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Application process
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The application process explained
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The following guide should help you understand what part you play in the application process, who is responsible at each point and how long you can expect the process to take.
The process follows a number of steps:
- Making your application (if you are a new student) find out more
- Making your application (if you are a continuing student) find out more
- Having your application supported by a parent, spouse or partner find out more
- The application being assessed by your Education and Library Board find out more
- Your student support being confirmed and prepared for payment find out more
- Your attendance on your course being confirmed by your university or college find out more
- Your student support being paid find out more
| Step One: Making your application |
| a)new students |
| Who is responsible? |
Students who have not yet commenced their studies |
| What happens? |
You can obtain an application form by :
- downloading one from this site
- submitting an application here online
- Asking for Form PN1 and accompanying guidance from your Education and Library Board (ELB)
Once you have completed your application you can nominate your sponsor(s) if you are a dependent student (i.e. you depend upon a parent, carer or partner for financial support). They can then submit their details online or complete a paper application form.
It is extremely important that you provide us with your National Insurance Number since this will be required to enable the collection of Student Loan repayment deductions from your salary when you enter repayment.
SLC will not make any loan payments until your Nino has been verified by the DWP. If they cannot match or/trace your details, then SLC will contact you to explain what to do next.
If you do not have a NINO, SLC may release your first payment if proof is received that you are actively trying to obtain a Nino.
You will be required to supply a range of documentation to support your application. If you were born in the UK or ROI you will be asked to provide your original birth certificate (or adoption certificate) or your passport. If you were born abroad you will be asked to provide your current passport or a letter or other documents filled in by a responsible person, confirming information about your birth. The PN1 form will provide details of the supporting evidence required from you and your family. Depending on your circumstances your ELB may request further evidence from you.
If you apply on paper, you should send the application form plus accompanying evidence of identity and / or income (as outlined to you on your application) to your ELB. If you apply online, you should send your evidence with your ART ID to your ELB. You should be careful to double check you have enclosed all required evidence – if you do not, processing of your application may be delayed. |
| When should this be done? |
Deadlines for Academic Year 2008/09:New Students: 27th June 2008
Continuing Students: 23th May 2008
All Students who apply only for the non income-assessed element and therefore supply no financial information: 25th April 2008
Deadlines for Academic Year 2007/08:New Students: 29th June 2007
Continuing Students: 25th May 2007
All Students who apply only for the non income-assessed element and therefore supply no financial information: 27th April 2007 |
| b) continuing students |
| Who is responsible? |
Students who are continuing with their course of study |
| What happens? |
You must apply for support every year of your course. Details of how to apply will be automatically issued to you. For this reason it is vital that you keep us up to date with your contact address. |
| When should this be done? |
Deadlines for Academic Year 2008/09:New Students: 27th June 2008
Continuing Students: 23th May 2008
All Students who apply only for the non income-assessed element and therefore supply no financial information: 25th April 2008
Deadlines for Academic Year 2007/08:New Students: 29th June 2007
Continuing Students: 25th May 2007
All Students who apply only for the non income-assessed element and therefore supply no financial information: 27th April 2007 |
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| Step Two: The application is supported |
| Who is responsible? |
Parents or Partners who are providing Financial Support for a new or continuing student (sponsors) |
| What happens? |
When your eligibility for support is being assessed, the Education and Library Board (ELB) will take into account the Household Income, that is, the income of the student and their parents or partner. If your parents or partner do not provide details of their income, you may not receive help with your fees, a grant to which you are entitled, or the maximum amount of student loan available to you.
When your sponsor provides details of their income they will also be invited to submit original documentation as proof of income, but what they are required to send will be explained when they are providing household income details.
Your sponsor can obtain an application form by :
- downloading one from this site
- submitting an application here online
- Asking for Form PFF1 or PFF2 (depending upon whether they are supporting a new or continuing student) and accompanying guidance from your ELB
- Adding their details to your PN1 or PR1
The ELB will look at your sponsors’ income for the previous financial year, but if there has been a significant drop in income (15% or more), it is possible that they will review their likely income for the current year.
If the ELB decides that they should make a contribution towards your tuition fees and living costs, they will tell them directly. |
| When should this be done? |
Deadlines for Academic Year 2008/09:New Students: 27th June 2008
Continuing Students: 23th May 2008
All Students who apply only for the non income-assessed element and therefore supply no financial information: 25th April 2008
Deadlines for Academic Year 2007/08:New Students: 29th June 2007
Continuing Students: 25th May 2007
All Students who apply only for the non income-assessed element and therefore supply no financial information: 27th April 2007
An application for support can be submitted up to nine months after the first day of your course. However to ensure payment at the start of term, you must have applied (and had your application supported) by the above deadlines.
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| Step Three: The application is assessed |
| Who is responsible? |
Your Education and Library Board |
| What happens? |
The information submitted by you and your sponsors will be reviewed and a decision will be made regarding how much, if any, grant you receive, how much loan you are entitled to borrow and the tuition fees you will be expected to pay. |
| How long does this stage take? |
If you have supplied all necessary information with your application, you can expect to be advised of your support entitlement between six and eight weeks after you have submitted it (see Step four).
You can check the progress of your application by registering and accessing your profile on this site. An explanation of Application Status titles is set out in the table below. |
| Step Four: Support is confirmed and prepared for payment |
| Who is responsible? |
Student Finance ni |
| What happens? |
Once your ELB have reached a decision regarding your entitlement to Student Support, they will write to you to confirm what will be paid to you and when (this will happen approximately two weeks before your course begins). It is important to note that the dates given in this correspondence are dependent upon you registering on your course in time and ensuring we have your most up to date bank account details. |
| How long does this stage take? |
If you have supplied all necessary information with your application, you can expect to be advised of your support entitlement between six and eight weeks after you have submitted it. |
| Step Five: Your attendance at your course is confirmed |
| Who is responsible? |
Your University or College |
| What happens? |
When you register on your course, you should take your Financial Assessment (sent to you by your ELB) and your Payment Schedule Letter (sent to you by Student Finance ni as outlined above) with you.
Your place of study will then send a message to Student Finance ni confirming your attendance there. We will then release payment of the first instalment of your loan and / or grant.(providing you have supplied a NINO and we have verified your NINO with DWP.) |
| How long does this stage take? |
As long as it takes to register at your place of study. Student Finance ni will be advised of your attendance on the same day you register. |
| Step Six: Your student support is paid |
| Who is responsible? |
Student Finance ni |
| What happens? |
As soon as Student Finance ni receives the confirmation referred to in Step five, we will release payment of the first instalment of your loan and / or grant. |
| How long does this stage take? |
Payment is released automatically when your confirmation of attendance is received. It usually clears in your bank account within three – five working days. |
| What does that mean? Your ‘Application Status’ explained: |
| APPLICATION STATUS |
WHAT THIS MEANS |
| To be Completed |
Student has not completed the application data – they started the application but did not finish it |
| Awaiting Parent/Spouse Information |
Student has submitted the application online and has indicated that sponsors information is required |
| Awaiting Final Submission |
All sponsors have supplied their financial data online, but the application cannot progress to assessment without ELB intervention |
| Awaiting Assessment |
Application has been progressed by the ELB but has not yet been assessed |
| Assessed |
Application has been assessed by the ELB but payment has not yet been approved, or applicant has been deemed ineligible |
| Approved |
Payment has been approved and is waiting to go |
| Awaiting Financial Evidence |
Financial evidence is awaited to process application |
| Awaiting Student Signature On Declaration |
The application has been approved but the student has not signed and returned the declaration |
| Awaiting Further Information |
The LEA requires further information before they can process the application - this will be requested by the LEA |
| Progressed by LEA |
The LEA has the application and is currently investigating it further |
| Suspended |
Student/HEI have notified the ELB that the student has been suspended from their course with the option to resume |
| Withdrawn |
Student/HEI have notified the ELB that the student has withdrawn from the current course |
| Cancelled |
Application has been cancelled, OR application has been cancelled and following a change of application data the application is awaiting assessment or approval |
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