LCBT Financial Support Policy Document Information Issue Date 20 th December 2016 Version/Issue Number Version 5 Document Status Final Effective From Date 4 th August 2017 Scope of Document This policy applies to Students, Staff, Parents /Guardians, consultants and other workers at LCBT. Objective To outline procedures for processing and assessing applications for financial bursaries and ensure compliance with Skills Funding Agency and Education Funding Agency guidance. Document Authorisation Name Executive Board Author Name Contact 0207 208 1300 Chalene Scott, Head of Safeguarding 1
Learner Support Fund 1. PURPOSE OF FUNDING The Learner Support Fund is provided by the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) and is designed to help with the essential costs associated with attending College. The funding is designed to support learners who are facing financial barriers and will require help to participate and stay in education. The London College of Beauty Therapy s (LCBT) learner support funds are designed to assist priority groups who are socially or economically disadvantaged. 2. INFORMATION The ESFA publishes guidance, which sets out the eligibility criteria for these funds. An FE Meals Application Form and a Financial Support application form is available from the Welfare Team, Admissions Team, Customer Services and is available on moodle and the College website. For additional information on bursaries, please go to the following websites: o https://www.gov.uk/1619-bursary-fund for 16-18 learners. o https://www.gov.uk/discretionary-learner-support for 19+ Learners. o https://www.gov.uk/advanced-learner-loan/bursary-fund for 19+ learners. 3. ENTITLEMENT FOR LEARNER SUPPORT, ADVANCED LEARNER LOANS BURSARY, DISCRETIONARY HARDSHIP AND VULNERABLE BURSARY FUNDING All full and part time ESFA funded learners aged 16+ and with a household income below 27,000 are eligible to apply for support. However, LCBT reserves the right to use its discretion to limit or reject funding applications for learners who fall outside of the priority groups listed below: Learners aged 16-19: Young people in care. Care leavers. Young people in receipt of income support. Young people in receipt of Employment Support Allowance and Disability. Living Allowance. Young people on a low income or from low income families. For those aged 19+: Those in care or recently left care (LLDD up to age of 25). Ex-offenders. Learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Those recently made redundant or homeless. Those on a Level 3 Programme funded through the Advance Learning Loan. 2
4. ELIGIBILITY To be eligible for Financial Support Learners must be continuing on a study programme/learning programme. Learners are advised to apply for support as early as possible, following their course start date, as funding will not be issued after the course end date. Funding may be assessed and issued from the application date. Funding may be back dated based on the college s discretion. The level of funding awarded will vary depending on whether a learner is 16-18 or 19+ on 31 st August and is studying towards a funded qualification. This is due to the level of funding the college receives for these selected age groups. All applicants must complete all relevant sections of the application form. Additional Learning Support (ALS) is available for those who require assistance completing an application for financial assistance. Please email ALS@lcbt.co.uk to access ALS support. Applications to the Learner Support Fund are means-tested and proof of eligibility will be required along with completed applications, unless you have exceptional circumstances. Proof such as benefit letters or Working Tax Credit Award Notices (dated within 6 months of your application) must be provided to verify household income. If you are receiving Universal Credit, learners must clearly state on their application the benefit this replaces. Priority will be given to those identified in section 3, however these categories are not exclusive. If a learner discloses concerns of hardship the applicant may be assessed as eligible for support based on exceptional circumstances. A meeting with the LCBT Student Support team will be required to evidence reasons for awards being issued based on exceptional circumstances. Home Office documentation is required where appropriate to prove asylum or residency status Eligibility of support is subject to the availability of funding at the time of application. All learners must be enrolled and continuing education until to July 31 st 2018. 5 FUNDING 5.1 16-18 VULNERABLE LEARNER BURSARY Learners identified as being in the priority group for the 16-19 bursary may be guaranteed to receive up to 1,200 upon proof of eligibility. The payment of this bursary may be awarded to learners under the standard categories of support in section 10. Payments may be awarded pro-rata for learners that start their programme late, complete early, or are studying a programme of less than 30 weeks in length and are dependent on a learners overall monthly attendance. Letters from the Department from Work and Pensions must confirm that the learner can be in further education or training. BACS payments will only be issued to a learners own bank account. If bank details cannot be provided funding may be issued using alternative methods, such as lunch vouchers or oyster top up etc. 3
5.2 19+ DISCRETIONARY BURSARY The payment of this bursary will be awarded to learners under the standard categories of support in section 10. 19+ Discretionary Bursary will only be assessed for part of the duration of your course, depending on the availability of funding. This means learners are not guaranteed to receive support for the duration of their course. Learners applying for childcare support from this fund may be eligible to receive up to 30% of the overall costs calculated over a 3 month duration of the Study Programme. However, the maximum award amount for childcare will not exceed 500 per learner. Discretionary Bursary is to be used to meet part of your costs to college, but shouldn t be relied on to support your studies as we cannot guarantee your application will be successful. BACS payments will only be issued to a learners own bank account (except payments for childcare). If bank details cannot be provided funding will be issued using alternative methods; such as lunch vouchers or oyster top up etc. 5.3 ADVANCE LEARNING LOANS BURSARY Advance Learning Loans Bursary claims can take up to 8 weeks to process payments due to having to claim funding following confirmation of eligibility of support. Learners in receipt of the Learning Loans bursary may only be entitled to a maximum payment of 50.00 per month to cover college costs, such as Travel and Meals. If applying for childcare support, learners may be entitled to up to 250.00 per month to cover childcare and other college for costs. BACS payments will only be issued to a learners own bank account. If bank details cannot be provided, funding will be issued using alternative methods; such as lunch vouchers or oyster top up etc. 5.4 FE FREE MEALS To apply for FE Free Meals Learners must complete a FE Free Meals Application Form. FE Free Meals are provided to learners aged between 16-18 on 31 st August 2017 and those 19-25 who are subject to a Learning Difficulty Assessment (LDA) or Education Health and Care Plan (EHC plan). To be eligible for FE Free Meals, household income must be 16,190.00 and below or be in receipt of the following benefits: o Income support; Job Seekers Allowance; Employment Support Allowance; State Pension Credit; Child Tax Credit support under part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999. Redeemable vouchers will be allocated only on college days at the cost of 4.00 per learner. Funding for FE Free Meals is limited. Learners applying for this support are encouraged to contact the college prior to applying for support to confirm whether funding is available. Learners in receipt of FE Free Meals are encouraged to purchase healthy options from food outlets available near the college. 5.5 COURSE MATERIALS, EQUIPMENT AND TRIPS Applications for assistance with essential equipment, books, stationary and uniform can be supported at the college s discretion. Awards paid as in-kind, must be returned at the end of your study programme. Assistance towards the cost of tuition fees may only be considered on an exceptional basis. 4
College organised trips which are an essential part of the curriculum may be considered for funding. Monies for this category of support may be paid termly or on a one-off basis. Assistance for HE interviews may only be paid on evidence of attendance at the interview. Applications for non-essential activities are unlikely to be successful, however, all financial assistance is discretionary and dependant on an individual learners exceptional circumstance. 5.6 TRAVEL COSTS Where a learner is not entitled to travel support under the Local Authority Home to College scheme they may apply to the Learner Support Fund for financial assistance. 19+ learners in receipt of Jobcentre Plus Travel Discounts will not be entitled to receive support for travel costs. LCBT advises all learners to request assistance for JCP travel discounts t from to their JCP adviser prior to their course start date. For more information go to the following link https://tfl.gov.uk/fares-and-payments/adult-discounts-and-concessions/jobcentre-plus-traveldiscount 5.7 CHILDCARE COSTS Assistance with the cost of an OFSTED registered childcare provider may be available to 19+ learners studying on an ESFA funded course. Informal childcare provided by a relative cannot be funded. If applying for Childcare through the Advance Learning Loan Bursary, payments will not exceed 250 per month and can take up to can take up to 8 weeks to process. There is an expectation that parents will contribute to childcare costs and take advantage of government schemes such as Care to Learn and the Nursery Grant scheme where appropriate Attendance will be checked regularly to ensure payment is made for the days a learner attends college and the child is attending the childcare provider. Late payment fees cannot be covered from the LCBT Financial Support Fund. The college may contribute up to 30% of the overall cost of childcare for up to 3 months, during a Study Programme. Payments are made directly to the childcare provider. To ensure childcare support is assessed timely, learners must complete all sections of the form and provide Childcare contact details. LCBT will not process payments until confirmation of childcare arrangements have been confirmed directly with the childcare provider. Learners applying for Child Care assistance through the 19+ discretionary support are encouraged to contact the college prior to starting their course in order to identify whether funds are available: Childcare funding is subject to availability. 5.8 OTHER COSTS Assistance can be provided for other costs such as tuition fees, domestic costs and IT equipment in exceptional circumstances, for example; being at risk of not completing your study programme without the required support. Please discuss your individual circumstances with a member of the Welfare Team by emailing welfare@lcbt.co.uk IT equipment will be awarded as an in kind payment for 16-18 eligible learners and will be required to return the IT equipment once the Study Programme has been completed. 6. ADMINISTRATION Staff, applicants and learners are informed about the Learner Support Fund and how to apply through the college. This information is also available on the college website. Applications can be completed either at a 1:1 interview or sent to individuals by post. Application forms must be completed for all awards issued from the Learner Support Fund. Up to date, valid supporting evidence must be produced at the time of the application. Staff administering the fund will verify this information on the application form. 5
Decisions will be made in accordance with formula and criteria agreed at the beginning of the year and reviewed annually. Decisions are made on a monthly basis. Discretion on decisions made to award support payments for applicants that reside outside of the formula and criteria agreed, will be made on a case by case basis depending on the individual circumstances. Applicants will be informed of decisions, supported with an email notification. Decisions are communicated to applicants after their application has been assessed. All payments will be made by BACS or internal transfer twice a month (at the middle and end of the month). Payments in cash or vouchers will only be made under exceptional circumstances. If a learner leaves their course or their attendance drops below 80% they may be required to repay monies to the college and return the equipment supplied/bought through the fund. Where payment is being made through instalments, further payments may be withheld. Discretion on individual support payments for learners that drop below 80% may be made on a case by case basis depending on the individual circumstances of the applicant. 7. APPEALS If a learner is dissatisfied with a decision regarding their bursary, they will be advised to appeal in writing. They should state clearly why they are appealing and give reasons, together with any supporting evidence, as to why their award should be reviewed. The letter of appeal should be sent to financialsupport@lcbt.co.uk or speak to the Head of Safeguarding, who will review the appeal. A decision will be made and supplied with reasons to the applicant within ten days of receipt of the appeal. If dissatisfied with an initial appeal decision, the colleges Complaints, Praise and Suggestions policy should then be followed. Contact the college s Customer Services Team on 0207 208 1300 for a copy of the policy or email talkback@lcbt.co.uk within 5 days of your appeal decision being made. 8. ALLOCATION Payments will be considered for the academic year or until your course end date (whichever date comes first); unless where monthly allocations are considered appropriate, i.e. to develop budgeting skills. 19+ learners will be assessed to receive support for part of their course. If further support is required, learners are advised to reapply by completing a new up to date application. Applicants will be notified via email how much has been allocated from the financial support fund. Notification of non-awarded payments will also be communicated via email. Awards will be made to a third party or paid by internal budget transfer where possible. Recipients of Learner Support Funds will have their attendance checked at regular intervals. Where attendance falls below 80% awards will be reviewed and cancelled. In all cases the application will be judged on its individual needs as outlined in the ESFA guidelines. The amount awarded will be specific to each application based on individual circumstances. 9. SUBCONTRACTOR BURSARY PAYMENTS All processes as stated in sections 1-8 of this policy apply to all subcontracted learners. Bursary and hardship Funding processed directly to subcontractors will undergo a 6 monthly review. 6
Subcontractors will be required to evidence expenditure and utilisation of funding provided from the 16-19 Bursary and 19+ Hardship fund and Advance Learning Loans Bursary, during the 6 month review process. Dependant on the type of support, unspent 16-19 Bursary, 19+ Hardship and Advance Learning Loans Bursary funding provided by LCBT will be recycled by LCBT to support other eligible learners to ensure funds are available to all eligible learners enrolled on either LCBT and/or subcontracted courses. LCBT will also reserve the right to recover unspent funding issued to subcontractors at the end of each academic year. 10. CATEGORIES OF SUPPPORT Eligibility Criteria Support Awarded 16-18 learners 16-18 learners Vulnerable Learner Bursary Eligible for the below learners: 1. In care / leaving care, or 2. In receipt of income support in your own right, or In receipt of ESA, Universal Credit & DLA/PIP (Personal Independence Payments) Discretionary Bursary Eligible for households with income below 27,000 Travel Meals/Lunch Uniform/kit and equipment Trips IT Equipment Travel up to 500.00 per course Lunch up to 300.00 per course Uniform/kit and equipment up to 35.00 per course Trips* IT Equipment* 16-25 FE Free Meals only eligible to households with income below 16,010.00 and in receipt of qualifying benefits Free Meals - 4.00 per day 19+ Learner Support Fund only eligible to households with income below 27,000 Uniform/Kit and Equipment* up to 35.00 per course 50% of Travel Costs* - up to 300.00 per course Lunch* - up to 300.00 per course Trips* - up to 25.00 per course IT Equipment* 30% of Childcare (limited funding available) 7
19+ Advanced Learning Loan Bursary Fund only eligible for learners in receipt of advance learning loan and household income below 27,000 Course Fees* Books, Equipment and Uniform* 30% of Childcare Costs up to 250.00 month 50% of Travel Costs up to 50.00 per month Meals/Lunch* *Based on exceptional circumstances 8
11. RESPONSIBILITIES Head of Safeguarding / Admissions /Customer Services Head of Safeguarding College Accountant Executive Board To be first point of contact for applications and payment queries To provide information, advice and guidance to enquirers and applicants about the fund, how to apply and other financial assistance To ensure the maintenance of records and efficient administration of the Learner Support Funds in line with ESFA guidelines To produce timely reports regarding the fund To monitor the administration of the applications process and provide a report at the end of the academic year To report to the Curriculum and Quality Director of and of Finance Director regarding usage of the fund and made recommendations for any changes To respond to appeals To maintain accounts and report on funding allocation from in the format acceptable by the ESFA To respond to appeals unresolved by Head of Safeguarding. To ensure processes are implemented in accordance to funding guidelines. 12. CONTROL CHECKLIST A Financial Support application form has been completed Copies of relevant documents relating to income have been seen and verified A copy of childcare requirements confirming costs, times and registration is attached Payment to be made to third party where possible Attendance has been confirmed Amendment Record Date 04.08. 2016 16.12. 2016 07.08. 2017 Issue No. Section/ Page Details of Change 2.0 2, 3, 4, 5 Section 3, 4, 5, 6, 9 & 10 3.0 6, 8 4.0 1,2, 3, 4, 5, 6,7,8, 10, 11, Attendance threshold, frequency of support payment and the addition of discretion when making payment. Funding provided by ESFA; review of priority groups; when to apply for support and when support will not be issued or assessed; capping of allocation of support; email address to send appeals, link to obtain JCP travel assistance; department/staff responsibilities; method of communication used to confirm eligibility of award to learners Authoris ed By: Executive Board Executive Board Executive Board 9 P a g e