FEES & COSTS

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VOCATIONAL COURSES

Fees and Costs

Some courses attract a subsidyfrom the Skills Funding Agency. In addition, Peter Symonds College also subsidises some courses to keep fees as low as possible. These courses appear on a blue tint background in the current ACE Course Brochure.

Please note that anyone taking a vocational course but not intending to complete the qualification will lose the subsidy and be required to pay the full cost.

It is also a requirement of theSFA that you complete various forms at different stages of your course. Your co-operation in this is essential to claim your subsidy. Please read the AdultLearners Handbook which will be sent to you on enrolment.

The cost of books and materials is not included in the course price. Students are advised not to make purchases until they are sure that the course will run, and that it suits their needs.

Examination and Accreditation Charge

Examination fees for accredited courses are included in the course fee and will be itemised on the Course Outline. The main element of the accreditation charge is determined by external boards and is liable to change.

Precise cost information is often not available until after courses start. The College therefore reserves the right to apply a surcharge in the event of any exceptional increase applied by an accrediting body.

To receive the Government subsidy on the course fee all learners enrolled on accredited programmes must work towards accreditation, as endorsed on their Learning Agreement.

Individual learners remain personally responsible for their own examination entry. Learners failing to observe deadlines, provided by their course tutor, will be liable to a late entry charge.

The Examinations Officer for the ACE Division of Peter Symonds College is Carol Bracher. For queries regarding Examinations on ACE courses you can contact Carol directly on 01962 889544 or email cbracher@psc.ac.uk

Tuition Fee Remission

If you fall into one of the following groups you will not be required to pay any fees on vocational courses. However, you will have to pay an accreditation fee:

• learners studying their first full Level 2 qualfication (usually NVQs)
• 19 - 25 years old studying their first full Level 3 qualification including Access to Higher Education. Must be 19 but not yet 25 at the start of the learning programme
• those in receipt of income based benefits, formerly known as means tested benefits:
  • unemployed and in receipt of income based Jobseekers' Allowance
  • those in receipt of income based benefits e.g. Income Support, Council Tax Benefit, HousingBenefit or Working Tax Credits (households with less that £15,276)
  • those in receipt of Pensions Guarantee Credits* (Guarantee Credit only)
  • those in receipt of income-related Employment & Support Allowance (ESA)
• unemployed in receipt of contribution based Job Seeker's Allowance
• unwaged dependants (as defined by Jobcentre Plus) of those listed previously
• those taking learning aims that are funded as essential skills (literacy and numeracy) excluding English for Speakers of other languages (ESOL)
• asylum seekers eligible for LSC FE funding according to the LSC Eligibility Guidance 2009/10 and in receipt of the equivalent of income based benefit (assistance under the terms of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999) and their dependants
• certain learners participating in LSC funded projects such as Train to Gain

*Pension Savings Credit is not eligible unless you are in receipt of another income tested benefit such as those above.

Evidence of the above needs to be produced on enrolment.

Nationals from countries outside the EEA and British Nationals who do not satisfy 3 year residency requirements, i.e. have to be 'ordinarily resident' in the UK or an EEA country for the purposes other than education for the three years prior to the start of the course, will not be eligible for government subsidies and will, therefore, be charged full cost course and accreditation fees.

LEISURE COURSES

As Leisure courses do not receive any subsidy, you will not have to fill in many forms. Complete only the enrolment form so that we can receipt your fee and produce a register. I am sure many of you will welcome this lack of paperwork!

The College has kept fees as low as possible to cover tutor costs, accommodation, advertising and administration but nothing else. As there is no subsidy from Hampshire County Council or the SkillsFunding Agencythere are no subsidies available for anyone on low income or over 60. Neither are we able to provide support with additional costs, learning support or childcare for courses in this section.

The costs of books and materials are not included in the course price. Students are advised not to make purchases until they are sure that the course will run and that it suits their needs.