Review of the Student Assistance Fund Review for the HEA

Description

The HEA wishes to commission and independent review of the Student Assistance Fund (SAF) in order to determine whether the policies, guidelines and practice relating to the fund are fit for current and future purpose. The SAF was established in 1994 and is an important source of support for higher education students who experience financial hardship while in college. It is a stand-alone fund and is not connected to any other student supports such as the Maintenance Grant or the Back to Education Allowance. The SAF provides students in need with ongoing financial support or once-off emergency support as required and typically provides a contribution to the cost of college materials or daily living expenses including food, rent costs and childcare costs. In essence, the SAF is designed to support students with a social disadvantage with ongoing needs for financial support and students with other circumstances giving rise to short or longer-term financial difficulties, including family responsibilities, bereavement, family difficulties, accidents or health problems. The fund is co-financed by the European Social Fund (ESF) through the Human Capital Investment Operational Programme (HCIOP), and is subject to the appropriate controls, reporting and auditing requirements. The contract was awarded to Crowe Horwath