Agenda – 24+ ALL Event

9.30 – 9.45 Welcome & Background – Gillian Miller9.45 – 10.30 24+ ALL Information Pauline Frankland10.30 – 11 How will I work with the Students Loans

Company? – Maggie Wightman11 – 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 Forrest12 – 12.15 Question & Answer Session – Gillian Miller

12.15 – 12.30 Review & Close – Gillian MillerTea & Coffee available from 12.30

Welcome & Policy

Overview

Presentation to NE Given by Gillian Miller

Date 11/09/12

01

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

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

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

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

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

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

Who are the Delivery

Partners

• Department for Business Innovation and Skills• Skills Funding Agency• Student Loans Company• HM Revenue and Customs

24+ Advanced Learning Loans

Information

Presentation to NE Given by Pauline Frankland

Date 11/09/12

02

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.

What is not eligible

• Units of qualifications and awards at Level 3 and 4 are ineligible for funding through a loan.

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.

•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

The Course Offer

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.

Previous Study

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

Change ofcircumstances• A learner 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

•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

Periods of Study

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.

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.

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

How will I work with the

Students Loans Company?

Presentation to NE Given by Maggie Wightman

Date 11/09/12

03

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

SLC Key Facts (2)

24

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

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

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

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

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 identityChecks 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)

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

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

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

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)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Summary

Learner

Learner completes learning aim

Learning Provider

Learning Provider confirms attendance quarterly

SLC

Payments are made each month

Learning Provider

Leaner attends for 2 weeks and attendance is then confirmed by Learning Provider

Learning Provider

Learning Provider can view data on Learning Provider Portal

SLC

Application is assessed

Learner

Learner completes application and submits with all required supporting evidence

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

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

Tea & Coffee Break

How could the introduction

of FE Loans impact on my

business?

Lesley Monaghan

11 September 2012

04

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

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?

Performance Management

• Agency to monitor uptake of loans• Agency to update sector on emerging demand for

loans and amend loan facilities to reflect this

Loans Data

Region

Number of providers with FE loans provision of 20% and over

Average % of provision affected

GFE Average %

LA Average %

ITP Average %

NE 6 9% 15% 8% 8%YH 4 7% 12% 7% 6%

LCL 7 9% 14% 9% 8%

SW 5 11% 14% 8% 10%

EM 5 8% 12% 7% 6%WM 5 8% 12% 9% 6%

CE 0 7% 12% 5% 7%SC 10 10% 12% 13% 7%LN&E or LS&W 15 10% 13% 12% 10%MCWS 9 9% 14% 4% 8%

SE 2 8% 12% 9% 8%

TV 8 9% 13% 5% 8%

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?

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

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

Areas for clarificationor additional support?

Supporting providers with the introduction of 24+ Advanced Learning Loans

11th SeptemberColin Forrest

Progress with development of the Support Service

• Published Draft Prospectus for consultation

• Feedback from providers survey and at briefings

• Working on service design and revised Prospectus

• Development Team and Plan in place

Provider Survey Findings

• On-line survey link distributed: Briefing registrants, AELP members, SFA Update, LSIS newsletter

• 168 responses of which 158 attended briefings

• Mainly FE and WBL providers

• Mainly lead providers

Provider Survey FindingsImplications for Providers

Levels of understanding of……

  Low     High

How loans will operate? 2% 11% 56% 31%

The impact of loans on your learners?

4% 27% 51% 18%

The impact of loans on your organisation?

3% 34% 46% 17%

Provider Survey FindingsImplications for Providers

Remain broadly the same offer 20%

Some changes to the current offer 40%

Significant changes to the current offer 36%

Unlikely to continue delivering to this cohort 5%

How do expect your offer to change from 2013?

Provider Survey FindingsImplications for LSIS Support

Prefer Support Option Don't Favour

89% Network briefing pack 11%

86% Toolkits 14%

81% Rolling FAQ Digest 19%

80% Online self-diagnostic health-check 20%

80% Face-to-face seminars 20%

72% Consultancy 28%

68% Online practise sharing seminars 32%

65% Case-studies 35%

Provider Survey FindingsImplications for LSIS Support

Only if freeExpect to be

free but might consider a fee

Would pay

On-line practise sharing seminars 74% 24% 2%

Consultancy advice for provider groups, consortia, or networks 45% 43% 12%

Face-to-face seminars 43% 45% 13%

One-to-one consultancy 32% 36% 33%

Themes for Support

Will need some or significant support(Managing Learners)

 

Loan suspension, or early termination 55%

Information, advice and guidance 52%

Managing employer and learner contributions

52%

Eligibility and Recruitment 44%

Enrolment and induction 37%

Learner attendance and reporting 35%

Complaints and customer service 30%

Learner Retention 29%

Learner support - teaching and learning 26%

Will need some or significant support(Managing Organisations)

Marketing & communications 48%

Employer engagement 45%

Strategy and planning 38%

Fee-setting 36%

Collaborative strategy for leads and for sub-contractors

36%

Inspection 34%

Data/ILR 33%

Provider funding 30%

Quality improvement/Quality assurance 29%

Budget Management 27%

Staff 24%

Curriculum 21%

Equality and diversity 19%

Targets for Support

2012/13 Allocations * Adult Skills Budget

  £M

College 1,428 63%

Private Company or Partnership 600 27%

Local Authority 109 5%

Third Sector 89 4%

Other 20 1%

University 4 0%

  2,251  

* From ROTO / Allocations data

Support offer v2

• Four Toolkits will be the core of the offer

• More expansive and integrated with diagnostics and case-studies

• Toolkit theme proposals: o Strategy and planningo Financial analysis and planningo Communications, marketing and engagemento Quality

Support offer v2

• Case-studies will now not be free-standing but part of the above tool-kits

• Each toolkit will have a core diagnostic and other diagnostics on individual elements

• Once all toolkits have been completed an overall diagnostic may be created.

• Briefing packs will be included in each toolkit, for networks or providers to use

Support offer v2

• FAQ will be retained and updated monthly

• Online seminars – themes to be agreed, free.

• Face-to-face events will reflect toolkit themes, programme to be published in Sept. Cost recovery fee.

• Consultancy will be available at cost and individually tailored to providers’ needs

Timetable

Next version of Prospectus early Septwith seminar programmes

First toolkit published October

Consultant team available October

Seminars start October

Second and third toolkits Nov/Dec

Fourth toolkit March

Potential Priorities

For providers:

We recommend you start by looking at how many learners 24+ are on existing advanced level courses and how many of your level 2 learners usually progress to level 3. This will provide some indication of potential learner numbers. If you are a lead contractor you will need to consult with your sub-contractors.

If your forecasts indicate substantial impact then you will need to look at the full range of issues that are detailed in our support prospectus: http://www.excellencegateway.org.uk/24plusloans

Resources

Email:24plusloans@lsis.org.uk

Web site for Support Programme:

http://www.excellencegateway.org.uk/node/21343

FAQs

http://repository.excellencegateway.org.uk/fedora/objects/eg:2105/datastreams/DOC/content

Questions & Answer Session

Gillian Miller

Review & Close

Gillian Miller