Mandatory awards are made by Local Education Authorities (LEA's), to eligible students on designated courses. Courses which lead to a first degree a comparable qualification, or initial teacher training can be designated. The award consists of a grant, which is payment towards living costs and the fees, for tuition. The rates of maintenance grant and fees payable are reviewed annually.
If you are not personally eligible for a mandatory award or the course is not eligible you may be able to apply to your LEA for a discretionary award. Your college or LEA can tell you the status of the course you are applying for.
Courses
Mandatory awards are available for first degrees or other comparable courses. A course must meet the following conditions:
a. It should be intended for students of 18 years or over.
b. Usually, it should consist of least 3 years full time or sandwich study, and
c. The minimum entry standard should be 2 passes at Advanced level of the General Certificate of Education or equivalent qualification.
Your college or LEA can tell you if the course you are applying for attracts a mandatory award.
Personal Eligibility
A student is not generally entitled to a mandatory award if he or she has not been resident in the British Isles for the three years prior to starting the course. Students should ordinarily be resident in the UK but temporary or occasional absence does not mean that the residence rule is broken.
British Nationality or payment of UK income tax does not in itself confer an automatic right to a mandatory award. Neither does owning a house in the UK. The Secretary of State has decided that the three year residence rule is a fair test of having a relevant connection with this country. Without a relevant connection there is no entitlement to a mandatory award.
Which LEA
Before the start of the course you should apply to an LEA. The LEA will usually be the one in whose area you are living, you may have a home elsewhere but this is not relevant, it is where you actually live that matters.
If your son/daughter is resident in the UK, for instance in a boarding school, then application for the award should be made to the LEA where the boarding school is situated.
An applicant who is not resident in an LEA, because he/she is temporarily abroad, should apply to the LEA where the college/university is located.
Discretionary Awards
If you are not personally eligible for a mandatory award, but your course is eligible, your LEA can choose to give you a discretionary award. The amount and conditions of your discretionary award must be the same as the mandatory award for that course.
If you take a course which is not eligible your LEA again chooses whether to give you a discretionary award. However, this time your LEA also decides how much to pay and what conditions apply - there are no national rules.
Procedures for appeals
If your application for an award is rejected you should ask the LEA for an explanation of their decision. You should also ask what appeals procedures are open to you. If you are unhappy with the way your application has been handled, you can complain to:
The Commission for Local Administration in England
21 Queen Anne's Gate
London SW1H 9BU.
or
The Commission for Local Administration in Wales
Derwen House
Court Road
Bridgend
Mid Glamorgan CF3 1BN
SCE can provide specialist advice and assistance on many aspects of education. For further information please contact:
