Transcript Overview of Studylink for education providers (Powerpoint 783KB)

August 2013
STUDYLINK
OVERVIEW FOR EDUCATION
PROVIDERS
Find the best way to finance your future
OVERVIEW OF STUDYLINK
What is StudyLink?
› StudyLink is a part of the Ministry of Social Development; we provide financial support to students, and connect
them with the information they need to make informed study decisions
› Each year, StudyLink approves approximately 300,000 Student Loan and Student Allowance applications, and
pays out more than $1,000,000,000 in fees to education providers
› Our website (www.studylink.govt.nz) is the main resource for students to get information, and to apply for
financial assistance
StudyLink Business Units
StudyLink has three service lines:
› The Contact Centre, which is based in Lower Hutt
› The Student Support Centre, based in Palmerston North (this unit handles the processing side of the
business)
› Outreach centres, which are based around the country, and deliver face to face services to students
Contacting Us
You can contact StudyLink through a number of means;
› The Helpline – 0508 885 885. This phone line is based in the Student Support Centre and operates between
8am and 5pm, Monday to Friday
› The SAKBase tool. This is an online tool where you can log queries or ask questions
› The ‘Providers website’. This contains a number of resources you can use and will provide you with updates
on what is happening throughout the year.
These contact channels and tools are strictly for education provider use only, and should not be used by students,
who can access their details online or call our Contact Centre on 0800 889 900
StudyLink Overview for Education Providers
OVERVIEW OF STUDYLINK
Your relationship with the Helpline
› The Helpline acts as a central point of contact for education providers and manages all day to day
interactions, including contact via regular phone calls, and the SAKBase escalation tool.
› They also issue the quarterly StudyLink News, carry out scheduled health checks to make sure the
information StudyLink has about each provider is current, and handles requests for training and
brochures
Your relationship with Outreach
› Outreach provide face to face services to students requiring more in-depth and specialised assistance
with their student finance applications.
› Outreach also undertake public relations/educative activities with education providers. These may
range from attending enrolment/orientation activities, open days, expo events, class intake discussions,
online services instruction and training to students in online application processes.
StudyLink Overview for Education Providers
VOS & EDUCATION PROVIDER
DOCUMENTS
StudyLink Overview for Education Providers
VOS & EDUCATION PROVIDER DOCUMENTS
Overview
› The Education Act 1989 requires education providers to supply StudyLink with information it needs to
be able to administer the payment of financial assistance to students
› The information that you provide as part of this called Verification of Study (VoS), and submitted
through the VoS Online website
› You can contact the Helpline team for more information about the VoS Online site, or to request access
to it
There are four documents that outline how this process works:
Information Matching Agreement (IMA)
› The VoS process is recognised as an official data match by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner,
and as such, a formal Information Matching Agreement between the StudyLink and each provider
involved is required by them
› All education providers are required to sign a copy of the Information Matching Agreement before the
VoS process can occur
› The IMA talks about how the match will occur, and what information will be transferred between the
parties
› Contact the Helpline Team for the latest copy of this document
StudyLink Overview for Education Providers
VOS & EDUCATION PROVIDER DOCUMENTS
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
› This document is not a legally binding document, but it documents some of the key areas that are
crucial to the relationship between StudyLink and education providers and how we’ll work together
› It talks about a ‘change freeze’ period (where no system changes can be implemented) and areas such
as the reporting of withdrawal information
› Contact the Helpline for the latest copy of this agreement
VoS Rules and Processes for Education Providers
› This document is effectively a ‘how to guide’ for VoS and explains the rules and processes that are to
be used with regards to the VoS process
› It is targeted towards admin or enrolment staff at education providers who would be involved in the VoS
process, and is available under the ‘Reference’ menu in VoS Online
VoS Technical Guide for Education Providers
› This document details the technical side of the VoS process for education providers that that download
VoS files, import them into their enrolment systems, and then upload the resulting file to StudyLink
› It is targeted towards technical and IT based staff, and is available under the ‘Reference’ menu in VoS
Online
StudyLink Overview for Education Providers
SPECIAL APPLICATIONS
LIMITED FULL TIME (LFT) AND OVERSEAS STUDY
StudyLink Overview for Education Providers
SPECIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMITED FULL-TIME)
Limited Full-time (LFT)
› In order to be eligible for Student Allowance payments, Student Loan Living Costs payments, or course
related cost payments, students must be studying full-time
› Where students are not studying full-time for a qualifying reason, they can apply to StudyLink who may
be able to consider them as a “Limited Full-time student”. These criteria can be found on the forms,
and also on our website at www.studylink.govt.nz/financing-study/limited-full-time.html
› This means that while still enrolled part-time, these students would effectively have the same
entitlements as standard full time students – including being eligible for the payments mentioned above
The education provider’s role
› Under the Student Allowances Regulations 1998, approval of LFT status is made “on the advice of a
Tertiary Provider.”
› The LFT form has a section for a staff member at your provider to complete; we need you to provide
advice from an academic point of view. While StudyLink will receive (in case of medical issues)
information from a registered health professional, they may not be in a position to determine what
impact such an issue would have in academic terms, and how much study the student should actually
be doing
› The person completing the form can be any staff member from your education provider. It is
recommended however that this is someone that knows of the students case, and knows how much
study they realistically could do given their circumstances
› You may wish to request further evidence or information from the student to help you support your
recommendation
StudyLink Overview for Education Providers
SPECIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMITED FULL-TIME)
Do you have to support the application?
› No; you are simply providing advice from an academic point of view. If you feel, after seeing all the
available information and evidence, that the student should be studying a full time workload, then you
can advise that you do not support the students application for these reasons
› StudyLink will take your advice into consideration and make the final decision on whether LFT will be
approved or declined. Please note that it is not the education provider making the decision – you are
merely providing advice that will be considered when StudyLink makes the final decision
› The student can still send the application to StudyLink to be assessed, even if you haven’t supported it
StudyLink Overview for Education Providers
SPECIAL APPLICATIONS (OVERSEAS)
What are Overseas study applications required for?
› Where a student is going to be studying overseas for a period of time, they need to submit an Overseas
study application, and have this approved, in order for any Student Allowance or Student Loan Living
Costs payments to continue
› To be approved, the student must be enrolled through a New Zealand Tertiary provider
The Education Providers role
› As the New Zealand based education provider, you need to complete the education provider section on
the form to confirm that the student is indeed enrolled with you. It also confirms the translated EFTS
value of the overseas programme, and dates it runs for
› The study dates reported need to be the dates of the overseas study period, including any vacation
periods (but not any travel or vacation time the student will be taking outside the course)
› The form should be completed by a staff member from your Overseas Exchange Office, or other
relevant department
Importance of Overseas study forms
› StudyLink undertakes a regular data match with the New Zealand Customs Service.
› Where a student is identified through this match as having left the country, and they have not been
approved Overseas Study by StudyLink, any payments that they receive will be stopped
› As a result, you are encourage to advise students looking to study overseas to make contact with
StudyLink
StudyLink Overview for Education Providers