This Policy Should Be Read in Conjunction with the Learner Support Procedures (See Annex 1)

/ Issue Date: 07/06/2016
Review Date: 06/06/2017
Policy Title: Learner Support Fund Policy 2016/2017
Policy Author: / Assistant Principal Student & Learning Services
Impact Assessment Status: / X Initial screening complete, no adverse impact/potential for adverse impact
 Full impact assessment required
Approved by SMT:
(Approving body/committee) / Date: 07/06/2016

Aim and Scope of the Policy

The College recognises the need to widen participation, promote lifelong learning and improve the retention and achievement of students by providing them with a comprehensive system of means tested financial support.
Learner Support funds should mitigate as far as possible any barriers to learning for those students who are experiencing financial hardship.

Aim

Theaim of this policy is to provide a framework within which the College’s Learner Support Funds are set,awarded, distributed and monitored.

Scope

This policy should be read in conjunction with the Learner Support procedures (see annex 1).

This policy applies to the following Learner Support funds;

16-18 Discretionary Learner Support Fund and Vulnerable Bursary Scheme (EFA)

19+ Discretionary Learner Support Fund (SFA)

19+Advanced Learning Loans Bursary (SFA)

Care to Learn

2Specific Objectives

To ensure thatall staff and students understand the regulations and eligibility for the different Learner Support funds.
To set appropriate Learner Support fund awards and payment levels taking into account the relevant funding agency regulations.
To ensure that the Learner Support funds are distributed fairly and consistently and in line with funding agency guidance.
To promote attendance by ensuring that students do not receive Learner Support Funds if they do not meet the College attendance threshold.

3Responsibilities

Assistant Principal Student & Learning Services

To ensure that all Learner Support Funds meet the appropriate funding regulations.
To approve the criteria and payment levels for all Learner Support funds
To work with the Head of Student Support to review any appeals following rejection of applications or withdrawal of funding
To ensure that all Learner Support Funds are administered in line with the College’s Equality and Diversity policy.

Head of Student Support

To set the criteria for all Learner Support funds for approval by the Assistant Principal Student & Learning Services.
To develop robust and timely procedures for each of the Learner Support funds outlining the methods of payments and criteria for payment.
To be accountable for all decisions made by the Student Finance and Welfare staff around acceptance for payments.
To submit all appropriate Learner Supportfund documentation at internal/external audits and to complete appropriate monitoring returns in a timely manner.
To ensure that Learner Support Funds are spent within agreed budgets.
To hear appeals against funding decisions and agree on going behaviour and attendance targets with staff and students.

Student Finance and Welfare Staff

To ensure that appropriatedocumentation is submitted with each application as per the criteria set for each fund.
To process all applications in a timely and consistent manner.
To communicate all Learner Support Fund decisions to students within15 working days of receipt of completed application.

To ensure that the college website and student intranet site include information on the range ofLearner Support funds.
To monitor as necessary, individual attendance and behaviour targets against on-going financial support.

Guidance and Information Staff

To provide students with appropriate and timely information, advice and guidance on the range of Learner Support Funds available.
To promote the range of Learner Support Funds ensuring that students are aware of any deadlines and availability relevant to the particular funds.

Teaching Staff

To promote the range of Learner Support Funds ensuring that students are aware of any deadlines and availability relevant to the particular funds.
To make timely referrals for Learner Support funds as required in addressing any financial barriers to learning.

Learning Mentors

To share information with the Finance and Welfare Advisers regarding students that qualify for the Vulnerable Bursary scheme e.g. young people under the care of Social Services.

To promote the range of Learner Support Funds ensuring that students are aware of any deadlines and availability relevant to the particular funds.
To make timely referrals for Learner Support funding as required addressing any financial barriers to learning.

Careers and Employability Advisor

To promote the range ofLearner Support Fundsavailable and where necessary, support students with the application process.

4Implementation of the Policy

The College will ensure that;

All applications will be processed and decisions madewithin 15 working days from the submission of a completed application with all necessary evidenceas outlined in the College Learner Support Fund Procedures (Annex 1).
Policies and procedures will be available to all staff and students on the College intranet including any relevant deadlines and updates on the availability of funds.
Guidance and information will be available to all students who wish to apply for one of the Learner Support Funds.

5Monitoring and Evaluation of the Policy

This policy will be reviewed annually and approved by SLT
Termly audits of the funds will be carried out by the College Finance team with an annual external audit carried out in line with college procedures.
The SFA/EFA monitoring returns will be submitted at regular intervals to evidence the distribution of the funds.

Annex 1 - Learner Support Funds Guidelines 2016/2017

Funds & Allocations 2015/2016

Fund / 2016/2017
19+ Discretionarylearner Support Fund (SFA) / £361000
Advanced learning loans Bursary Fund (SFA) / £200731
16-18 Discretionary Support Fund (EFA) / £273691
FURTHER EDUCATION FREE MEALS / £45901
TOTAL / 881323

Application Information – All schemes

In order to qualify for funding students must be participating on a course which is EFA/SFA funded.
Full cost courses (non-publicly funded courses) are not eligible for any funding or schemes outlined in this document.

Applicants must satisfy the residency criteria set out in the relevant funding guidance to receive funding.

All forms of financial support offered by City College Coventry are subject to the availability of funds. Where there are no more funds available the College cannot be held responsible for the costs incurred, nor can the College offer back payments if additional funding is provided by the government.

Application Process

The Learner Support Fund will open on the8thAugust 2016 and will close for an initial reconciliation on30th September 2016.The fundwill reopen again later in the academic year if funds allow. The learner support fund may close for applications earlierthan advertised if the demand on funds is greater than anticipated.
An online applicationmust be completed in full and submitted with the required documentation to Student Services in order for the application to be considered.
Funds will not be released until all documentary evidence has been received and the application has been fully approved.
Missing information or documentation requested for all schemes must be received within 2 weeks of the notification sent by the Student Finance and Welfare team. Failure to provide the additional information or documentation requested will result in an application being withdrawn and funding being allocated to another student.

Learner Eligibility

Full details of learner eligibility are set out in the Skills Funding Agency Funding Rules.

16-18 & 19+ Discretionary Learner Support Fund Eligible Students are:

Aged 16 and over who are studying on a further education course funded by the SFA or EFA.
Have an annual household income below £25,000 gross.
Settled in the UK and have been ordinarily resident in the UK or EC for the 3 years preceding the start of their course. “Settled” means having either indefinite leave to enter or remain (ILE/R) or having the right of abode in the UK. Right of abode includes the following:

Those with British or European Community passports

British Overseas Territory Citizens

Those whose passports have been endorsed to show they have right of abode in the UK

Those who have a certificate of naturalisation or registration as a British Citizen.

Asylum Seekers who have legally been in the UK while their claim is being considered by the Home Office for longer than 6 months and no decision has been made. Asylum Seekers who have been declined refugee status and are appealing this decision, where the appeal has been made at least 6 months prior and no decision has been made

Those granted refugee status. (Refugees are not required to meet the 3 years residency rule)

Students who are not eligible are:

Students who have not enrolled onto a programme of study at City College
If the student is eligible but it is more appropriate for them to receive support through learning support for the same purpose
Students on Job Centre Plus (JCP) Work Programmes or similar schemes are not eligible for childcare or travel support if these expenses are covered by JCP
Students who have been released on temporary licence (ROTL)
Waged Apprentices or provision with learning aims which are wholly identified as funded by other sources.

16-18Vulnerable Bursary Eligibility

Students must be under 19 on August 31st 2016.
Students eligible for a £1,200 Bursary are:

Young people in care

Care leavers

Young people in receipt of Income Support or Universal Credit Payment in their own name

Disabled young people in receipt of Employment Support Allowance who are also in receipt of Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payments in their own name

19+ Advanced Learner Loan Bursary Eligibility

Learners must be aged 19 or over on 31st August 2016
Enrolled on Level 3 or Level 4 SFA funded course or apprenticeship
In receipt of an Advanced Learner Loan
Have an annual household income below £25,000 gross

Care to Learn Eligibility

Learners must be under the age of 20 on the first day of the course
Enrolled on a publically funded course and a British citizen or a national of a European Economic Area (EEA) country
Must be the main carer for the child and in receipt of child benefit for the child
Be using an eligible (OFSTED registered) childcare provider
Be subject to periodic attendance checks carried out by the College via the SSBS Portal

Tuition and Examination Fees Eligibility

Tuition fees are covered for student’s aged 19 + on 31st August 2016 studying on entry, level 1 and 2 courses
Students on level 3 and 4 courses who already hold a level 3 or equivalent qualification will not be eligible as they are required to take out an Advanced Learner Loan.
Tuition fees will only be covered by the Learner Support Fund where students are not eligible for College fee remission or an Advanced Learner Loan, but meet the overall criteria of the fund
Where eligible, tuition and examination fees will be covered in full.
Resit examination fees are not covered by the Learner Support Fund

Type of Support

The expenses incurred by learners for which assistance will be provided are:

Childcare (Care to Learn funding will be used for students under 20 years old)

Equipment and learning materials

Tuition & examination fees (19+ students on Entry level1 and level 2 programmes)

Exceptional extra costs associated with living and courses

Free Meals – for qualifying 16-18 year olds only

Travel to college local public transport travel costs only for applicants living outside CV1 postcode area

Educational visits and trips

Adult students will only be able to apply for Childcare or tuition fees in addition to travel, equipment and trips due to the level of funding required to cover these awards.

Demonstrating a Financial Need

Funding for students who are eligible for the 16-18, 19+ Discretionary Learner Support and the Advanced Learner Loan Fund will be assessed on agross household income being below £25,000. Depending on the availability and/or demand on funds the household income threshold may be increased at the discretion of the College.

Discretion will be applied where appropriate with each case being considered on an individual basis.

In order to assess financial need, proof of household income is required in the form of:

2 most recent wage slips or a copy of the most recent P60 for everyone in the house that works
1 month most recent bank statement of everyone in the house that works
1 month most recent bank statement of applicant regardless of whether they are working
DWP Benefits notice or entitlement letter
Working Tax Credit notice
Students who are self-employed or part of a household where someone is self-employed will be required to provide a recent copy of certified accounts for the business or a recent Working Tax Credit Assessment.
Students aged 16-18 living independently or who are estranged from their parents/guardians will be assessed on their individual gross income.16-18 year olds who live with their parents or guardian but whom can demonstrate that they are financially independent will be assessed on their individual income.
Students aged 19 and over who live with parents or partners will be assessed on the household income.

Funding Limits – 2016/2017

Vulnerable Bursaries

Students eligible for Vulnerable Bursariesare provided with £1200 each year. If a course is less than 30 weeks in duration the funds will be reduced proportionately.

Childcare Payments

Childcare payments for learners aged 20 years and over will not exceed£100 per week per student (regardless of number of children) and will be paid for the duration of the courseor for a maximum of 36 weeks.
Payments will only be made to approved OFSTED registered childcare providers who have completed the College’s registration forms. The fund does not meet the costs of retainer fees, bank holidays and staff training days.
Students will be responsible for any childcare costs incurred that the fund does not meet, as well as any childcare costs in excess of the £100 per week allocated to them.
Payments will be made from the date of application approval and will not be backdated.
Payments for childcare will be subject to the students meeting the college’s expected overall attendance requirements of 85% throughout the academic year. Failure to do so may result in the childcare funding being suspended or stopped.

Equipment and Material Costs

This incorporates the cost of additional course books and equipment costs and will not normally exceed the following thresholds:

Course area / Payment / Payment type
Fashion / £150 / BACS to students bank account
Arts / £200 / BACS to students bank account
Hair / £275 / BACS to students bank account
Beauty / £275 / BACS to students bank account
Nails / £200 / BACS to students bank account
Construction / £70 / BACS to students bank account
Access / £70 / BACS to students bank account
Business & professional / £50 / BACS to students bank account
AAT / £200 / BACS to students bank account
Engineering / £50 / BACS to students bank account
Performing Arts & Dance / £150 / BACS to students bank account
Music / £200 / BACS to students bank account
Media / £190 / BACS to students bank account
Childcare / £120 / BACS to students bank account
Health & Social Care / £120 / BACS to students bank account
Sports / £150 / BACS to students bank account
Uniformed Services / £150 / BACS to students bank account
ESOL/Essential Skills / £20 / BACS to students bank account

Travel Costs

Travel costs are provided for those students living outside the CV1 postcode area
Students living within the CV1 post code will not normally be eligible for travel support, except in exceptional circumstances
16-18 year olds living within CV2-CV6 will receive a monthly instalment by BACS in line with West Midlands junior monthly bus pass costs
19+ living within CV2-CV6 will receive a monthly instalment by BACS in line with the West Midlands adult monthly bus pass costs
CV7 (all ages) and beyond will receive a monthly instalment in line with the West Midlands monthly outside of area costs
All travel costs will be paid pro-rata to account for non-term time
Payments for travel costs will be subject to students meeting the colleges expected attendance requirement of 85% throughout the academic year. Failure to do so may result in payments being suspended or stopped.

Educational Visits and Trips

Payments will only be made for department organised visits which are deemed by the Finance and Welfare Team to be of an educational nature
This will be determined within the ‘educational trip pro-forma’, which must be completed fully for a trip to be eligible for funding
Payment will be made for each student who is eligible for Learner Support Funding and has selected to receive support for trips on their application form that is listed on the ‘educational trip pro-forma’.Eligible students who attend the trip but were not included in the list will not be able to receive refunds or virements at a later date.
Funding for eligible students will be made in one payment via internal virement to the relevant department.

Payments

Payments are normally:

direct to third parties for childcare providers
internal college virement for departmental organised visits and trips and tuition fee payments
direct to student via BACS or when necessary cash (only in the case of the Vulnerable Bursary where students are unable to open a bank account) or vouchers (only in the case of students who are not able to open a UK bank account due to their residency status)

16-18 VulnerableBursaries

For eligible students the bursary will normally comprise of:

36 weekly payments of £33.33, totalling £1200. This figure covers the cost of equipment, travel and other expenses associated with attending college.

Exceptional Extra Costs

The College also holds emergency funding to help students who face particular short term hardship. Each instance will be considered on its own merits.
If an exceptional or extra cost is determined to be necessary a one off payment will be made to the student.

Childcare Funding