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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] %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%