5.0 Booking A Course / Reserving Funds (ILA200 only)
The Q&As below relate to £200 account bookings only. The £500 scheme has no requirement to book learners through the ILA Scotland system
5.1 Does the learner have to open their ILA Scotland £200 account before the course is booked on the ILA Scotland system?
Yes. ILA Scotland reference numbers are required to make the booking and there will be no retrospective arrangements. This is made clear to learners throughout the website and all information packs that we send out.
5.2 What is the process when a learner walks through the provider's door?
For learners who have not opened their ILA Scotland account, you may wish to supply generic and / or specific approved information about the scheme. You can order generic leaflets free from ILA Scotland. This information will direct the learner to the ILA Scotland helpline where they can request an application pack.
For learners with an account, you can help the learner choose the course that best meets their needs. In some cases, the most appropriate course for a learner may not be eligible for ILA Scotland funding and the provider must always ensure that learners are informed of the options available so they can choose the most appropriate package for them.
When the learner starts the course, they should provide you with their Learning Token. This should then be entered on the ILA Scotland website which will trigger payment to you as the Learning Provider.
5.3 Does a learner’s course have to be registered on the ILA Scotland website at the time of registration / booking?
Yes, in order for you to make a booking, the course must be on the ILA Scotland database.
5.4 What about last minute bookings, e.g. can a learner register for a course on the night that it starts?
A learner CAN register for a course on the night that it starts. Remember, though, that the learner MUST have a valid ILA Scotland account number on the date that learning starts. It follows, therefore, that any learner who registers for a course on the night it starts, must have a valid ILA Scotland account number when they register.
If any ‘last minute’ learner does not have their ILA Scotland account number with them on the day the course starts, it will be your decision to accept them and to make sure the booking is made (and, subsequently, the related Learning Token is input) on the ILA Scotland system within the permitted timescales. However, you should be aware that you will not know the amount of ILA funds available for any booking until it is entered on the ILA Scotland system.
Please also note that the ILA Scotland system will only accept bookings for learners whose ILA Scotland account was valid on the ‘official’ start date of the course, as recorded on the system. This could be important to you if you allow a learner to join a course after its official start date. In that case, you must check that their ILA Scotland account was valid on the original course start date, not the later date on which they join the course.
5.5 What are the timescales for booking a course and confirming start dates?
Relevant timescales are available in the Operational Rules and Supplementary Guidance under Transaction Time Limits – Annex C.
5.6 What happens if the learner wants to change their course after it has started?
A course change will effectively mean cancelling the original booking and requesting another for the new course. This can be done right up until the payment is made for the original course. The payment will be stopped for the original booking and a new Learning Token will be issued for the new course.
If the learner has already submitted the Learning Token and paid for the course, you can cancel the booking through the ILA Scotland system but this would be done on the understanding that you would not receive any payment, in terms of ILA Scotland funds, for this course. In terms of any learner’s personal contribution, a refund can be offered to the learner at your discretion.
5.7 Can we see the learner’s balance?
You will not be able to see the learner’s balance but, when reserving funds for a specific course, you will know what is available from ILA Scotland to support the course.
5.8 How can we be sure that a learner hasn’t double booked their funding with another learning provider?
Bookings on the ILA Scotland system are made sequentially. Once a booking has been made by one learning provider, the balance of ILA Scotland funds left in that individual account will be reduced and only the reduced amount will be shown in any subsequent booking transactions. The funds that are there at the point of booking will be ‘held’ until the Learning Token is submitted, within the 60-day timescale.
5.9 How will learner contributions be tracked?
The claim and payment system requires the provider to declare receipt of learner contributions. Subsequent audit / inspection will require you to maintain records of personal contributions.
5.10 Does the learner have to pay VAT on their contribution?
If your organisation has to charge VAT on the price of the learning you provide, then you should apply VAT to any contribution a learner has made and advise the learner accordingly. You do not have to charge VAT on the money provided by ILA Scotland, only on the balance of the course price.
Further information on VAT rules applicable to education partly funded by a grant can be found on the HM Customs and Excise website (Question 2.8).
5.11 How will we be notified of payments?
The ILA Scotland system will provide access to on-line statements, produced at the time the payments are due, for you to access.