Further Education Awards

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• Further Education Awards
• 2008/2009

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Contents of Presentation

• Background
• FE Awards 2006/07, 2007/08 2008/09
• Frequently asked questions

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Award Types

• Advanced Further Education Awards
• Further Education Awards
• Under 19 Further Education Awards

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Criteria for Support

• Residence
• Approved Course
• Awards will not be made to pupils at school

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Criteria for Support

• Repeat Study
• Academic Progress

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Levels of Support Full Time

• Tuition Fees
• Advanced Further Education awards
  1165
• Further Education awards 890
• Maintenance Grant
• Worth up to 2,000 a year depending on
  household income

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Levels of Support Full Time

• Parents Learning Allowance of up to 1,470 a
  year
• Childcare Grant of up to 148.75 a week for one
  child
• and 255.00 a week for two or more
• Adult Dependants Grant of up to 2,575 a year

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Levels of Support Full Time

• Disabled Students Allowance
• Specialist equipment allowance of up to 5,030
  for the whole course
• Non-medical helpers allowance of up to 20,000
• General allowance of up to 1,680 per year
• Extra travel costs as a result of the disability

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Part-time FE Awards

• All full time criteria apply, plus
• Part-time courses should take no longer than
  twice the length of the full time equivalent to
  complete.
• If no full time equivalent course exists then
• The part-time course must be for at least 8 hours
  per week in duration with the 8 hours being made
  up of taught hours plus compulsory placement
  hours and
• The part-time course duration must be for at
  least one academic year or more.

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Levels of Support Part-time

• Tuition Fees
• Advanced Further Education awards
  583
• Further Education awards 445
• An allowance of up to 255 (for books, travel and
  other expenditure) which is meanstested

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Levels of Support Part-time

• Disabled Students Allowance
• Specialist equipment allowance up to 5,030 for
  the whole of your course
• Non Medical helpers allowance - up to 15,000 a
  year
• General Disabled Students Allowance up to
  1,260 per year
• Reasonable spending on extra travel costs

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CAFRE Students

• Tuition Fees
• Tuition fees for full-time students on further
  education courses at CAFRE will be paid in full
  by DARD
• Living Expenses Grant
• The maximum amount of living expenses grant is
• (a) Students living in Campus Halls of Residence
  or in lodgings 2,362
• (b) Students living in parental home 1,659

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CAFRE Students other grants

• Childcare Grant
• Parents Learning Allowance
• Adult Dependants Grant
• Disabled Students Allowance

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• Analysis of FE Awards 2006/07,2007/08

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Analysis of FE Awards 2006/07,2007/08

• From April 2006 Discretionary Awards are known
  as Further Education Awards
• For Advanced FE Awards, the maintenance grant for
  students living away from home increased from
  1398 to 2000
• The following criteria have also been removed
• (i) In the event of oversubscription an
  applicants performance in A level and GCSE (or
  equivalent) will be taken into account
• (ii) If the Board does not have sufficient
  funds to grant awards to all eligible applicants,
  then awards will be made to eligible applicants
  in chronological order of receipt of letter of
  acceptance

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Analysis of FE Awards 2004/05 2007/08
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Analysis of FE Awards 2007/08

• 60 of applications full-time and 40 part-time
• 60 of eligible full-time students received the
  full 2000 maintenance grant 47 of eligible
  part-time students received the full 250 grant.
• Budget increase from 2M to 3M
• Dance and Drama Awards
• Department of Agriculture and Rural Development
  (DARD)
• Workshops in local Colleges and schools

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FE Awards 2008/09

• Change to the closing dates
• Full Time Applications 30 June 2008
• Part Time Applications 31 October 2008
• Application forms available mid March 2008

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FE Awards 2008/09

• Separate Full Time and Part Time Applications
  Forms
• FE BookletFurther Education Awards 2008/09
• - a guide to financial support for
  further education students
• Database of FE Courses eligible for FE Award.
• Incomplete application forms Students given 10
  days to supply missing information or application
  will be cancelled

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• Frequently Asked Questions

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FAQs

• Q The amount of maintenance grant you receive is
  dependent on household income. What is the
  definition of household income?
• A Gross taxable income of the student excluding
  any earnings during institution term-time and
  holidays
• PLUS Gross taxable income of parent(s)
  /partners / step-parents
• LESS Deductions for payments into pension
  funds and 1,100 for each other dependent child
  in the household

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FAQs

• Q If I work part-time will this affect the
  amount I am paid?
• A No. Any income you earn from working will not
  affect your support, no matter how much you earn
  or whether you work during term time or the
  holidays.
• What we may take into account is any
  unearned income you have e.g. bank interest,
  trust income and pension income.

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FAQs

• Q I dont live with my parents. Will my Further
  Education Award be assessed on their financial
  circumstances?
• A Yes To qualify as independent you must be
  25 years of age or married before the start of
  the academic year, have care of a person under
  the age of 18 on the first day of the academic
  year, have been self supporting for three years
  before the start of the course or be estranged
  from you parents.

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FAQs

• Q What happens if my parents dont want to give
  details of their income?
• A They dont have to, however, if they dont
  give us details of their income we can only pay
  you non-income assessed support. This will be
  your tuition fees. We will not pay you any
  maintenance grant. You can still apply for the
  Disabled Students Allowance

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FAQs

• Q Is there a closing date?
• A Yes. The closing date for full time
  applications is June 30th 2008 and the closing
  date for part-time applications is October 31st
  2008. However, we will continue to process
  applications received after the closing date
  until the budget runs out!

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FAQs

• Q When will I get my money?
• A When your application has been processed you
  will receive a letter from Student Finance NI
  telling you how much you are entitled to. We will
  ask the college to confirm that you have enrolled
  on your course and when we receive this
  information we will release your money within 10
  days to the college for you to collect.

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FAQs

• Q I have two children who will go to a
  babyminder while I am on my course. Will I be
  entitled to any extra help for these costs?
• A You may be entitled to 85 of your childcare
  costs (up to specific limits) if your child is
  in registered or prescribed childcare. Throughout
  the year we will ask you for proof of payments
  to the childcare provider. You will not be able
  to receive the childcare grant if the childcare
  is provided by a registered or approved childcare
  provider who is
• - your partner
• - a relative of your child and providing
  care in your childs own home or is providing
  care away from your childs home and is only
  caring for children he or she is related to

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FAQs

• Q How long will it take to process my
  application form.
• A We will endeavour to process your
  application form within 6 weeks if your
  application form is received by the closing date.
  If you do not complete all relevant sections of
  the application form we will not be able to
  process your application within this time period
  and this will delay any payments that may be due
  to you.

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FAQs

• Q What documentation do I need to send with my
  application form?
• A We require your original birth certificate or
  passport. These will be returned to you
  immediately.

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Conclusion Apply on Time!

• Application forms are available from Student
  Finance NI,Further Education Awards Section, 1
  Hospital Road, Omagh. BT79 OAW
• Phone [phone]
• e-mail feawards_at_welbni.org
• Download an application form _at_ www.welbni.org
• Complete form fully and return to the address
  above together with your original Birth
  Certificate /Passport