We have been told by various sources in the DfEE that students
repeating all or part of their first year for the first time are eligible for
assistance with tuition fees and this has been construed by several
LEAs as applying to students studying less than the usual quota of
modules. When the University was in a position to certify eligibility
for Student Loans, then on guidance from SLC and DfEE they
confirmed that the student was in attendance on a full-time course
of study, albeit for part of it, and thus eligible for a Student Loan.
At the AMOSSHE Conference, Nina Curley said that such
students were not eligible for a Student Loan. She said that they
were eligible for benefits as they were part-time students. It was
pointed out that this was not the case - they were ineligible for
benefits as they had not abandoned, terminated or been excluded
from the course. She was going to look into it further.
Today I have spoken to Elsie Sellick DfEE who tells me that the
DfEE has taken legal advice on Regulation (8) (a) Student Support
Regulations and the opinion is that this regulation means that the
student must be in full-time attendance, even if this is for part of the
year, to be eligible for tuition fee support and Student Loan. So
"part of the first year" specifically refers to a period of time rather
than part of the full course requirements.
So, what are these students supposed to do??
Please enlighten me and if Pamela Bell-Ashe has received
anything definitive from Nina Curley, I'd be very pleased to know the
outcome.
Sybil Green
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Sybil Green
Senior Adviser
Dean of Students Office
Cardiff University
01222-874179
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