Apologies for cross-posting.

Of interest to: those in English HEIs dealing with degree courses in
Nursing/Midwifery/Professions Allied to Medicine (the rest can ignore
this message!)

This is just to warn those dealing with student financial support
arrangements - in case you don't already know - that the NHS Student
Grants Unit (based in Blackpool) will be organising a regional series of
'roadshow' events in May to brief HEIs on the changes to the 'NHS
Bursary Scheme' for 1999/00.  The proposed new scheme (2nd Edition) has
already been distributed to Heads of Institutions by CVCP (from Michael
Corin, letter dated 14 April) with a deadline for comment back to CVCP
of 5 May.  The main changes are stated to involve travel disregards.

However, not included in the document (as far as I can see) is that the
NHS is moving to a system of 12 monthly rather than 3 termly payments of
grants for degree students.  We have been allerted to this change and
asked our view by our local consortium.  We have discussed this and
agreed we are against it, on the grounds that it hits poor students
hardest and is contrary to the widening participation agenda.  Degree
students have received termly payments for nearly 40 years on the very
good grounds that many payments by students are front-loaded to the
start of terms/academic years - travel, rental/deposits on
accommodation, purchase of learning materials/books etc.  Moving to 12
monthly payments will severely disadvantage those totally dependent on
the NHS grant/bursary, as compared to those with other sources of income
(eg parents/spouses).  The argument that the NHS-funded students are, in
the long term, better off than those with loans is hardly the point when
you don't have enough cash to pay your rent!  Neither is the fact that
Diploma/P2000 students are paid monthly particularly relevant, as
typically they get double the amount of payment as those on degree
courses and (typically) live at home - thus meaning they don't face the
same extent of 'front-loading'.

Our local NHS consortium claim that they have had different opinions,
with some HEIs actually welcoming monthly payment of degree students
(!).  If HEIs share our view that this change is contrary to the
widening participation agenda, then they should write to their local
consortium/copy to NHS Student Grants Unit asap.  However it is believed
that the decision has been taken at the top level of the NHS and that it
will take a significant groundswell of opposition to get it changed.  We
are trying to consult our students this week, as we assume it will also
apply to continuing students as well as new ones.

If you have a view about this move to monthly payment (for or against),
I'd be pleased to hear your comments (direct to me please so as not to
clog up the list), and I will collate any responses I receive and
circulate a summary before the roadshow takes place.  If I can get a
list of 'roadshow' dates, I'll circulate them to these e-mail lists (the
notice is likely to be very short).

Mike Milne-Picken
Head of Planning
University of Central Lancashire
[log in to unmask]

PS The NHS Student Grants Unit is at Room 212, Government Buildings,
Norcross, Blackpool FY5 3TA.  Tel: 01253 333207.



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