1. www.gov.uk/studentfinance 2016/17 STUDENT FINANCE 2016/17 INFORMATION FOR PRACTITIONERS

2. 2016/17 STUDENT FINANCE 2016/17 POLICY OVERVIEW SECTION 1

3. 2016/17 2016/17 STUDENT FINANCE POLICY OVERVIEW SLC pay the Tuition Fee Loan directly to a university or college i Maximum fees and fee loan for full-time courses will be maintained at 2015/16 levels: Maximum fees for full-time courses maintained at £9,000 where an institution has met conditions on widening participation set by the Office for Fair Access (OFFA) Maximum non-means tested Tuition Fee Loan for full-time courses maintained at: £9,000 for full-time courses at publicly funded institutions £6,000 for specifically designated courses at private institutions

4. SECTION 1 2016/17 Academic Year Start Payment 1%Payment 2%Payment 3% Autumn (Sep – Dec) 3 rd Wed Oct 25% 1 st Wed Feb 25% 1 st Wed May 50% Winter (Jan-Mar) 1 st Wed Feb 25% 1 st Wed May 25% 3 rd Wed Oct 50% Spring (Apr-Jun) 1 st Wed May 25% 3 rd Wed Oct 25% 1 st Wed Feb 50% Summer (Jul-Aug) 3 rd Wed Jul 25% 1 st Wed Feb 25% 1 st Wed May 50% The payment of tuition fees will be made to HEP’s in three instalments TUITION FEE LOAN HEP PAYMENT DATES

5. SECTION 1 2016/17 Policy for students starting their courses on or after 1 st September 2012: Maximum fees and loans for Erasmus study or work placement years and non-Erasmus overseas years of study maintained at £1,350* Maximum Tuition Fee Loan £900 for specifically designated courses at private institutions Maximum fees and loans for Sandwich work placement years maintained at £1,800** Maximum Tuition Fee Loan £1,200 for specifically designated courses at private institutions TUITION FEE LOAN SANDWICH AND PLACEMENT YEARS *15% of maximum fee cap with OFFA access agreement **20% of maximum fee cap with OFFA access agreement i

6. 2016/17 MAINTENANCE SUPPORT 2016/17 COHORT FULL-TIME STUDENTS SECTION 1

7. 2016/17 Non-means tested and reduced rate Maintenance Loan (excluding bursary years) also increased by 2.41% i Revised package of Maintenance Support for new entrants into Higher Education in A/Y 2016/17: (2016 Cohort) Maintenance Grant and Special Support Grant replaced by additional Maintenance Loan The maximum level of Maintenance Loan has been increased by: 10.3% for those previously entitled to Maintenance Grant 2.41% for those previously entitled to SSG (excl those aged over 60) 2.41% for those previously entitled to SSG for those aged over 60 MAINTENANCE SUPPORT 2016 COHORT FULL-TIME STUDENTS

8. SECTION 1 2016/17 2016 cohort F/T students, not eligible for benefits or aged over 60 MAINTENANCE SUPPORT MAXIMUM MAINTENANCE LOAN RATES Parental Home Rate: Live at home while they study £6,904 £ Elsewhere Rate: Live and study away from home outside London £8,200 £ London Rate: Live and study away from home in London £10,702 £

9. SECTION 1 2016/17 Full Year Student* Maximum Loan (100%) Non-Income Assessed (% of Max Loan) Parental Home£6,904£3,039 Elsewhere£8,200£3,821 London£10,702£5,330 Overseas£9,391£4,540 *Lower amounts available for final year students 2016 cohort F/T students, not eligible for benefits or aged over 60 MAINTENANCE SUPPORT FULL YEAR MAINTENANCE LOAN RATES

10. SECTION 1 2016/17 Full Year Student* Maximum Loan (100%) Non-Income Assessed (% of Max Loan) Income Assessed (% of Max Loan) Parental Home£6,904£3,039 44% £3,865 56% Elsewhere£8,200£3,821 46.6% £4,379 53.4% London£10,702£5,330 49.8% £5,372 50.2% Overseas£9,391£4,540 48.3% £4,851 51.7% *Lower amounts available for final year students 2016 cohort F/T students, not eligible for benefits or aged over 60 MAINTENANCE SUPPORT FULL YEAR MAINTENANCE LOAN RATES

11. SECTION 1 2016/17 Household Income HomeElsewhereLondon £25,000 & under£6,904£8,200£10,702 £30,000£6,322£7,612£10,103 £35,000£5,740£7,023£9,503 £40,000£5,158£6,434£8,904 £45,000£4,576£5,845£8,304 £50,000£3,994£5,265£7,705 £55,000£3,412£4,667£7,105 £60,000£3,039£4,078£6,506 2016 cohort F/T students, not eligible for benefits or aged over 60 MAINTENANCE SUPPORT MAINTENANCE LOAN ENTITLEMENT

12. SECTION 1 2016/17 Continuing students who started attending full-time courses on or after 1 st September 2012 and before 1 st August 2016: Maximum fees and Tuition Fee Loans for full-time, sandwich and full- time distance learning courses starting on or after 1 st September 2012 maintained at 2015/16 levels Maximum Maintenance Loan increased by inflation (2.41%) Maximum Maintenance/Special Support Grant maintained at £3,387 Income thresholds for maximum grants maintained at 2015/16 levels 2016/17 STUDENT FINANCE CONTINUING 2012 COHORT STUDENTS

13. SECTION 1 2016/17 Household Income Continuing Student* 2016/17 New Student 2016/17 £25,000 & under£9,896£10,702 £30,000£9,423£10,103 £35,000£8,949£9,503 £40,000£8,476£8,904 £45,000£7,975£8,304 £50,000£7,441£7,705 £60,000£6,373£6,506 £70,000£5,331£5,330 *2012 Cohort F/T Student - London Rates MAINTENANCE SUPPORT COMPARISON

14. 2016/17 MAINTENANCE SUPPORT 2016/17 COHORT FULL-TIME STUDENTS (ELIGIBLE FOR BENEFITS, NOT AGED OVER 60) SECTION 1

15. 2016/17 New Full-Time students who are eligible for benefits starting their course from 1 st August 2016, no longer qualify for a Special Support Grant: They can apply for a Maintenance Loan, which is 2.41% higher* than the grant/loan available in 15/16 (*household income up to £25,000) All Maintenance Loan, with the exception of a £1,100 disregard is taken into account by DWP as student income when calculating benefits during term time Maintenance Loan does not cancel entitlement to benefits during the long vacation, for eligible students MAINTENANCE SUPPORT IMPACT OF MAINTENANCE LOAN ON BENEFITS

16. SECTION 1 2016/17 Full Year Student* Maximum Loan (100%) Non-Income Assessed (% of Max Loan) Parental Home£8,144£3,039 Elsewhere£9,347£3,821 London£11,671£5,330 Overseas£10,453£4,540 *Lower amounts available for final year students 2016 cohort F/T students eligible for benefits, not aged over 60 MAINTENANCE SUPPORT 2016 COHORT F/T STUDENTS ELIGIBLE FOR BENEFITS

17. SECTION 1 2016/17 The ‘eligible for benefits’ loan rate is available to students who: Are a lone parent who is responsible for a child Are a lone foster parent of a child or young person aged under 20 Have a partner who is also a full-time student and one or both of them are responsible for a child or young person aged under 20 who is in full-time non-advanced education Are deaf and qualify for Disabled Students' Allowances Are entitled to Housing Benefit or housing element of Universal Credit Students should always ask DWP/JobCentre Plus for definitive clarification on their on-going benefit entitlement if unsure i MAINTENANCE SUPPORT 2016 COHORT F/T STUDENTS ELIGIBLE FOR BENEFITS

18. SECTION 1 2016/17 The ‘eligible for benefits’ loan rate is available to students who... Have a disability and qualify for income related Employment Support Allowance Are waiting to go back to a course having taken approved time out that has now come to an end, for a period not exceeding one year Are entitled to Personal Independence Payment, Armed Forces Independence Payment or Disability Living Allowance Have been treated as incapable of work for a continuous period of at least 28 weeks Students should always ask DWP/JobCentre Plus for definitive clarification on their on-going benefit entitlement if unsure i MAINTENANCE SUPPORT 2016 COHORT F/T STUDENTS ELIGIBLE FOR BENEFITS

19. SECTION 1 2016/17 Household Income Income Assessment Assessed Contribution Total £25,000 & under£0 £11,671 £30,000£870£0£10,801 £35,000£1,741£0£9,930 £40,000£2,611£0£9,060 £42,875£3,112£0£8,559 £50,000£3,966£854£7,705 £60,000£5,165£2,053£6,506 £69,805 & over£6,341£3,229£5,330 2016 cohort F/T students eligible for benefits – London Rate MAINTENANCE SUPPORT 2016 COHORT F/T STUDENTS ELIGIBLE FOR BENEFITS

20. 2016/17 MAINTENANCE SUPPORT 2016/17 COHORT FULL-TIME STUDENTS (AGED OVER 60) SECTION 1

21. 2016/17 Students who are aged over 60 on the first day of the first A/Y of their course: (regardless of eligibility for benefits) With an income of up to £25,000, the maximum level of Maintenance Loan available is £3,469 For income over £25,000 up to £43,668, the loan s reduced by £1 for every complete £5.46 by which the income exceeds £25,000 With an income of £43,668, the minimum loan of £50 is available With an income over £43,668, no Maintenance Loan is available MAINTENANCE SUPPORT 2016 COHORT F/T STUDENTS AGED OVER 60

22. SECTION 1 2016/17 Household IncomeIncome AssessmentTotal £25,000 & under£0£3,469 £30,000£915£2,554 £35,000£1,831£1,638 £40,000£2,747£722 £43,668£3,419£50 £43,669n/a£0 £50,000n/a£0 2016 cohort F/T students, aged over 60 MAINTENANCE SUPPORT 2016 COHORT F/T STUDENTS AGED OVER 60

23. 2016/17 SUPPLEMENTARY SUPPORT DISABLED STUDENTS’ ALLOWANCES SECTION 1

24. 2016/17 Maximum Disabled Students’ Allowance will be maintained at 2015/16 Levels in 2016/17: 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 DISABLED STUDENTS’ ALLOWANCES POLICY OVERVIEW

25. SECTION 1 2016/17 Allowance Part-Time Max Support Full-Time Max Support Frequency of Payment Non-medical personal helper £15,543£20,725Annual Specialist equipment£5,212 Duration of Course Other disability-related expenditure £1,305£1,741Annual Disability related travel No Limit – Reasonable spending can be claimed DISABLED STUDENTS’ ALLOWANCES 2016/17 MAXIMUM RATES For both full-time and part-time postgraduate students, there is a single allowance of up to £10,362 a year i

26. 2016/17 SUPPLEMENTARY SUPPORT DEPENDANTS’ GRANTS SECTION 1

27. 2016/17 Childcare Grant: Based on 85% of actual registered/approved childcare costs up to maximum of: £155.24 per week for one child £266.15 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 DEPENTANTS’ GRANTS POLICY OVERVIEW

28. 2016/17 STUDENT FINANCE 2016/17 POSTGRADUATE LOANS SECTION 1

29. 2016/17 All pending final policy and approval: Loan support of up to £10,000 (non-means tested) available for students starting a Postgraduate Taught Masters course from 1 st August 2016: Rationale is to widen access and participation in Masters level courses The loan will be a contribution towards course costs, not specifically intended for either fees or maintenance Applicants must be aged under 30 on the first day of the first academic year of the course (age to be confirmed) 50,000 applicants estimated in first year (2016/17) POSTGRADUATE LOANS OVERVIEW A Times Higher Education survey stated that the average home fee for a taught postgraduate course in 2014-15 was £5,680 i

30. SECTION 1 2016/17 Key policy points – All pending final policy and approval: Loans for full-time or part-time postgraduate taught Masters courses of 1 or 2 years in length (There are no subject restrictions) Available to English domiciled and EU students* Students who already hold taught or non-taught Masters qualifications (or higher) will not be eligible Eligibility not affected by previous PG study where a student did not achieve the qualification and did not receive a postgraduate loan POSTGRADUATE LOANS OVERVIEW *Regulatory residency rules for postgraduate loans mirror those in place for undergraduate students i

31. SECTION 1 2016/17 Key policy points – All pending final policy and approval: £10,000 loan for a 1 year full-time postgraduate taught course £10,000 loan available for a 2 year part-time postgraduate course F/T courses, loan paid to student in 3 instalments across the year (subject to HEP confirmation of attendance) P/T courses, loan split £5,000pa over the two years of study as appropriate (subject to HEP confirmation of attendance) 1 confirmation point per academic year to release funding to a student POSTGRADUATE LOANS OVERVIEW Income contingent loans of up to £25,000 will be made available to research-based masters and PhD students (TBC) i

32. 2016/17 STUDENT FINANCE 2016/17 APPLICATIONS & ASSESSMENT - OVERVIEW SECTION 1

33. 2016/17 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 least 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 STUDENT FINANCE APPLICATIONS KEY MESSAGE – APPLY EARLY *The application window is usually open from Jan-May. Students can register on UCAS for updates and information from SFE i

34. SECTION 1 2016/17 Students can follow a few simple steps to try and ensure we can process their application as quickly as possible, these include: Make a note of their account log-in details and keep them safe Make sure any evidence and information needed to support their application is supplied first time (students and parent/partners) Submit an application even if there’s a delay in getting sponsor income details so some funding* will be available when they start their course Sign and return their online declaration form as soon as possible so as not to delay payments STUDENT FINANCE APPLICATIONS KEY MESSAGE – GET IT RIGHT FIRST TIME *Tuition Fee Loan and element of the Maintenance Loan which is non-means tested i

35. SECTION 1 2016/17 www.gov.uk/studentfinance STUDENT FINANCE APPLICATIONS GOV.UK – FOR APPLICATIONS AND INFORMATION

36. 2016/17 SFE RESOURCES FOR PRACTITIONERS AND STUDENTS SECTION 1

37. 2016/17 SFE RESOURCES THE ROLE OF SFE RESOURCES We are continually working to develop and deliver a range of resources in line with the needs of our customers and partners: Understanding how they prefer to access information and material Using the most appropriate media to deliver key messages at key times The ultimate aim being to offer resources that match five main principles...

38. SECTION 1 2016/17 SFE RESOURCES DEDICATED PRACTITIONER WEBSITE www.practitioners.slc.co.uk

39. SECTION 1 2016/17 A range of resources have recently been added, for academic year 2016/17 including: Introductory Quick Guide PowerPoint Presentation Student Finance Films Promotional poster for our Student Finance Zone on The Student Room SFE RESOURCES IAG MATERIALS – NEW FOR 2016/17

40. SECTION 1 2016/17 SFE’s dedicated zone on The Student Room has everything students and parents need to understand student finance, applications and repayments: Links to Resources Step–by–Step Guides Q&A Surgeries Student Forums Official SFE Information SFE RESOURCES THE STUDENT ROOM

41. SECTION 1 2016/17 SFE RESOURCES SFE ON YOUTUBE – WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/SFEFILM The SFE YouTube channel hosts our range of videos for students, their sponsors and practitioners, covering the main areas of student finance:

42. SECTION 1 2016/17 SFE RESOURCES IAG MATERIALS – COMING SOON FOR 2016/17 Further resources will be added in the coming weeks, including: Quick Guide Series* Practitioners eMag Enhanced Repayment Resources Student Finance Explainer Films *How to Apply, Repayments, Guide for Parents, DSA’s and Dependants’ Grants (Available by end of October) i ?

43. www.gov.uk/studentfinance 2016/17 NOW IT’S YOUR TURN! QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS