Useful Contacts
	Students Awards Agency for Scotland Gyleview House 3 Redheughs Rigg Edinburgh EH12 9YT www.saas.gov.uk Tel: 0845 111 1711 Fax: 0131 244 5840 Student Loans Company (SLC) 100 Bothwell Street Glasgow G2 7JD www.slc.co.uk Tel: 0800 40 50 10 Fax: 0141 306 2003 Scottish Qualification Authority (SQA) Hanover House 24 Douglas Street Glasgow G2 7NQ www.sqa.org.uk Tel: 0845 278 8080 Inland Revenue www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk Tel: 0845 300 3900 Samantha Wallace Advanced Student Services Co-ordinator Ayr College Tel: 01292 293444

Student Services

Opening Times: Monday to Friday 8.45 am – 4.45 pm

Student Services work to an open door policy, however at busy times students may wish to book an appointment.

Students will be encouraged to apply online for their funding, and facilities have been set up within the college to accommodate prospective and current students to apply online.

For more information contact:

• Sharon Clark - 01292 293445
• Sam Wallace - 01292 293444 

Accommodation

Some students who attend college may have to live in temporary accommodation while at college if their home address is not within reasonable travelling distance from the college.

Ayr College has an accommodation list available which shows all contacts willing to rent accommodation to students while they study at college.

For further information please contact Ann McGhie, Accommodation Officer on 01292 293587.

Full-time HNC/HND Courses

• If you only require tuition fees paid you still have to complete a SAAS Application online. Tuition fees will be paid directly to the College. If a student withdraws early from their course they may be liable to pay some tuition fees for the time they attended College.
• Dependant’s Grant – You can claim this income-assessed grant for your husband or wife, civil partner or partner. If your husband, wife, civil partner or partner has any income, your entitlement may be affected.
• Students with dependent children can now claim Child Tax Credit from the Inland Revenue.
• Lone Parents’ Grant – These are special provisions for widowed, divorced, separated or single students bringing up children. If students have at least one dependent child, they can claim this additional grant.
• Lone Parents’ Childcare Grant – Students can get extra help with their formal childcare costs (childminders, after school clubs and providers of day care and education).
• Student Loans – This will be the main way in which you may get financial help for living costs. Loans will be available for all eligible students under the age of 50, and those aged 50 to 54 who are planning to return to work after studying.

• Young Student’s Bursary Fund (YSBF) – The YSBF replaces part of the loan. A non-repayable Young Student’s Bursary will be available of up to £2,640 for those with family incomes of up to £34,195. You can apply if you:
  
  - Are under 25
  - Are not married
  - Have not been self-supporting from earnings or benefits for 3 years.
• Travel expenses – Students can apply to SAAS for 50% of their travel costs at the beginning of term, or apply at the end of January. Forms should be available in Student Services from December 2009 onwards.

Additional Funds available to students (must have applied for the max student loan)

• Discretionary Fund – students should apply to the college. Where your expenditure exceeds income from all sources or where you have a high mortgage or rental costs on your home or where you have suffered a drop in income by giving up work to attend College you may be entitled to assistance from the Hardship Fund administered by Student Services.
• Childcare Fund – apply to the college. Details available from Student Services.

CLOSING DATES FOR SAAS APPLICATIONS

The final SAAS closing dates for receiving applications in session 2009-2010 are as follows:

• 30th June 2010 for courses that start between 1st August 2009 and 31st December 2009
• 30th November 2010 for courses that start between 1st January 2010 and 31st March 2010

If SAAS receive your application after the final closing date, you will receive no support, including tuition fees. Please remember that it is up to you to make sure that SAAS receive your application before the final closing date. If you do not receive an award notice within 28 days of you sending SAAS your application form, you should contact them on 0845 111 1711.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Change of Course – Students must inform SAAS and the SLC immediately if they change their bank details. It is important that students tell SAAS about this at least a week before their payment is due. If students do not do this, and their payment goes into the wrong account, it can take some time before SAAS can get the money to them.

Withdrawals – When a student withdraws from their course, SAAS expect both the student and the college to inform them and the SLC as soon after they withdraw as possible. If students do not do this SAAS will continue to pay after they have left the course which will mean that SAAS will then have to recover the money they have received and are not due. This is not in the best interest of either the student or the public purse.

Changing the amount of loan applied for – If a student does not apply for the total amount of loan he/she is entitled to, he/she can make a ‘top-up’ application during the academic year by applying straight to SLC. However students should apply to SAAS if the following applies:

• They initially claimed for the non-income assessed loan and now wish to apply for the income assessed loan; or
• They initially did not apply for a loan and now want to.