Adult 19+ Learner Support Funds (LSF)

2020-2021

Discretionary learner support funding is made available to support adult learners aged 19+ with meeting some of the costs associate with learning.

Please read through these notes and complete the application form at the back.

If you require any help with completing this form, or have any queries after reading the notes, please speak to a member of Learner Services telephone 01422 399367 or call into Learner Services on A Floor.

Whilst all applications will be considered individually, support is not guaranteed. Any award of funding is for 1st August 2020 to 31st July 2021 only. If your course continues beyond this date, you will need to submit a new application for the following academic year, if you are still eligible to apply.

Information regarding the following funds is available from the Leaner Services Team:

Adult Education 19+ Learner Support Fund (Discretionary) - A fund provided by the Skills Funding Agency (SFA) to help learners experiencing financial difficulties.

Advanced Learner Loans Bursary Fund - A fund provided by the Skills Funding Agency (SFA) to help learners in receipt of a Learning Loan experiencing financial difficulties.

Percival Whitley Educational Trust Fund - A fund donated locally to support and enhance the academic and personal development of individual learners (you would apply using the LSF form) Apprentices may apply for support through this scheme only.

All funds are managed by Calderdale College. The Learner Support Fund operates within the “Good Practice” guidelines recommended by the Skills Funding Agency (SFA). The funds are managed and administered by Learner Services.

In order to satisfy the general eligibility for applying to the Learner Support Funds (LSF), learners must:

be at least 19 years old on the 31 August 2020

be enrolled on or intending to enrol on a course which is funded by the SFA.

have applied for an Advanced Learner Loan if you are aged 24+ studying Level 3 or above or aged 19-23 that has already achieved a full Level 3 qualification previously.

be a “home student”. (Please see Learner Services for a definition of this).

be in receipt of an eligible income-based benefit, or be dependent upon somebody who is. Please see page 15 which details acceptable benefits & evidence

not be a paid apprentice. (You can apply for Percival Whitley Funds only)

not be in prison or in a young offender institution or who has been released on temporary license for example on day release

Application forms can be obtained from Learner Services or downloaded from the college website or Moodle.

Please fill in all the shaded sections and those applicable to your application. Please provide photocopied documentary evidence where requested. Incomplete or illegible forms will be returned to you, so please print clearly and ensure all evidence requested is handed in with your application.

Personal Details - It is essential that you complete all the boxes in this section. You will need to be enrolled on the course that you are requesting assistance with before your application can be assessed.

Reason you feel need financial assistance – Please write a statement as to why you feel you need financial assistance towards the cost of your study.

Course Details - Please complete your full course details including any additional maths and English courses. If your course involves any time on placement, you must ask your tutor to fill in the placement start date, end date and to sign that section. Please note no applications can be processed unless you are enrolled on a course at Calderdale College

Travel to College:

Please state the daily cost of travel to college. As a general rule, travel will not be paid for those who live less than 2 miles away from their study place.

All payments are made on a monthly basis, subject to satisfactory attendance & behaviour, and are based on 75% of a Student Mcard (£25.40 per week) or 75% of a Metro Day (£5.50 per day) Residents of Calderdale travelling by bus only should be able to purchase a £11.00 weekly pass on board local services in certain areas.

Assistance is not available to cover fuel costs.

Compulsory course exam/registration/residential/materials fees - Support may be available for your main course only, exact costs are required. You must submit your LSF application form in person to Learner Services as you will be given an indemnity form to take with you to enrolment, if your application is accepted. Assistance with fees will be via internal transfer to the relevant college department. If you have applied for an Advanced Learning Loan to cover your tuition fee costs you must supply your Learning Loan reference number on page 7 of the LSF application form.

College Meal Deal – Only available if you are aged 19-24 in receipt of an Education and Health Care plan (apprentices not included)

Other Financial Support Needs - Your tutor will advise you about any essential equipment you need for your course. We have been provided essential equipment costs from course tutors so we will automatically award 75% of the amount we have been advised for the course you are studying. There is a £15.00 stationery grant which is awarded to all other learners where no other specialist equipment is funded.

Please state any other hardship support you feel you require (e.g.) University interview travel costs, educational visit costs etc., this can be made at the start or in-year. Evidence of associated costs must be provided.

Childcare:

You must submit this form with the Child/children’s birth certificate and relevant financial evidence (see page 15) to Learner Services before this form can be processed

You may use a childcare provider of your choice, provided the carer is registered with OFSTED. A full list of registered carers is available from the Children’s Information Service, Northgate House, Halifax, 01422 253053 or via the website:

http://www.calderdale.gov.uk/education/childcare/providers/index.jsp

Financial assistance for childcare is only available in accordance with your timetable. If you use the childcare outside your timetabled sessions, you will be liable for the payment for those sessions.

Please discuss your application with a student adviser if you have any doubts about the amount of childcare you should be claiming. All payments are made direct to the childcare provider on receipt of their invoice. Childcare will not be payable if another parent/guardian is available and able to look after the child. LSF does not pay for childcare registration fees. Retainers for College holidays, (where applicable) are paid at half the agreed fee, with the exception of one Christmas week in December and the summer break, where no fees are payable by LSF.

Please note that the daily amounts payable by the Learner Support Fund are up to a maximum of:

£45.00 per child per day - £28.00 per session for a nursery

£32.00 per child per day - £19.00 per session for a child-minder

£9.00 per child per day for before school care

£16.00 per child per day for after school care

There is an overall maximum amount payable of £8000 per learner for the academic year.

Income-based benefit details - Please see page 15 for the evidence needed.

Bank details - Please provide your full account details. Successful applicants will receive notification of payment in writing. Direct payments to the learner will be by the bank automated clearing system (BACS).

Data protection: Please read this section on how your data is used & managed

Declaration and signing - Please read this section carefully before signing.

Priority groups – Please read the statements tick any that apply to you.

Ethnicity - Please tick the appropriate box.

Where did you hear about the fund? - Please tick the relevant box

What happens next?

Please hand your completed form to a Student Adviser in Learner Services, who will check your form. You may also post your application to:

Calderdale College, Learner Support Fund, Freepost HX2004, Francis Street, HALIFAX, HX1 3BR or email it to adviceguidance@calderdale.ac.uk

Please note that no acknowledgement of receipt of your application form will be given. Please contact Learner Services on 01422 399367 if you wish to confirm your application has been received.

Your application will be considered using guidelines and formulae determined by the Learner Support Panel. If you have any questions, please contact Learner Services.

All decisions will be given in writing and will include how and when you will receive any payments due. We aim to contact you within 10 working days to advise you of your provisional award. However, due to the high volume of applications, any forms submitted in the first term may take longer. No applications will be assessed until the first week of September 2020 and you are enrolled on a course.

After your application is processed, you will receive a letter confirming your provisional award & we will check registers to ensure you have commenced your course and have attended scheduled lessons for at least 4 weeks. Please note that no payments will be made until we have verified on registers that you are attending. If your application is for fees, you will be liable for any outstanding fees until regular attendance is verified. If you have a valid reason for non-attendance or a financial hardship or special circumstances please discuss this with a student adviser or progress coach prior to your payment date (where possible).

Please note if you do not adhere to college attendance & behavioural standards bursary payments may be suspended or withdrawn all together without notice.

Any award of funding applies for the academic year 2020-2021 and in no way implies either a successful application or a continuation of funding for any subsequent year. If your course continues from 1st August 2021, you will need to re-apply for any financial assistance, if you meet the eligibility criteria.

Appeals

If your application is unsuccessful, you will be notified in writing and the reason will be stated. You may appeal against any decision made by writing to the Head of Learner Services at the above address within 5 working days of receiving your notification of the original decision. All appeals will be considered by the Head of Learner Services and their decision will be final.

If your financial circumstances alter during the period of your study, please contact Learner Services. This could lead to an amendment to the value of your financial assistance. If you withdraw from a programme you may be required to repay all or part of the money awarded. If your personal circumstances alter (i.e.) change of address or change of bank details, please submit these changes in writing, signed and dated, to Learner Services within 1 week of the change.

There is an overall closing date of Friday 25th June 2021, after which no applications can be accepted for this academic year.

If your application is successful your bursary will be paid monthly on the following dates:

30th October 2020	29th January 2021	30th April 2021
30th November 2020	26th February 2021	31st May 2021
31st December 2020	31st March 2021

Please do not hesitate to drop into Learner Services to discuss your application or telephone us on 01422 399367. The Learner Services team are always happy to help.

Learner Support Funds Formulae and Criteria for 2020/2021

APPLICATION FOR:	CRITERIA	SUPPORT GIVEN
Travel	Any learner in receipt of an income based benefit. Living over 2 miles from their study centre.	75% max up to the cost of Student Plus Metro Card (current cost £25.40 per week or £5.50 per day). You will need to complete a Student Mcard application form available from Metro and provide proof you are a student along with the completed form. £11.00 weekly bus travel pass available to Calderdale residents to purchase on bus. (no fuel costs, public travel costs only)
Course registration /exam/residential or materials fee	Any learner in receipt of an income based benefit	Full-time: full cost of any compulsory fees charged for your main course No assistance for full-cost recovery course fees
Childcare (20+)	Any learner in receipt of an income based benefit	Nursery: Up to £45.00 max per day per child (2 sessions) or £28.00 max per day per child (1 session) Child-minder: up to £32 maximum per day per child (2 sessions) or £19 maximum per day per child (1 session) Retainers at half the agreed cost (except 1 week in December and the full Summer break when no fees are payable by LSF) Before/After School Care: £9.00/£16.00 maximum per session (no retainers payable) Maximum of £8000 per learner per academic year
Other financial support needs (equipment, trips etc.)	Any learner in receipt of an income based benefit	75% up to a max of £425.00 per learner, per academic year £15.00 stationery grant for learners where no other specialist equipment has been funded.
Expenses for H.E interviews only	Any learner in receipt of an income based benefit.	Any reasonable costs up to 100% of expenses at the discretion of the Learner Services Manager.

Staff use only A&G Initials Date accepted Date submitted

Adult 19+ Learner Support Funds 2020-2021

(Provisional)

Please ensure you have read the Adult 19+ Learner Support Fund (LSF) Guidance Notes 2020-2021 before you complete this form.

The shaded boxes are for essential information, so please ensure they are completed.

Personal Details

Student ID

Title	Address

Forename

Surname

Date of Birth	Post Code

Contact No

Have you been resident in the UK for 3 years or more, other than for the purpose of education?	YES	NO

(If no, please state the country you normally reside in and see Advice & Guidance)

Learners aged 24+ studying a qualification at Level 3 or above & learners aged 19-24 who are already hold a level 3 qualification must apply for a Learning Loan & complete the following information:

I confirm I will be applying for an Advanced Learning Loan

Advanced Learning Loans Customer

Reference Number (if already known)

Have you applied for any of the following:

Care to Learn

Do any of the following apply to you?

A paid apprentice	An ex-offender released on a temporary license A carer aged 18-25

Please state why you feel like you need financial assistance towards the costs of your study:

Benefits	Low income

Other (please state)

Course Details

Full course title(s)

MON	TUES	WED	THUR	FRI	SAT
Start time
End time

Days attending College

/ / / / Course start date	Course end date

If the course involves a placement and you are applying for assistance with travel, your tutor must complete and authorise this section:

Date placement starts	Placement days

Date placement ends

Tutor Name	Tutor Signature

Please complete any of the following sections that are relevant to your application.

£ Travel to College Total costs of public transport travel per day:

Please submit travel receipts for one week’s travel to College as evidence

Evidence for travel was seen on	Adviser Signature

In the case of specialist transport (e.g.) taxi, please provide proof of why you need specialist transport and complete the following:

Company name	Telephone number

Course Fees (Excludes Tuition Fees)

£ £ Examination fee	Registration fee

Materials fee	£	Residential fee	£

College Meal Deals (aged 19 to 25 only)

Learners aged 19 to 25 with an EHC plan (must not be an apprentice)

Please provide a copy of your current plan.

Other financial support needs

Please state any further financial support needs you feel you need in addition to the above categories. Please supply details in the box below & attach any relevant documents to support your claim (E.g. household bills, bank statements, legal documents, HE interview invitation letter & travel receipts, professional body registration fee costs etc.). Any essential equipment costs will be paid at the price supplied by your course tutor for 2019-2020. Please note this is a discretionary fund, support is not guaranteed.

Childcare for learners aged 20+ (To be completed by the learner)

The LSF will only fund childcare in accordance with your timetabled hours.

Childcare can only be paid to an OFSTED registered childcare provider.

You can only claim childcare assistance for children who you claim child benefit for, therefore you need to submit proof of this i.e.: birth certificate(s) or a letter from the Child Benefit Office stating the child’s name.

A copy of the childcare agreement on page 11 & 12 will be sent to you if your application is successful

If your application is not successful, you are liable for any childcare costs incurred.

Please state below full details of your childcare requirements for each child:

Name of child 1	Child’s date of birth

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

Date childcare to start	Date childcare to finish

(Must not be earlier than 01/08/19)

Childcare provider name:

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Please state start & end times required daily

Name of child 2	Child’s date of birth

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

Date childcare to start	Date childcare to finish

(Must not be earlier than 01/08/19)

Childcare provider name:

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Please state start & end times required daily

If you are applying for assistance for more than 2 children, please submit all the above information on a separate sheet of paper.

Please read, sign & date the Childcare Agreement on pages 11 & 12

Please pass this form to your childcare provider(s) & ask them to complete page 13 & if required, page 14. If you are using more than 2 childcare providers, you must ask each provider to complete details as on page 10

You must submit this form with the relevant evidence, to Learner Services on A floor.

Learner Support Fund – Childcare Agreement

Please ensure you read the following information on page 11 & 12 carefully

I am applying for assistance with childcare through the Learner Support Funds (LSF) through Calderdale College for the academic year 2020-2021 & I understand & Agree to the following:

Any payments awarded to me apply to this academic year only, and if I intend to continue my studies in the next academic year, I must submit a new application for that year if eligible.

All payments will be paid direct to the childcare provider in receipt of their invoice

The LSF will fund my childcare to the agreed amount as stated in the confirmation letter up to the following maximum amounts per child per day:

£45.00 (£28.00 for one session) for a nursery.

£32.00 (£19.00 for one session) for a childminder

£9.00 for before school care & £16.00 for after school care

I understand that there is an overall maximum payable of £8,000 per learner for the academic year.

Any amounts due to the childcare provider above the agreed amount will be funded by myself.

If at any time I become eligible for other sources of funding (e.g.) 2 or 3 year old LEA funding, I will inform Learner Services within 1 week of the change.

The LSF will not pay any childcare registration fees to my provider, this is my responsibility.

The LSF will pay any due retainers for College holidays at half the agreed fee, except the summer break & the 1st week of the Christmas holidays where no fee will be paid by the LSF

No retainers for College holidays will be paid by the LSF for before/after school care as this is a term-time only service

If there are any changes to my timetable which will affect the amount of childcare I need, I must inform Learner Services in writing within 1 week of the change. If the change means I may need to increase the amount of childcare I need, this must first be agreed with the LSF administrator or I will be eligible for the extra childcare costs.

If I wish to change my childcare provider, I must speak to Learner Services first, I understand 4 weeks’ notice must be given to the original childcare provider before funding can be confirmed & paid to another.

Any changes to my childcare application must be submitted in writing, signed & dated.

.

Please note in addition to the above points, if you do not adhere to any of the following statements, you may also incur childcare costs:

All payments are dependent on attendance & if my attendance or behaviour is deemed unacceptable the college will give written notice on my childcare place.

If my application is unsuccessful I will be liable for any incurred childcare costs.

If I withdraw from my course, I must confirm this is writing to Learner Services within 1 week of my withdrawal. If I fail to do this, I understand that I will be liable for any due costs.

If I take holidays during term-time, I will be liable for the childcare costs for the duration of the holiday.

I understand that my attendance & that of my child(ren) will be monitored on a regular basis & if my attendance falls below acceptable levels notice will be given on my childcare place. I agree to contact Learner Services if I envisage any attendance problems.

Childcare will only be paid in accordance with my timetable & I confirm that the childcare I have requested is correct in accordance with this. If I have knowingly given incorrect information I will be liable for the incurred childcare costs.

If I am absent from college, I must not use the childcare provision unless the absence is related to my course (e.g.) placement or organised trip.

Please sign below to say you have read, understood & agree to all the above 18 points on pages 10 and 11. .

Name of learner -----------------------------------	Signature	-----------------------------------

Signature of Adviser	Date

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

Childcare (This page must only be completed by the childcare provider)

Provider name

OFSTED Reg number

Childcare provider address

Postcode

Telephone number	Email

As all payments are made by BACS, please would you either provide your bank details here or submit them with your first invoice, if the learner’s application is successful.

Bank	Account number

Sort code	A/C holder name

If you have completed the bank details above, please sign here to verify the details are correct:

Name	Signature

I confirm that I/we are providing childcare for the following child(ren) for the hours stated on page 10:

Child 1 name:

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

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Total cost per day (maximum £45.00)

Child 2 name

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

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Total cost per day (maximum £45.00)

Childcare- if using a 2nd provider (This page must only be completed by the childcare provider)

Provider name

OFSTED Reg number

Childcare provider address

Postcode

Telephone number	Email address

As all payments are made by BACS, please would you either provide your bank details here or submit them with your first invoice, if the learner’s application is successful.

Bank	Account number

Sort code	A/C holder name

If you have completed the bank details above, please sign here to verify the details are correct:

Name	Signature

I confirm that I/we are providing childcare for the following child(ren) for the hours stated on page 10:

Child 1 name:

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

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Total cost per day (maximum £45.00)

Child 2 name

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

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Total cost per day (maximum £45.00)

Income Details - If you are in receipt of any of the following benefits, or if you are dependent on somebody who is, please tick the relevant box and provide the relevant evidence:

Benefit	Evidence needed

Confirmation letter (no more than 3 months prior to enrolling) or Proof of Benefit Form stamped by the Benefits Agency or most recent bank statements showing last 3 payments of the benefit

Job Seekers Allowance (JSA) or

(Income based only)

Employment Support Allowance (ESA)

(Income based only)

Confirmation letter (no more than 3 months prior to enrolling) or Proof of Benefit Form stamped by the Benefits Agency or most recent bank statements showing last 3 payments the benefit Income Support

Housing Benefit*	Current Confirmation letter	for 2020-2021

Council Tax Benefit*	Current Confirmation letter for 2020-2021

(Not single occupier discount)

Working Tax Credit*	Current award notice for 2020-2021

(Where income is less than £15,736.50)	(Not a provisional award)

Pensions Credit*	Current Confirmation letter

(Only where Guarantee Credit is received)

Universal Credit	Current confirmation letter showing full award elements or

journal print out detailing award elements from the last 3 months online.

Please discuss evidence with an adviser if you need help

Studying1st full level 2 or full level 3

qualification, with an annual income P60, SA302 or tax credit award notice for 2019-2020

below £15736.50 (single person) or below

£26,161.50 (if a couple) in tax year 2019-2020.

Bank Details Please submit full details of your account so we can make direct payments to your bank account for any equipment or travel costs.

Account holders name*	Bank name*

Account Number

Sort code *	(usually 8 digits)

Managing your data: The information on this application form is in line with the Data Protection Act (2018). After you have submitted the application form to Learner Services, the only people who will see this form are: members of Calderdale College Learner Services, members of the LSF appeals panel and College & external auditors. The College will put the information you give onto Pay My Student software to assist with record keeping (please see text below as to how they use your data). Details of your name and total award(s) and payment details are passed to the Calderdale College Finance Unit to enable payments to be made. Whilst tutors and progress coaches may be contacted to clarify and confirm attendance and equipment costs, your personal circumstances will be kept confidential, in accordance with the Data Protection Act. As per the General Data Protection Regulations Policy (GDPR), the Learner Services department will manage any breaches in accordance with the rules set out by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and guidance incorporated into Calderdale College’s Data Protection policy (2018).
The Skills Funding Agency (SFA) and its agents may use the information contained in this application alongside your Individual Learning Record (ILR) data for the evaluation and development and audit purposes of the Learner Support Funds.

From June 2018 Calderdale College will be using an external third party system called Pay My Student to process applications and payments. Please see the statement below with regards to how The Commercial Applications Company Limited (CACL) use your data through Pay My Student:

“We have addressed GDPR data protection requirements that are applicable to data processors and will continue to be vigilant, to ensure we handle any developing requirements.
Our network and systems are built to be PCI DSS (https://www.pcisecuritystandards.org/security_standards) compliant and as such are scanned quarterly for vulnerabilities. PCI DSS is a setup of compliance rules defined by Visa and MasterCard amongst others to try to prevent fraud and other nefarious and criminal activities. We pride ourselves on having achieved this level of security and compliance and it means that your data is held is a very secure environment and is protected by some of the industry’s best security appliances.

We will promptly inform you if any of your data is lost, processed unlawfully, destroyed or becomes damaged, corrupted or unusable. This is subject to us being either made aware of a system breach or our regular log checking reveals such activity or other means of notification.”

For full details on Calderdale College’s Data Protection policy and the CACL policy statement in full please access either: http://www.calderdale.ac.uk/content/view/study-at-calderdale/financial-support or the financial support page on Learner Services Moodle.

Declaration and Signature

I have read and understood the 19+ Adult Learner Support Fund Guidance Notes 2020-2021 with this form and I agree with the statement on Data Protection on page 15 of this form.

I declare that the information I have given is correct to the best of my knowledge.

I agree to notify Learner Services, in writing, within 1 week of any changes in my financial or personal situation (e.g. change of address, change of bank details).

I understand that if I give false information, that my award may be suspended or terminated with immediate effect and that I may be reported and/or prosecuted.

I understand that it is my responsibility to inform the DWP or any Government body about any awards I receive through LSF & that any awards I receive may affect my eligibility for benefits.

I understand that all financial awards may be subject to change or withdrawal in accordance with any changes to funding rules by the Skills Funding Agency. If this occurs we will inform you of any change to the amount we can fund or withdrawal of financial support in writing.

I am not being funded by another organisation or person for associated college costs.

I consent to my data being processed and stored as advised in the Data protection statements on this form

Yes	No

If not I only consent to data being stored and processed within Calderdale College’s system and not the external Pay My Student system.

Yes	No	*

*Please note: If you do not consent to this information being held in either of these ways we may be unable to process your application in a timely manner, or at all in accordance with the Skills Funding Agency’s audit evidence rules. Please speak to a Student Adviser if you need further information

Signature of applicant:	Date

Where did you hear about the fund?	Learner Services	Tutor	Progress Coach

Other (please state)

There is an overall closing date of Friday 25th June 2021, after which no applications can be accepted for this academic year.

Please hand this completed form to Learner Services, email to adviceguidance@calderdale.ac.uk or send to the following freepost address:

Calderdale College,

Learner Services, Learner Support Fund, Freepost HX2004, Francis Street, Halifax, HX1 3BR