FAQS - ALL STUDENTS MUST READ THIS PAGE

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1 PART TIME APPLICATION FORM FAQS - ALL STUDENTS MUST READ THIS PAGE WHAT IS THE ACCESS TO LEARNING FUND? The Access to Learning Fund is a discretionary and cash limited fund administered by the university to support students who experience financial difficulty whilst at university. We are only able to consider course-related costs for any part-time student who applies to the fund. We do not consider general living costs for any part-time student. Awards from the Access to Learning Fund do not need to be repaid. Part-time applications are assessed using an income threshold assessment. This means that students who qualify for an award will need to have a gross household income below a set income threshold. If you wish to check the income threshold that will be used in your assessment, please refer to Part 2b of the Supplementary Notes (available online at We are unable to support every application we receive, or meet all the costs experienced by each applicant. CAN I APPLY? If you meet the following eligibility criteria, you can apply: You are a home student paying the home rate of tuition fees*. You are enrolled on a part time course. You are studying at least 25% of an equivalent full time course (provided you commenced your course on or after 1 September 2012). If you started your course prior to 1 September 2012, you should be studying at least 50% of an equivalent full time course (or 25% if you are a disabled student). Further eligibility guidelines apply for specific groups of students. If you wish to check your eligibility, please refer to Part 1b of the Supplementary Notes. *EU students will need to demonstrate that they have been resident in the UK for 5 years prior to the start of their course (other than for purposes of education). Postgraduate EU students may be able to demonstrate this by providing evidence to show that they were in receipt of a maintenance loan from Student Finance during their undergraduate degree. IMPORTANT: Do not wait until the closing date to submit your application. We strongly recommend all students who wish to apply to submit their application as early as possible. CLOSING DATES FOR APPLICATIONS Final Year Undergraduates 12 Noon Friday 23rd March 2018 All Other Years 12 Noon Friday 1st June 2018 PLEASE DETACH THIS FRONT PAGE FROM YOUR APPLICATION FORM AND KEEP IT FOR YOUR REFERENCE

2 HOW DO I APPLY? Please complete the attached form and include evidence to support your application. Instructions on how to complete your application can be found on the form. There are also two evidence checkpoints on the form to help you provide the correct documentation (example below). EVIDENCE CHECKPOINT 1 Have you provided the last 3 month s bank statements for all accounts that you own? If YES, you can proceed to section C. If NO, your application may be rejected. YES/NO WHERE DO I SUBMIT MY FORM? Completed application forms, together with all supporting evidence, should be sent to the Student Financial Support Team. In person: You can submit it at the Student Hub, Business School Please ask for a receipt when submitting your form. By Post: Student Financial Support, Room 2.01, Business School and Student Hub, Manchester Metropolitan University, All Saints Campus, Oxford Road, Manchester, M15 6BH Please note: If you are posting your application form, please ensure you take it to the Post Office so that it is weighed and the correct postage is paid. It is your responsibility to ensure that it arrives by the closing date. Applications received after the closing date due to insufficient postage payments will not be accepted. HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE TO RECEIVE A DECISION? The time in which you will receive a decision will depend on the complexity of your application. Applications will also be delayed if evidence if missing. All applications follow a 3 stage process: STAGE 1: Your application is checked. Incomplete applications will be delayed at Stage 1. You will receive an within 3 working days of submission to request any missing evidence. STAGE 2: Your application is complete and ready to be assessed. STAGE 3: A decision is made. This will take 4 working weeks from when you enter Stage 2. We will only use your MMU address to let you know when your application moves onto the next stage, so please ensure this account is checked regularly (including your inbox AND clutter). HOW MUCH WILL I GET? Awards from the fund are discretionary so there is no guarantee that you will receive an award. Any award that you may be allocated will only be a contribution towards some of your essential course related costs. The fund is not able to meet the full financial deficit experienced by any student. Applications are assessed on an individual basis, and awards vary depending on the personal circumstances of each individual student. The Access to Learning Fund should not be viewed as a reliable source of income. HOW WILL I BE PAID? If your application is successful, your award will be paid directly into your bank account. Further information about payments, including your payment dates will be on the Stage 3 that you receive confirming the outcome of your application.

3 IMPORTANT Please read all the instructions on this form carefully to help you complete your application. Applications submitted without the appropriate evidence or on an incomplete form will be delayed. Further information about the fund is available in the Access to Learning Fund supplementary notes. These notes are available online at SECTION A: PERSONAL DETAILS (ALL STUDENTS TO COMPLETE) FIRST NAME MMU ID SURNAME TELEPHONE NO. CORRESPONDENCE ADDRESS Your supporting documents will be returned to this address POSTCODE PLEASE NOTE: We will only contact you about your application via your MMU address. Please check this account regularly (including your inbox and clutter). SECTION B: BANK DETAILS (ALL STUDENTS TO COMPLETE) MAIN ACCOUNT It is important that you complete all sections for your main account correctly as this is the account we will use to pay your award if your application is successful. It is your responsibility to keep us informed of any changes in bank details. Name of your Bank/Building Society: Name as displayed on your account: Sort Code: Account Number: Date stamp: Office Use Only Stage One Date: Stage Two Date:

4 SECTION C: COURSE DETAILS (ALL STUDENTS TO COMPLETE) IMPORTANT: This part of the form should be completed by your course leader or tutor. Forms submitted where section C is incomplete will not be accepted. Information for course leader or tutor: Please complete points 1-3 below to confirm the student s course details and pattern of study. We require this section to be completed by the course leader or tutor as the information requested below is used to verify student s eligibility to apply to the Access to Learning Fund. 1. Please complete the table below with the required course details, including the number of units and credits undertaken by the student in 2017/18. STUDENT NAME COURSE TITLE COURSE LEADER/TUTOR UNITS IN 2017/18 CREDITS IN 2017/18 2. Please tick the appropriate boxes in the grid below to indicate how many days per week the student named above is required to lectures/tutorials/other compulsory sessions each week. MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY MORNING AFTERNOON EVENING 3. Please sign and date below to confirm that these details are a true and accurate reflection of the student s current course and pattern of study. YOUR SIGNATURE PRINT NAME DATE

5 SECTION D: INCOME (ALL STUDENTS TO COMPLETE) IMPORTANT: Students who started their course before 2012 and receive a fee and course grant do not need to complete this section. However, if this section applies to you, please attach a copy of your Student Finance entitlement summary to your application to confirm your eligibility. INCOME FOR 2017/18 YOU TICK PARTNER TICK EVIDENCE REQUIRED Postgraduate Loan from Student Finance Loan schedule Professional and Career Development Loan Loan schedule Salary/wages Last 3 wage slips Job Seekers Allowance or Income Support DWP award letter Employment and Support Allowance DWP award letter Other (please specify) Evidence of income Please read the following statement and tick to confirm you agree: TICK I confirm that I have applied for my maximum entitlement to a Tuition Fee Loan in 2017/18 N.B. You do not need to tick the box if you are ineligible for Student Finance. EVIDENCE CHECKPOINT 1 Have you provided evidence of all income that you will receive in 2017/18? If YES, please refer to the table below and proceed to the appropriate section. If NO, your application may be rejected. YES/NO Students with children Students without children Proceed to section E Proceed to section F

6 SECTION E: STUDENTS WITH CHILDREN TO COMPLETE CHILDREN: Please list full names and dates of birth for any children that currently live with you. FULL NAME DATE OF BIRTH If you have listed any children in the table above, please include a copy of your Child Tax Credit award letter or Universal Credit award letter (all pages) with your application. If you need to use childcare to enable you to attend your course, please indicate your weekly or monthly costs below. IMPORTANT: We can only consider a contribution towards any childcare that you require to enable you to attend your course. If you incur childcare at any other time when you are not expected to attend your course, please do not include these below: CHILDCARE COSTS FOR 2017/18 WEEKLY COST MONTHLY COST EVIDENCE REQUIRED Childcare costs Childcare receipts/invoices for the last month EVIDENCE CHECKPOINT 2 Have you provided a copy of your child tax credit award letter? Have you provided evidence of your childcare costs (if applicable)? If YES, please proceed to section F. If NO, your application may be rejected. YES/NO YES/NO

7 SECTION F: STUDENT DECLARATION (ALL STUDENTS TO COMPLETE) Please read the following declaration carefully and tick the appropriate boxes below to confirm that you agree to the relevant statements. You should then sign and date the declaration. APPLICATIONS SIGNED ELECTRONICALLY WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. I certify that to the best of my knowledge, I am eligible to apply because (only tick one box): TICK I am a home student, i.e. not an international student or an EU fees only student I am a postgraduate EU student who received a maintenance loan from Student Finance during my undergraduate degree I am a postgraduate EU student who has been resident in the UK for 5 years prior to the start of my course (other than for purposes of education). I also confirm that I fulfil the following criteria (only tick if appropriate): I am supporting the children/adults named in Section E of the application form I am NOT living with a spouse or partner I also confirm that (tick all boxes): I am registered and in attendance at the university The information that I have given on this form is correct and complete to the best of my knowledge. I understand that giving false information will automatically disqualify my application and may lead to disciplinary procedures resulting in possible expulsion from the university. I will repay any award that I receive as a result of giving false information. I understand that I may be asked for further information during the assessment process to enable my application to be considered fully, and that if I fail to provide this information by the date requested, my application will be cancelled. I agree to inform the Student Financial Support Team if there are any changes in my circumstances. I understand that if I have any unpaid Emergency Hardship Loans (including loans for Educational Psychologist Assessments), my application will be automatically rejected. Your name in CAPITALS Your Signature (Do not type) Date CONFIDENTIALITY STATEMENT: Your application will only be viewed by Student Support Services staff. In some instances, it may be necessary to seek additional supporting information from other university staff in order to reach a decision regarding your application. In this instance, information you disclose throughout the application process will remain confidential to the team described above. DATA PROTECTION ACT 1998: Manchester Metropolitan University is a data controller in terms of the 1998 legislation. Student Support Services follows university policy in matters of data protection. The data requested in this form is covered by the notification provided by the university under the data protection act. Personal data will be used solely in the department for statistical purposes and electronic record keeping. The data will not be passed to any other third party without your consent, except where the University is required to do so by law. Any formal enquiries concerning the use of data noted here should be addressed to the Director of Student Support Services.

8 HAVE YOU COMPLETED YOUR APPLICATION CORRECTLY? This is your last chance to make sure that your application is complete. Incomplete applications will not be accepted and may be REJECTED. Please use the final evidence checkpoint below to check your application. EXTRA SUPPORT: FINAL EVIDENCE CHECKPOINT 1. Has your tutor or course leader completed section C of your application form confirming your course details? 2. Have you provided evidence of all other income that you refer to in your application, including any wages, benefits or other income that you (or your partner if applicable) receives? 3. If you have children, have you provided a copy of your Child Tax Credit or Universal Credit award letter and evidence of any childcare costs that you have referred to in section E? 4. Is the documentation that you have provided as evidence of good quality i.e. it is easy to read and contains the requested information detailed in the evidence checkpoints? If YES, you can submit your application. If NO, please refer back to evidence checkpoints 1-2. If you are still not sure if your form is complete, please refer to Part 1 of the Supplementary Notes for more information about how to complete your application. If you have read these notes but still have questions about your application, you can access the following support services: STUDENT FINANCIAL SUPPORT To query a specific section of the form, or to check that the evidence you have provided is sufficient you can contact us: By phone: In person: Business School Student Hub Opening hours: Monday-Friday: 09:00 to 16:15* Website: Please note, we cannot complete the application form on your behalf. We are only able to discuss applications to the Access to Learning Fund directly with the applicant. *Hours subject to change - please check our website for updated hours. YOUR ADVICE CENTRE, THE UNION A free and independent advice service offering specialist student centred advice on a range of areas, including debt, money, additional funding and other issues. By Phone: In person: A drop in service is normally in operation throughout the year in Your Advice Centre, The Union. Please check their website for opening hours. s.u.advice@mmu.ac.uk Website: -centre