 9% of earnings over the repayment threshold for the country they are living in.
To take account of differences in living costs, the repayment threshold in a foreign country may not be the same as in the UK. We will update thresholds each year to take account of price changes.
If income changes while overseas
Normally a students scheduled repayment amount is fixed for a 12 month period. However, students can apply for a reassessment of their scheduled repayment amount at any time if their income level changes.
Students can also apply for reassessment if moving between countries with different threshold bands
Students can contact us on   to advise if they need their repayment amount reassessed.
*whichever comes first

31. £ £ 3 STUDENT LOAN REPAYMENTS £4,000 £30 Income 9% Deducted from?
THE FIGURES
Income each year before tax
Income from which 9% is deducted
Monthly Repayment (Approx)
£21,000 £0
£30,000
£9,000
£67
£40,000
£19,000
£142
£50,000
£29,000
£217
£60,000
£39,000
£292
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 2013 was 3.3% so new students (Sept 13) will be charged 6.3% while in their first year of study.
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 you have graduated or left a course, or after the fourth anniversary of the start of a course, but before April RPI
Income
£25,000
£4,000
9% Deducted from?
£30
Monthly
Repayment?
Interest will be applied to the loan at a maximum rate of RPI +3% More info can be found on:

32. 3 STUDENT LOAN REPAYMENTS THE INTEREST
Interest added will vary, depending on a students circumstances:
During study until
entering repayment
Interest rate is:
Retail Price Index (RPI) +3%
Income:
Below £21,000
Interest rate is:
Set at RPI Only
Income:
£21,000 to £41,000
Interest rate is:
RPI plus up to 3%
The interest rate is updated once a year in September, using the rate of RPI from March. RPI as of March 2014 was 2.5% so new students (Sept 14) will be charged 5.5% while in their first year of study.
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 you have graduated or left a course, or after the fourth anniversary of the start of a course, but before April RPI
Income:
Above £41,000
Interest rate is:
Retail Price Index (RPI) +3%
The interest rate applied is updated once a year in September, using the rate of RPI from that March which is carried forward

33. 3 STUDENT LOAN REPAYMENTS www.studentloanrepayment.co.uk
DEDICATED WEBSITE
Click image to link to page!

34. APPLICATION INFORMATION
SECTION 4
APPLICATION INFORMATION

35. 4 STUDENT FINANCE APPLICATIONS KEY MESSAGES – APPLY EARLY
Each year thousands of students are late in applying for their finance and
have no way to pay for their course or halls, some even have to drop out..
...Key messages to communicate to students include!
It will take at least six weeks* to process an application so apply early!
Apply online at gov.uk/studentfinance to make sure that their student finance is in place for the start of their course
They don’t need a confirmed place at university or college to apply
for student finance
Apply with their first choice, they can change details later if they need to
*SFE handle over 1 million applications a year, most involve interactions with other government departments e.g. HMRC

36. 4 GOV.UK www.gov.uk/studentfinance FOR MORE INFORMATION & TO APPLY
Click image to link to page!

37. 4 STUDENT FINANCE APPLICATIONS KEY MESSAGES – GET IT RIGHT FIRST TIME
Make a note of their account log-in details and keep them safe
Agree to share information from their application, this helps apply
for many bursaries and some scholarships
Make sure any evidence and information needed to support an
application is supplied first time (students and parent/partners’)
Submit an application even if there is a delay in getting income details from parent/sponsors so some funding (Tuition and Maintenance Loan) will be available when they start their course
If SFE request any additional evidence or documents to support the application use recorded delivery!

38. 4 APPLICATION INFORMATION 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
The easiest way for a student to prove their identity is to give us their valid UK passport number online, when they apply. We can then check and confirm their identity without them having to actually send us their passport. If a student doesn’t have a valid UK passport they’ll need to send us their original *birth or *adoption certificate, along with a Birth/Adoption Certificate Declaration Form.
This is available from
If the student is a non-UK passport holder, they’ll need to send us their *valid non-UK passport and any original *supporting letters from the UK Border Agency explaining the student’s residency status. *These must be original documents, not photocopies. We’ll return them once we’ve confirmed their identity and checked they’re eligible.
If there is more than one dependant child in the same household, a standard allowance of £1,130 is deducted from the household income for each of these additional dependants. If there is more than one student from the same household in higher education (depending on household income) a further reduction may be possible through applying split contributions (expected parental contribution to a students maintenance costs)
For example, in a household with two students and a household contribution of £500, this would be divided between the two students. Where students in the same household fall under different student finance regulations, their household contribution would be calculated according to the regulations which apply to their individual circumstances. The household contribution is then divided by the number of students in that household.
A full chart of expected contributions based on household income can be found on in the policy documents on practitioners.slc.co.uk.
If sponsors can’t submit details online, they should send a paper
application form and copies of financial evidence - P60’s etc...

39. 4
STUDENT FINANCE APPLICATIONS
AUTOMATICALLY ISSUED SPONSOR

40. 4 SFE ONLINE www.thestudentroom.co.uk/studentfinance
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION & RESOURCES

41. APPLICATION INFORMATION
SECTION 4
APPLICATION INFORMATION
NEXT STEPS

42. 4 NEXT STEPS SFE DOCUMENTATION
Following assessment, SFE send important documentation to the student
regarding their application and financial entitlement:
Entitlement Letter:
Once an application is assessed we send the student an entitlement
letter highlighting the student finance they can get
Students should keep this letter as they might have to show it to their
university or college when they register
Online Declaration:
If the student applied online, the letter will also include a declaration
students must sign and return to us

43. 4 NEXT STEPS CHANGE OF CIRCUMSTANCES
Making changes depends on the status of an application/course start date:
Submitted Applications
(Not yet approved)
Before their course start date students
can amend most of their application
details, including:
Course/University or College
Loan requests and personal details
Cancel their application if necessary

44. 4 NEXT STEPS CHANGE OF CIRCUMSTANCES
Submitted and Approved Applications - Before Course Start Date
Students can:
Change/cancel application and update personal details
Change course or University/College
Change loan amount (the amount the student wants to borrow)
Approved Application - After course start date
Students can make basic changes to their application and loan amount
requested (via Loan Request Form)
However, students must contact their HEI if they wish to:
Change their course (Course and HEI transfer)
Take a break, withdraw from, or return to a course
Change Tuition Fee charged by the HEI (Prior to the term start date)
Full online CoC functionality will be available by the end of June
(links currently available to relevant paper forms)

45. PRACTITIONER RESOURCES
SECTION 5
PRACTITIONER RESOURCES

46. 5
PRACTITIONER RESOURCES
DEDICATED WEBSITE

47. 5 PRACTITIONER RESOURCES DEDICATED WEBSITE
Access and download our wide range of
IAG resources, including:
Suite of Factsheets
Series of Full and Quick Guides
PowerPoint Presentations
Videos and Marketing Materials
Policy Documents and SFE Updates
Click image to go to Prac Site Page!

48. 5
PRACTITIONER RESOURCES
STUDENT APPLICATIONS – MOCK ACCOUNT

49. 5 PRACTITIONER RESOURCES www.slc.co.uk www.heiinfo.slc.co.uk
OTHER USEFUL WEBSITES

50. 5 PRACTITIONER RESOURCES SUPPORT FOR PRACTITIONERS
Student Finance Advisers:
Our team of dedicated regional advisers work closely with key partners
across England to deliver a range of Matrix accredited services including:
Staff development through bespoke training,
Advice and support with SFE resources, policy and processes
If I can support you and your colleagues with any area of student finance
IAG delivery, please do get in touch:
Tel:
Link is live!
Practitioner Helpline: For detailed/complex regulatory advice and particularly complex assessment enquiries –

51. i i For further Information on student finance and applications go to:
NEED MORE INFORMATION?
For further Information on student finance and applications go to:
For a range of helpful tools, resources and guidance, visit:
If students or their parents/sponsors need to discuss applications, eligibility or assessments they can call SFE on
2015/16