Financial support type (FINSUPTYPE)

Definitions and coverage for different scheme types can be found below.

All providers

Disabled Students' Allowance

This scheme relates solely to Disabled Students' Allowances funded by the Student Loans Company (SLC) or Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS). Where Disabled Students Allowance exists it must be returned as a financial support type of 100 Disabled Students' Allowance.

This is required to be returned for any students in receipt of Disabled Students Allowance where Disability.DISABILITY = 09-96.

Providers in England

Valid entries 001-004 (England only)

These valid entries must be completed by English providers for students that meet the below coverage:

All Students where Engagement.FEEELIG = 01 and Qualification.QUALCAT starts with H, I, J or C or is M0002, M0016 or M0018 and Engagement.INCOMINGEXCHANGE does not exist and CollaborativeProvision.COLPROVTYPEID does not equal 02.

If an award is available to all students at the provider (or all students on the course on which the student for whom data is being returned is studying), and there is no differentiation based on individual circumstances, this should not be returned, even if the award is not utilised by all.

Support given to students which is 50 GBP or less per item within each FinancialSupport.FINTYPE category must not be included.

Examples of support

Include:

• Merit based bursaries and awards, including prizes


• Bursaries and scholarships awarded to assist the student with maintenance costs rather than tuition fees


• Costs for subsidised travel or meals (if available only to a subset of students)


• Amounts awarded through ITT bursaries


• Amounts awarded through The National Scholarship Programme (NSP), where these awards are offered as bursaries/scholarships or discounted accommodation


• Awards paid through charitable funds secured by providers


• Awards for EU students that are equivalent to DSA

Exclude as collected elsewhere:

• Disabled Students Allowance (DSA) awards - collected by SLA


• Fee waivers, free foundation years offered to the students, or any other reduction of student fees

Exclude as not required by the Office for Students:

• Refunds or compensation issued to students in relation to the course or accommodation - this is not considered to be support


• Support given in relation to student societies or additional courses taken by the student, e.g. language courses


• Free membership of a provider's sports centre - for instance if this is offered to all students who reside in Universities Halls, then it would be considered as part of the student's accommodation costs and so not required


• Costs for course materials provided or available to all students on the course - these are considered to be part of the course fee, for example if all students studying Chemistry are issued with a lab pack


• Welcome packs provided to all students on enrolment of the course


• The cost of inoculations, CRB checks or other costs covered by the provider in relation to the course if available to all students


• Incentives given to students to encourage participation in surveys and focus groups.

Examples of support in each category include:

001 Cash

Any bursary/scholarship/award that is paid to the student, where there is no restriction on the use of the award. This will include BACS payments, cheques, cash awards and any means tested hardship funds that fall outside of the Office for Students Student Opportunity allocation.

Scholarships awarded as cash that might or might not be spent as a fee waiver. If awarded as a fee waiver i.e. the student has no choice as to how the money is spent, this should not be returned in this entity.

002 Near cash

This constitutes any voucher schemes or prepaid cards awarded to students where there are defined outlets or services for which the voucher/card can be used. (E.g. Aspire cards.)

003 Accommodation discounts

• Discounted accommodation in University Halls / Residences


• Cash or near cash that is explicitly to be used as an accommodation discount.


• Discount for College fees at providers with a collegiate system.

004 Other

All in-kind or cash support that is not included in the above categories. Including, but limited to:

• Travel costs


• Laboratory costs


• Printer costs


• Equipment paid for e.g. laptops, course literature (other than loans of equipment)


• Subsidised field trips


• Subsidised meal costs

If the provider settles a bill on behalf of the student, there is no opportunity for those funds to be used elsewhere therefore the support should be reported as 04 'Other'.

Providers in Wales

Valid entries 200-202 (Wales only)

Codes from 200 - 202 record the HEFCW part-time fee waiver schemes.

200 Job seeker: To be retuned where the student is a registered jobseeker and has been for a continuous period of no less than six weeks prior to the date of application for fee waiver.

201 Benefits: To be returned where the students family is in receipt of:

• Universal credit


• Income support


• Income based jobseekers allowance


• Housing benefit


• Pension credit


• Council tax reduction


• Working tax credits

Or, the student is in receipt of:

• Employment and Support Allowance


• Personal Independent Payment


• Severe Disablement Allowance


• Disability Living Allowance


• Attendance Allowance


• Incapacity Benefit

Or, the sole income to the student's family is Department for Work and Pensions benefits.

Where a combination of categories applies, the first applicable on the list should be used (i.e. if 201 applies, return code 201 even if 202 also applies).

For more information, please see the HEFCW circular