Robin (and others)
SAAS are not using the same procedures as LEA's. I am waiting for
confirmation from them as to the extent to which the model used in Scotland
will apply elsewhere but Scottish HEI's have already been briefed on the
arrangements.
SAAS put in place procedures for electronic transfer to Scottish HEI's last
year and these were very successful. Information about assessments was
transferred in data files sent to Scottish HEI's regularly throughout the
year.
Naturally, we were reluctant to abandon a system which worked and which was
already more advanced than that being proposed by DfEE so SAAS negotiated
an opt out on parts of the new system for 99/2000.
The SAAS application procedure is more streamlined; eligibility, means
tests and loan applications are done on a single application form, the
student is sent an award letter and SLC receives the loan assessment
information on-line. In addition, Scottish HEI's at least will receive
data and tuition fee payments directly from SAAS rather than via SLC.
The good news is that SAAS is only a day or two behind where it was last
year (a record year) and as at the beginning of this month had been
responsible for nearly half of all the assessments received by SLC for the
whole of the UK.
Students domiciled in Scotland will have award letters (but they will look
different) and their loan cheques should arrive at HEI's with those of
other students.
If your Scots entrants are not sure what to do and you are not clear what
advice to give them, it would be wise to point them directly at SAAS' website:
http://www.student-support-saas.gov.uk/
I hope that helps and I'll pass on any other information as I receive it.
Alastair Work
(Convener, COSHEP/SAAS Tuition Fees Technical Group)
At 13:03 25/08/99 +0100, you wrote:
> We are in correspondence with a fresher from Scotland.
> On the basis of what she has old us, it appears that SAAS might not be
>using the standard notification forms for Eligibility (as defined in
>SSIN 14/99) and Financial Assessment (as defined in SSIN 21/99).
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Mr Alastair E W Work MA MIPD
Director of Registry
University of St Andrews
Scotland
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+1334 46 2115 (phone) 2123 (fax)
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