Agenda – 24+ ALL Event

1. Agenda – 24+ ALL Event 9.30 – 9.45 Welcome & Background – Gillian Miller 9.45 – 10.30 24+ ALL Information Pauline Frankland 10.30 – 11 How will I work with the Students Loans Company? – Maggie Wightman 11 – 11.15 Tea & Coffee Break 11.15 – 11.45 How could the Introduction of FE Loans Impact on my Business? – Lesley Monaghan 11.45 – 12 – LSIS Support – Colin Forrest 12 – 12.15 Question & Answer Session – Gillian Miller 12.15 – 12.30 Review & Close – Gillian Miller Tea & Coffee available from 12.30

2. Welcome & Policy Overview Presentation to NE Given by Gillian Miller Date 11/09/12 01

3. Rationale • CSR – greater pressure on resource • Focus available funding on young people, those without basic skills, those seeking work • Maintain access to learning for those outside these groups by providing finance • Income contingent loans: providing insurance against low returns

4. Research and Impact Assessment • 74% of learners surveyed said they might, probably would or definitely would take out a loan for learning • Explaining terms and conditions led to positive views • Aim is that all funding is taken up: 204,000 new enrolments each year • Will require full programme of communications and marketing

5. Communication • Tracker surveys – July, November, February • Communications and marketing activity to commence in September • Testing information materials with learners and providers • Communication through providers, but also centrally

6. Helping the Sector to Prepare • Provider events – July • Skills Funding Agency and Student Loans Company Stakeholder Group • Dialogue with Area Teams • Skills Funding Agency FAQs • LSIS support • Monthly BIS briefing: • http://www.bis.gov.uk/policies/further-education-skills/24-plus-advanced-learning-loans

7. Equality Impact Assessment • Little or no evidence of disproportionate impact on most groups • Learners aged 40+ less likely to react positively to loans – additional research • Exploring Alternative Finance options • Exploring how additional support could be provided to specific groups

8. Timeline • September 2012 – regulations come into force • Autumn 2012 – allocations to providers • April 2013 – loans application system available • August 2013 – learners with loans begin courses

9. Who are the Delivery Partners • Department for Business Innovation and Skills • Skills Funding Agency • Student Loans Company • HM Revenue and Customs

10. 24+ Advanced Learning Loans Information Presentation to NE Given by Pauline Frankland Date 11/09/12 02

11. Qualifications Funded • A Level (including A2s and AS levels) • QAA Access to HE • QCF Level 3 Certificate or Diploma • QCF Level 4 Certificate or Diploma • Advanced Apprenticeships • Higher Apprenticeships • Other publicly funded qualifications/aims at Level 3 or above as approved on LARA.

12. Units of qualifications and awards at Level 3 and 4 are ineligible for funding through a loan. What is not eligible

13. Loan amounts • The minimum loan a learner can apply for is £300. • The maximum funding rates for each type of learning aim/ Apprenticeship framework/ A-level programme will be confirmed by the Agency in January 2013 ahead of the loans application process opening on 1st April 2013. • The maximum loans available for Advanced and Higher Apprenticeships will remain at the co-funded rate to reflect the contribution that employers are expected to make towards the cost of the course.

14. The Course Offer • UKPRN • Learning aim reference number • Learning aim title • Learning aim start date / end date • Fee being charged to the learner • Maximum amount of loan available for learning • Unique Learner Number • Course Location • Apprenticeship Framework Code/Pathway Code

15. Payment to providers Loans payment to providers will be against a flat monthly profile based on start and end dates. Example: Loan £900 to be delivered over 9 months will get 9 separate payments of £100 from Student Loan Company (SLC) subject to attendance confirmation.

16. Previous Study When loans are launched in 2013/14, previous study will not affect a learner’s entitlement to their first loan to follow a further Education Course. If a learner then applies for 2nd loan, SLC will take previous educational Study that has been funded by loans into account.

17. Change ofcircumstances • Alearner or provider will be able to raise a change of circumstance (COC) that may result in a reassessment and change to their loan entitlement. A COC can be raised for the following reasons:- • Change of personal details • Change of learning Aim • Change of loan amount • Withdrawal • Suspension • Resumption • Other

18. Periods of Study • There will be a limit to the period over which a loan can be paid. For instance:- • A Levels – maximum period of 2 years • QAA Access to HE – maximum period of 2 years • QCF level 3 Certificate -maximum period 2 years • QCF level 3 Diploma - maximum 3 years • QCF Level 4 or above Certificate maximum 2 years • QCF level 4 or above Diploma- maximum 3 years • Advanced Apprenticeships – maximum 3 years • Higher Apprenticeships –maximum 3 years

19. Start and End Dates • The learner and the learning provider will have flexibility to amend a learners aim start and end dates. • When the start or end dates are amended prior to any attendance confirmation being made, all payments will be re-profiled to reflect the revised dates.

20. Number of Learning aims • A learner is entitled to a maximum of 4 loans. • A learner can study the four learning aims in any order and there is not a requirement for a learner to be progressing through the Learning aim levels. • Learners will be provided with guidance on the opportunities available to help them make appropriate choices. • For example, a learner may want to study a certificate in a specific trade after completing a Diploma in Management.

21. Further information • The Funding Rules 2013/14 are due to be published in the near future and will go out in update. www.skillsfundingagency.bis.gov.uk . Information is updated in the Frequently asked questions. • Frequently Asked Questions

22. How will I work with the Students Loans Company? Presentation to NE Given byMaggie Wightman Date 11/09/12 03

23. SLC Key Facts (1) • Non profit making Government owned organisation • Student Finance England in any one academic year has: • - over one million applications (1.2million in AY 11/12) for Student Finance • - of whom 500,000 were new applicants that year • - In the month of June 2011 alone SLC processed 153,000 applications for Higher Education • Last year SLC paid out: • - £5.5 billion directly to students in loans and grants • - £2.7 billion in tuition fees to Higher Education Institutions • Repayments: • - SLC manage the debt of 4 million customer and have approximately 3 million customers in repayments • - Last year we collected £1.3 billion in repayments

24. SLC Key Facts (2) SLC are responsible for administering the following products and services • Student Finance England – inclusive of: • Maintenance Loans and Grants • Tuition Fee Loans • Childcare Grant • Disabled Student Allowance • Student Finance Wales – Inclusive of: • Maintenance Loans and Grants • Tuition Fee Loans • Childcare Grants • Disabled Student Allowance • Education Maintenance Allowance • Adults Learning Grant • Student Finance Northern Ireland – • inclusive of: • Maintenance Loans and Grants • Tuition Fee Loans • Childcare Grants • Disabled Student Allowance • Education Maintenance Allowance • Loan Repayments • SLC work with HM Revenue and Customs to collect loan repayments. SLC collect repayments on 'mortgage style' loans issued before 1998 • Bursaries & Scholarships • SLC pay bursaries and scholarships on behalf of universities and colleges • EU • SLC have a dedicated team for dealing with applications from EU students in Higher Education 24

25. Application (1) • Application process will launch in April 2013 for learning aims commencing from 1st August 2013 • Intention to have online application ready for launch • Straight forward eligibility - Non means tested application • Details from course offer given to learner will aid accurate completion of the application • Allows for speedier processing of application if SLC have complete and correct details

26. Application (2) • Learner will be required to complete the following: • Personal Details - Including National Insurance Number (NINO) and ULN - ULN not mandatory for application • College or Training Organisation and Learning Aim Details - Including Start and End dates and Learning Aim Reference Number - Fee provider is charging • Residency Information • Passport details (if held) - No original passports need to be submitted for UK Nationals - Alternative forms of ID can be submitted • Loan amount requested

27. Assessment (1) • SLC will assess the application: • -Check personal eligibility inclusive of age, residency and identity • -Passport number can be checked by link with Identity and Passport Service to verify identity • Checks completed within 24 hours • -Check College or Training Organisation is an approved provider • -Check Learning Aim approved for funding • -Loan requested not more than the Agency maximum or provider fee (whichever is lower) • -NINO verified by link with Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)

28. Assessment (2) • Learner notified of the outcome of the assessment by SLC • - E.G. Approved, Ineligible, Missing Evidence / Information • Dedicated processing team within our processing unit • Majority of applications dealt with by automated processing

29. Learner Provider Portal (1) • Working with an advisory group of cross section of providers and IT Suppliers • -proving input and support into the programme of development of service interactions by drawing on expertise • -Engagement with these groups will be ongoing as the project progresses in addition to wider provider population • Accessible through a dedicated Learner Provider website from March 2013 • Agency will notify SLC of Approved Learning Providers and SLC will upload to the portal

30. Learner Provider Portal (2) • SLC will be in touch providers to establish primary contact – super user access granted • Additional users can be set up by the primary contact with varying levels of access • Landing page will contain any system messages and access to areas of the portal: • -User administration • -Area where providers will view learner details, confirm attendance and view reports

31. View Learner Information (1) • Available May 2013 • View learner data for your organisation – via portal screens and export facility • Learner data will be available on the portal at pre-approval stage • Data will show application status and outcome of the assessment • Search for individuals or groups of learners using a set of filters which will include: • - Learner personal details • - Unique Learner Number (ULN) incl learners with missing ULNs • - Customer Reference Number (CRN) • - Learning aim data • - Fee rate and fee loan values • - Location code / course trainer code (if applicable) • - Valid National insurance number indicator (required before payment can be released)

32. View Learner Information (2) • Summary level data returned from the search • Ability to drill into individual learners details • View history of any previous assessments/re-assessments • Add ULNs where these are missing or correct if required where these have been provided by the learner • Ability to add your own reference number against learners if preferable • Early sight of information for checking prior to attendance confirmations

33. Confirming Attendance/Learning (1) • Available August 2013 • First confirmation of attendance required when the learner has been in attendance for two weeks (initial liability point) then quarterly thereafter • Learners who require an attendance confirmation will be presented on a work list for providers to action • ULN is mandatory prior to attendance confirmation – key identifier across the sector e.g. ILR • Learning providers can submit confirmations via the screens directly or use the export / import function - xml format

34. Confirming Attendance/Learning (2) • Learning providers have the ability to notify SLC when a learner has withdrawn or suspended – learners will not be liable for the remainder of the loan after they have stopped attending • Learning providers have the ability to notify SLC of non attendance. For example, if a learner leaves prior to initial liability point of two weeks or has never attended • SLC will cancel applications for any learners with no attendance confirmation three months after proposed start date • Once attendance has been confirmed after the initial liability point payments will be made on a set date each month

35. Payments • After the 1st attendance confirmation payments are made on a monthly basis – flat profile based on start and end dates • Balancing payment made if learning completed early • Timely payments are facilitated by: • - Checking the learner has a National Insurance Number and help encourage the learner to provide this where missing • - Check ULN is provided and accurate and complete the field if missing • - Check Learning Aim data is accurate • - Confirm attendance in a timely manner

36. Financials and Reports • Statement available of each payment made – view on screen or export • Breakdown of each payment by learners and amounts paid. Any recoveries detailed where applicable • Annual position breakdown: • - Totals of payments scheduled • - Totals of payments received • - Totals of payments blocked • - Totals of any recoveries • - Anticipated that this can shown monthly

37. Change of Circumstances (1) • Learning Providers can submit Change of Circumstances (CoCs) to notify SLC of the following: • - Change of Learning Aim details (with the exception of learning provider – must be a withdrawal) • - Cancellation (prior to liability point) • - Withdrawal • - Suspension • - Resumption

38. Change of Circumstances (2) • Can be done in bulk upload or via portal screens • CoCs may result in reassessment and a change to the loan entitlement • Learning Providers cannot change learner personal details • Audit trail of CoCs submitted available • Reported totals of each category of CoC available • Allows providers to make changes to ensure data aligns with their records / ILR data

39. Summary

40. Learning Provider Support and Resources • Learning Provider Services Website • - Access to the Portal (March 2013) • - Bulletins and updates as we proceed with roll-out preparations e.g. early sight of technical specifications and file formats • - Supporting material for the system • User Guides • E-learning materials • Awareness seminars • Operations helpdesk once systems are live

41. Next Step & Contact Details • Cascade to colleagues who will be responsible for the administration processes • Regularly check our website for updates and key messages • - www.lpservices.slc.co.uk (now live) • Queries on administration/SLC systems contact: • - LPservices@slc.co.uk

42. Tea & Coffee Break

43. How could the introduction of FE Loans impact on my business? Lesley Monaghan 11 September 2012 04

44. Opportunity or challenge? • Loans are the chance to maintain a route into learning for those at level 3 or above in times of reduced public spending • Learners who could not afford to pay for their own learning previously will be able to access a loan • Fixed repayments when earnings raise above £21K • Potential to increase loan ‘facility’ • Impact on your curriculum offer

45. How will loans impact on my 13/14 allocation? • Impact of Comprehensive Spending Review • Initial ‘facility’ based on historical delivery in 2011/12 • Need to manage through current in learning within 13/14 allocation • Initial provider loan ‘facility’ to be issued Autumn • What happens if I am not given a loan ‘facility’? • What if I don’t think my loan ‘facility’ is enough?

46. Performance Management • Agency to monitor uptake of loans • Agency to update sector on emerging demand for loans and amend loan facilities to reflect this

47. Loans Data

48. Other Considerations • How will we ensure our staff are aware of the new arrangements? • How will we manage the loans process? • Fees policy • The curriculum offer • How will we ensure our students/employers are aware of the new arrangements?

49. What information is available to me? Historical delivery information BIS research & impact assessment BIS monthly briefings Skills Funding Agency FAQ’s 24+ALL Update to the Funding Rules expected shortly 11/12 final claims data

50. Timeline September 2012-regulations come into force Autumn 2012-allocations to providers & update to the Funding Rules April 2013-loans applications system available August 2013-learners with loans begin courses