Courses approved for ILA Scotland £500 offer
From 30 June, people over 16 and living in Scotland can apply for annual funding that replaces the current £500 part-time HE loan facility.
To be eligible applicants must have an income of £18,000 a year or less and be studying for 50% or more of the time needed to complete a higher education qualification.
Higher education courses are defined at SCQF levels 7, 8, 9 and 10. Professional Graduate Diplomas and Certificates in Education (SCQF level 11) will also be funded.
Only courses that meet this criteria, and are delivered by colleges or universities that are registered with ILA Scotland, will be eligible for funding.
The new offer is part of a package of an enhanced part-time HE funding package for the academic year 2008/09 that includes an additional £1m a year towards institutions’ discretionary funds.
As well as relieving pressures for existing part-time students on lower incomes, it also opens up new opportunities for people considering part-time study to re-train or build their skills.
How it will work
Application packs will be available to students from 30 June 2008 and can be obtained through the ILA Scotland helpline on 0808 100 1090 or from the learner zone of this website.
Once a student receives their application form, they should take it to their provider to have their form stamped and certified that the course is eligible for funding.
Once the form has been returned to us and if it is processed successfully, we will send a letter to the student to confirm that we will pay up to £500 towards their course fees. As with all ILA Scotland funding, the funds will be paid directly to the learning provider, with the student being responsible for paying the balance directly to their provider.
Help us promote the new funding
A range of promotional materials including leaflets and posters is now available to help you promote the new funding to your new and existing students.
Remember you can also include information on your websites, prospectus and newsletters – just get in touch with us and we can give you pre-approved copy to use.
Would you be interested in running a banner advert on your website to promote this offer? If so, we’d like to hear from you – get in touch with us on 0141 285 6104 or drop us an email at marketing@ilascotland.org.uk
Any questions?
We’ll keep you updated on progress leading up to the introduction of the new funding this summer but in the meantime if you have any questions, you might find this Questions and Answers quick reference useful.