I have been banging on to the DfEE about this one for ages, 
particularly with respect to current first years.  LEAs do have 
discretion to accept late applications and I was assured yet again on 
Friday that they are being encouraged to use their discretion this 
year.  All well and good in theory; I just hope it holds out in 
practice.

I think the majority of current first years will be told about the 
change in procedures for student loans.  LEAs are contacting all 
those on their books and the SLC are contacting all those who have 
taken out a loan this year.  That leaves the small group who have not 
applied for any assistance at all this year and have not taken our 
advice about at least establishing eligibility with their LEA.  I 
certainly think institutions have a role to play in conveying the 
information to this group and here in Liverpool we are currently 
looking at the best way to do this.

As for students new to the system in 1999/2000 I don't think the new 
arrangements mean that they must apply for a loan within four months 
but that they should have applied to go through the LEA 
part of the process i.e. establishing eligibility (and being 
means-tested if they want to) within that time period.  Again, LEAs 
will have discretion as to whether to accept applications after that. 
As far as institutions are concerned I think we should be encouraging 
all relevant students to be establishing their eligibility with LEAs. 
We currently do so on the grounds that, although they may not need 
the financial help now, their circumstances or those of their family 
may change in the future.  

Interestingly, one of the people from the DfEE said on Friday that we 
could threaten such students that, if they don't establish 
eligibility with their LEA, we might charge them full fees rather 
than £1025.  I don't think it's as simple as that - students who are 
ELIGIBLE IN PRINCIPLE will still be entitled to the protection of 
having their fees limited to £1025 under a condition of grant (you 
may have seen the latest draft regulations on which the DfEE are 
currently consulting).  Or have I missed something?

Pam


On Wed, 17 Feb 1999 10:14:20 +0000 Eleanor Martin 
<[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> I have been following this correspondence with interest and have read 
> the just received DfEE booklet Financial Support for Students in 
> 1999/2000 to see how much light it shed on the subject.
> 
> The position seems clear enough for those starting in September 1999: 
> they must apply within four months of the start of their course, this 
> being a hangover from the Mandatory Awards Regulations.  However,  
> the deadline might come as a shock to someone who did not intend to 
> apply to his/her LEA for support for fees (on the grounds that he 
> wouldn't get it) and who decided part-way through the academic year 
> to apply for a loan.  However much we try to publicize the importance 
> of applying early, there will always be some who don't understand the 
> message.  So I would guess LEAs will be in receipt of a lot of late 
> applications...
> 
> The position with regard to 1998 starters is less clear.  Those who 
> applied last year to their LEA will probably be ok, since their LEAs 
> will write to them. But what of those who did not apply for support 
> last year, and who, by definition, cannot meet the four-month 
> deadline?  Or is the four months to be interpreted as being within 
> four months of the start of the academic year?  Or will these 
> students be protected under the new Regulations?
> 
> Any enlightenment welcome!
> 
> Eleanor Martin
> ============================================
> Eleanor Martin, Assistant Registrar, Academic Division,
> UEA.
> Tel. 01603 592205

----------------------
Pamela Bell-Ashe
University of Liverpool

Chair
Association of Managers of Student Services in Higher Education

Tel:  0151 794 2243
Fax:  0151 794 2249
e-mail: [log in to unmask]



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