Earn upto £3,500 for 30 minutes work!!! 'Access to Learning Fund'

00ec25

Fogs wrote: »

Do you have any idea what my chances are of getting a fund? As I have applied for it and mainly relying on getting help as a case of being able to live.

your chance depends 100% on the results of the means test, we can't see your figures so none of us can say in your case

as a final year student:
- you are treated as a priority group, but there are other groups with greater priority above you! (eg. students with kids, mature students, disabled , care leavers )

- will still be expected to have some income from working but the amount used in the means test is about 1/3 of the expected figure for a non finalist since, as you say, finalists are not expected to work as much as non finalists but they are still expected to have some income

- your actual rent costs will be considered but are subject to a cap that varies with your location

- your other actual living costs (food, phone, gas/electric, TV, insurance, water) are irrelevant as they must use a set figure, this is to ensure that profilgate people do not get "rewarded" for "fast" living

- if you have existing debts then only "priority" ones can be included in your outgoings. The priority ones include arrears for rent and utilities

Please also do use your uni welfare / advice centre, your union may have a welfare service but your uni staff will also offer advice. Those staff are experts on money management and are there to help students, they are very good at it
Your uni does not want its students dropping out and will try its best to help but please appreciate that funds are limited and have to be rationed, so it is not guaranteed that you will pass a means test just because you outgoings are more than your income, but staff may advise you on other sources of funding and/or benefits etc so do listen to them and use them fully

JimmyJar

My mates kid got the funding, depends upon uni to uni but I think if you detail thoroughly and show all outgoings etc then you should have a good chance.

Remember there are also 'rich' kids who apply for these things and have the ability to lie through their teeth............however their new Louis V bag is so worth it.....:(

00ec25

JimmyJar wrote: »

Remember there are also 'rich' kids who apply for these things and have the ability to lie through their teeth............however their new Louis V bag is so worth it.....:(

there are some basic checks which will be done in every case. Idiots who cheat can get caught, just like the nursing student did here. What they had not appreciated is that nursing is not just about exams, they also have to be "fit and proper" people. As that person had attempted fraud they were send down by the uni and reported to the nursing council who debarred them from being a student ever again. So... kicked out of uni and now looking for a new career to go with their LV bag!

saleb

Hi,
Just a quick question I have just been assessed for the ALF but have noticed on the form it states 1 for extra children does anybody know what the annual amount of expenditure is per child? Its just that I have 3 children and unsure of whether their calculation is correct.
Thanks in advance if anyone can answer this question.

00ec25

saleb wrote: »

Hi,
Just a quick question I have just been assessed for the ALF but have noticed on the form it states 1 for extra children does anybody know what the annual amount of expenditure is per child? Its just that I have 3 children and unsure of whether their calculation is correct.
Thanks in advance if anyone can answer this question.

rather than me quote pages of figures covering the many different permutations please answer the following:

- are you in London or outside London?
- do you have a partner or are you a single parent?
- are you a 39, 43 or 52 week course?

the basic cost allowance is £85 per week for the first child and £67 per week per child thereafter but the above questions result in further allowances on top of that

child care costs are of course a completely different subject

saleb

Hi,
Thank you for your help, yes I am a single parent student nurse, I have 3 children and I live outside of London.

The assessment states that I have an allowance of 67 per week in total but the number of children states 1 so I think they may have assessed this wrong.

Thanks again for your help.

00ec25

saleb wrote: »

The assessment states that I have an allowance of 67 per week in total but the number of children states 1 so I think they may have assessed this wrong.

Yes its wrong, as you are a nurse I'll assume you are assessed over 52 (*) weeks at outside London rate, the following is then technically the correct way to set it out

"composite living costs" at 2012/13 ALF rates are:
lone parent cost £73 per week + family supplement £18 per week + child cost (£67 x 3) per week = £292 per week x 52 = £15,184 per course year

I think students can get to the guidance as well as staff so if this link works see chapter 4 para 4.66 then you can check you entire assessment
http://www.practitioners.slc.co.uk/media/329634/chapter_4_2012.13_nhs_amendments_28_june_2012.pdf

(*) assumes you are a full time student in receipt of non means tested NHS bursary, if you are part time or have only the means tested NHS bursary then the assessment period above is wrong and would need to be redone

petermckee7

is £3500 the limit the Access to learning Fund team are allowed to give to an individual? if so, what would I need to write that would qualify me for this sum of money. Basically I am asking for ideas on what to include in the 'perfect' application

Indie_Kid

petermckee7 wrote: »

is £3500 the limit the Access to learning Fund team are allowed to give to an individual? if so, what would I need to write that would qualify me for this sum of money. Basically I am asking for ideas on what to include in the 'perfect' application

You should only apply if you need it. Not because you want the moeny. There are many students out there who need this money. It seems as though you don't need it - you just want it.

00ec25

petermckee7 wrote: »

is £3500 the limit the Access to learning Fund team are allowed to give to an individual? if so, what would I need to write that would qualify me for this sum of money. Basically I am asking for ideas on what to include in the 'perfect' application

this is finite Govt funding allocated to every university in Eng/Wales so the pot is small and the jam is now spread very thinly. Your university is free to decide the max amount it gives out which may be less than 3.5K as that was the limit when this thread started several years ago

you will be assessed on the basis of your actual need drawing on the facts and supporting documents you provide.

I am sorry but I find your concept of "a perfect application" suggestive of an intent to massage reality. Be aware that if you lie and are found out when University staff check your application they will report you to the University Secretary (or whoever handles student discipline) and the repercussions for you could be grave. Staff deal with loads of these applications and know what to look for, for example the person who was sent down (see my earlier post) had "doctored" their online bank statement which the staff easily spotted as they know what most bank's statements look like

at the end of the day you can walk in the door with the "perfect" application showing you spend vast sums of money and have a huge shortfall over your income. This will be ignored. The ALF calculation uses set figures for most expenditure items (for obvious reasons) and those where actual figures are used must be supported by documentary proof.

so if your question is innocent then the best advice is :
- tell the truth;
- declare all your sources of income as you will be asked to prove: a) you have claimed all your loan entitlements and b) have some employment income, or a valid reason why you can't. eg: disability;
- declare your housing cost and provide evidence;
- ignore what you spend on living costs as the calculation uses set figures to eliminate profligate spenders ; and
- provide evidence of all your bank accounts.