Dear Sybil,

I think our view is probably more lenient than yours.

We adhere to the criteria as set out by HEfCE, which state that awards may
not be made to help pay for tuition fees and we advise students of this on
the form and in other publicity.

However, our line is that, if a student has paid his tuition fees and the
residue of his income leaves him short in terms of his expected expenditure
over the academic year, then he has a case.

That makes the issue sound very straightforward, but, of course, its not
always as formulaic as that!

If the student pays his tuition fees in instalments, for instance, it
becomes more complex. In such cases we look carefully at what the student
has 'earned' and spent so far, the amounts expected (with dates) and then
calculate any shortfall in day-to-day living costs. The panel then uses its
discretion to award a percentage of the shortfall.

I hope this helps.

Yours,

Karin
=======================
Karin Alderson
Assistant Registrar (Welfare)

Student Progress Office
Registrar's Office
University of Newcastle
6 Kensington Terrace
Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU

Tel: 0191 222 8668
Fax: 0191 222 8484
Email: [log in to unmask]
----- Original Message -----
From: "Sybil Green" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <nasma-members@[log in to unmask]>; <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, November 16, 2000 5:32 PM
Subject: Access Grant Allocation


> Dear Fellow Access Assessors
>
> Don't you all wish that there could be more core funding and that
> Access Hardship Funds were truly top-ups?  We're up to our eyes
> in Access and Hardship Loan applications (109 of the latter
> processed so far and a pile waiting!)
>
> Sorry about a Friday whinge on a Thursday!
>
> Some advice please on how (for Access) you deal with students
> who have to pay their own tuition fees.  Our line has always been
> that as Access funds cannot be used for tuition fees (apart from
> the part-time student who has lost his job exception), then we have
> to assume that tuition fee funding is in place and, for an Access
> grant, we only look at living costs and any special expenditure.
>
> A PGCE student has previously attended a course and is therefore
> ineligible for tuition fee funding.  He is very disappointed (major
> understatement!) at being allocated a relatively small Access grant
> and argues that he has had to use his Loan to pay his fees and
> therefore the money available for living costs has been eroded and,
> if we would give him a bigger Access grant, then it would
> legitimately be for living costs!  I feel that to award an Access grant
> in such a case would be helping to defray tuition fee costs.
>
> The student is coming to see me tomorrow as the first stage of an
> appeal so I would welcome any constructive comments from
> advisers who have found themselves in a similar situation.
>
> Thanks in advance
>
> Sybil Green
> ------------------------------------
> Sybil Green
> Head of Student Advisory Service
> Cardiff University
> +44(0)29 2087 4179
> [log in to unmask]
>



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