We in Somerset use the same software as Manchester and Harrow but are not getting exactly the same problem.

The notifications we are producing for 75% loan only students are showing £1025 in boxes 36 & 37 and £0.00 in box 38.

However, boxes 27 or 28 and 29, instead of showing the word 'full' are showing £6280 which is obviously the monetary value of the full contribution.

I think we are only getting sort-of-correct results through a fluke!  As we have only just moved to SIMS we don't have much knowledge of what's what.  We weren't too sure how to assess such awards and are therefore assessing them in the same way as we would any other student but are putting in an income figure which we know will force the maximum contribution to appear on screen, rather than using the 'minimum award' indicator which I take it should be the proper way of doing it if working correctly. 

Clearly this is not ideal as we have had a few calls from parents who are unhappy that their contribution is shown as £6280 but it is at least a way of reflecting their proper contribution to fees until SIMS are able to fix the apparent errors with the 'minimum award' function.

I hope this helps.

Rebecca Martin
Team Leader
Somerset Student Services.

-----Original Message-----
From: MIME :[log in to unmask] Sent: 27 August 1999 12:36
To: [log in to unmask]; [log in to unmask]
Subject: Incorrect Financial Assessments from LEAs


 We have received a number of incorrect Financial Assesments from LEAs
that appear to be part of a pattern, and might relate to underlying
software problems of a more widespread nature.

-----------------------------------

 The first problem pair were from Harrow and Manchester, who appear to be
using the same software, judging by the design of the form. Both cases
were students who had applied for the minimum award of a non-means-tested
loan, and presumably had therefore supplied no income data. These
Finanacial Assessments read: 

36: Maximum fee for which support is available:  0.00   (should be 1025)
37: Assessed contribution to fees you pay direct to
    your university/college:                     0.00   (should be 1025)
38: FEES PAID ON YOUR BEHALF TO YOUR
    UNIVERSITY/COLLEGE (Box 36 minus Box 37)     0.00   (correct)

These forms also showed 0.00 in boxes 27, 28, 29 for Student and Parental/ spouse contributions, where SSIN 21/99 requires the word "FULL".

The biggest problem with these notifications is that they suggest to the
student that they need not pay any University fees, when in fact they are
due to pay 1025. 

---------------------------------------------

The next case was from Richmond upon Thames, which is using different
software from the two above.  Again, the case was a minimum award for the
non-means-tested loan only. This Financial Assessment read:

36: Maximum fee for which support is available:  1025   (correct)
37: Assessed contribution to fees you pay direct to
    your university/college:                     0      (should be 1025)
38: FEES PAID ON YOUR BEHALF TO YOUR
    UNIVERSITY/COLLEGE (Box 36 minus Box 37)     0      !!!

Even the arithmetic doesn't work!  And again the form suggests to the
student that they will not be expected to pay University Fees when in fact
they are. Other technical (less important) errors on this form were that
boxes 42 and 43 showed zero, where SSIN 21/99 requires 910 in both. But
they correctly put the word "FULL" in boxes 27, 28, 29. 

-- Robin Walker, (Junior Bursar), Queens' College, Cambridge, CB3 9ET, GB
[log in to unmask]  http://www.quns.cam.ac.uk/  Tel:+44 1223 335528 Fax:335566







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