Learner Eligibility & Funding Information

Session Contents

Session Contents:

• The FI Partners Account Manager Team

• The Advanced Learner Loan

• Learner Eligibility – Overview and Examples

• Application Process – Overview and Best Practice

• ALL Repayment – Overview and ‘FAQs’

• Advanced Learner Loan Resources

Session Contents

The FI Partners Account Manager Team

‘Working with partners across England and Wales, the team is responsible for establishing

and managing relationships with admissions, outreach and recruitment staff from across the

HE and FE sectors’

• While the above is a good summary, it would take more than a few lines to cover the true

extent and variety of the support the team offer our partners

• Our high level service offer is to communicate key student finance messages through

bespoke practitioner training sessions and via timely remote updates

• We work closely with the FE Account Managers to ensure providers have access to

eligibility, process and marketing guidance as well as business to business support for

administration of the loans

The FI Partners Account Managers

As highlighted, the FIPAM team welcome engagements with practitioners from across the FE

College and Learning Provider network to provide you the support you need when you need it:

• Delivering tailored ALL policy, application and repayment training/updates for providers

• Advice on accessing and utilising the wide range of ALL resources SFE make available

And for some context, in the 2016/17 Academic Year to date we have been involved in;

The FI Partners Account Managers

To 1035

Advisers/Practitioners

across the LP Network

Delivering 90+

Staff Training/Update

Sessions

The Advanced Learner Loan

Long Residency Eligibility Criteria

A new eligibility category of long residency has been introduced meaning those

with Discretionary/Limited Leave to Remain may now be eligible for Advanced

Learner Loans under this new regulation

Student support will now be available for those students who are:

• Aged 18 years and above who have either spent at least half their life in the

UK or at least 20 years in the UK prior to the first day of the first academic

year of their course

Policy Enhancements

for AY 2017/18...

ALL Policy Overview

Overseas Armed Forces Personnel

The second major change for 2017/18 AY affects members of the Armed Forces who

are serving overseas and their families

At present, eligibility rules bar members of the Armed Forces serving overseas from

accessing support whilst out of the country:

• From 2017/18 AY, an exception to this has now been introduced to allow

members of the Armed Forces and their families to apply for Advanced Learner

Loans, whilst serving overseas

Policy Enhancements

for AY 2017/18...

ALL Policy Overview

Learner Eligibility

Learners must satisfy certain criteria in order to be eligible for an Advanced Learner Loan:

• Study an approved learning aim at an approved Learning Provider in England

• Be aged 19+ on the first day of their learning aim

• Not have exceeded the maximum amount of Advanced Learner Loans available

• Meet the required residency criteria to be eligible as;

• A UK ‘home’ Learner

• An EU Learner (Inc EEA Migrant Worker etc)

• An RoW Learner (Inc Indefinite Leave, Refugee etc)

Learner Eligibility

Learners must satisfy certain criteria in order to be eligible for an Advanced Learner Loan:

• Learners must be resident in UK on the first day of the learning aim

• UK nationals must be resident in UK for 3 years prior to the start of their learning aim

• Learners who live in the rUK (Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland) will apply to SFE as

long as they study at an approved Learning Provider in England

• EU nationals must be resident in EEA for 3 years prior to the start of their learning aim

• Rest of the World nationals must demonstrate ‘settled status’ with no limitation or

restriction on the length of stay in UK

Learner Eligibility

It’s easy for most learners to provide the basic eligibility evidence to support their applications:

• Studying an approved learning aim at an approved provider

(Evidenced by completed LAFIL)

• Learners must be aged 19+ on the first day of the learning aim

(Evidenced by ID documentation submitted)

• Learners must not have exceeded the maximum amount of Advanced Learning Loans

available

(Evidenced by LP Operations Portal records)

• All learners must be resident in UK on the first day of the learning aim

(Evidenced by ALL application form)

Learner Eligibility

Based on call volume, most learner eligibility queries received relate to providing acceptable

ID evidence, which often depends on a learner’s unique situation:

• UK Nationals resident in UK for 3 years prior to the start of their learning aim

(Evidenced by ALL application form and ID evidence - Passport details form with valid UK

passport or original Birth Certificate with accompanying ADIF

• EU nationals resident in EEA for 3 years prior to the start of their learning aim

(Evidenced by ALL application form and ID evidence - original in date passport or original

in date national identity card)

• Rest of the World Nationals demonstrating ‘settled status’ in the UK

(Evidenced by original ID evidence and accompanying immigration status documentation,

based on the circumstances)

Learner Eligibility

Learner Category Eligible Status

UK National (UK) UK National

Spouse of a UK National

Status Evidenced By

UK National (UK)

Passport or original Birth Certificate with ADIF (applicant

declaration of identity form) Form

Passport or original Birth Certificate with ADIF Form and

Marriage Certificate

The following slides outline the main, eligible residency criteria and the supporting

evidence learners can/should provide:

Learner Eligibility

Learner Category Eligible Status

EU National (EU)

EU National

EEA Migrant Worker

Family Member of an EEA National

Child of a Swiss National/Child of Turkish Worker

Status Evidenced By

EU National (EU)

Passport or National ID Card

Passport or National ID Card and evidence of UK employment

Passport or National ID Card and evidence of visa status

Passport or National ID Card and evidence of parents ID and/or

employment status

Learner Eligibility

Learner Category Eligible Status

Rest of the World

Nationals (RoW)

Refugee Status/Family Reunion Visa

Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR)

Humanitarian Protection (HP)

Right of Permanent Residence (ROPR)

Status Evidenced By

Rest of the World

Nationals (RoW)

Home Office Documentation stating Refugee status

(No 3 year residency requirement)

Home Office Documentation stating ILR status

Home Office Documentation stating Humanitarian Protection

Home Office Documentation stating ROPR

Learner Eligibility

Application Process

Our ‘Application Quick Guide’ highlights seven key steps in completing an ALL application:

• In the real world however it is understood that each learner

is unique and their situation may not follow the application

‘Happy Path’

Regardless of the complexities of individual applications some

requirements are universal;

• All sections need to be completed accurately

(Course/contact details etc..)

• All learners need to download, print, sign and return

their Declaration Form asap

Application Overview

‘Happy Path’

ALL Applications

LAFIL obtained from Learning Provider

UK National – Passport details provided

Full 3 year residency history evidenced

Learner has no previous ALL study

See our ‘Walkthrough’ for example of how to complete an online application

What criteria would make up a straightforward ALL application assessment?

Application Overview

Common Escalation

Reasons with

ALL Applications

NO LAFIL obtained from Learning Provider

UK, EU, RoW Nationals – Additional evidence

required

ADIF Form completion/submission errors

Gaps in residence history (paper apps)

Previous ALL study/exhausted loan allocation?

See our ‘Walkthrough’ for example of how to complete an online application

What are some of the frequent issues our assessors see with ALL applications?

Application Overview

Various forms may be required to aid successful completion of ALL applications:

• UK Passport Form Birth/ADIF Form

• Evidence Return Form Loan Request Form (Change Amount)

Migrant Workers:

• UK Employment Status Form - Issued by SLC as applications suggest applicable

Application Declaration:

• DfE Declaration Form - Can be downloaded from a Learners’ ‘My Account’

Application Overview

Do you have established plans for following up with learners to

ensure they are returning their Declarations in good time?

Advanced Learner Loan Repayment

Repayment

There are a few essential messages learners should understand about their ALL repayments:

• You won’t make repayments until your income is over £21,000 a year

• You’ll be due to start repaying in the April after completing/leaving your course

• You’ll repay 9% of your income over £21,000 and if you’re employed deductions will be

made directly from your pay, through the HMRC tax system

• If your income falls to £21,000 or below your repayments will stop

• Any outstanding loan balance is written off 30 years after entering repayment

• SLC will write off the outstanding balance for an Access to HE Diploma ALL once a

learner successfully completes a subsequent HE course

ALL Repayment

£30 Monthly

Repayment? £4,000 9% Deducted

From?

Income each year

before tax

9% will be deducted

from

Monthly Repayment

(Approx)

£21,000 £0 £0

£22,000 £1,000 £7

£30,000 £9,000 £67

£35,000 £14,000 £105

£40,000 £19,000 £142

Income

£25,000

www.studentloanrepayment.co.uk

ALL Repayment

Interest levels applied will depend on a learner’s income and circumstances:

Interest rate is:

Set at RPI Only Interest Rate:

RPI Only

During study until

entering repayment

Income:

Under £21,000

Interest Rate:

Retail Price Index +3%

Income:

£21,000 to £41,000

Income:

Over £41,000

Interest Rate:

RPI + up to 3%

Interest Rate:

RPI +3%

ALL Repayment

Income Contingent Student Loans for post 2012 students:

0.9%

3.9%

1.6%

4.6%

6.1%

3.1%

RPI Max Interest RPI Max Interest RPI Max Interest

2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 TBC

To what extent are the learners you work with concerned about

the interest rate on their loans?

ALL Repayment

Repayment

SLC have created a range of resources helping learners understand how loan repayment

works, their responsibilities and advice for complex scenarios:

In depth information about repayment can be found at;

• SLC’s online repayment guides on slc.co.uk

• The Advanced Learner Loan Terms and Condition Booklet

• The dedicated SLC Repayment Website

...and did you know

Resources and ‘button links’ are available from the Practitioners Website to easily embed on

your own website, directing learners straight to SFE/SLC information

ALL Repayment

Repayment

Here are a few of the questions learners have asked about repayment of an ALL:

“How does repayment work if I also have a HE loan from a few years ago?”

“I am onto my third FE Loan, does that affect how much and how I repay?”

“How will the write-off for my Access to HE Loan work?”

“What is the current interest rate on my loan?”

“I’m studying to start my own business, is repayment different for me?”

• www.studentloanrepayment.co.uk www.practitioners.slc.co.uk

• SLC Repayment Quick Guide ALL Terms & Conditions Guide

Do you know the answers? They can all be found using our

extensive range of resources/websites (Examples above)

ALL Repayment

Advanced Learner Loan Resources

A new look Practitioners Website will be launching soon!! !

ALL Resources

Resources for both learners and practitioners include;

• Guides, Videos and Factsheets

• Repayment and Application Quick Guides

• Eligibility Checker

• Terms and Conditions Guide

• Media, website and promotional materials

• Loan Provider Toolkit

ALL Resources

Contact Us:

Funding Information Partners Account Manager Team

fundinginformationpartner@slc.co.uk

www.practitioners.slc.co.uk