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Student Loan and Student Grant Schemes

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Approving Authority:

Council
Establishment Date:22 October, 1993
Date Last Amendment:15 March, 2007
Nature of Amendment:To delete references to Student Services Fee and Student Union and to include reference to Flinders Campus Community Services.
Responsible Officer: Director, Academic and Student Services

APPENDIX A: Purposes for which a Student Loan may be granted

1

Emergency Loans : Emergency loans will be granted to students who can provide, to the satisfaction of the FCCS Officer, evidence of emergency circumstances that necessitate the provision of funds within 24 hours. Subject to the approval of the FCCS Officer: (i) cash loans, to a maximum of $50, will be available immediately from the Cashier's Office; (ii) cheques for emergency loans will be available within not more than 24 hours from the approval of the loan.

2

Domestic Expenses

(a)    Bond money and rent in advance - A loan may be granted when there is evidence that expenditure of this kind is unplanned and not able to be met from a student's normal resources. Where accommodation is to be shared, the student should detail his/her share of the establishment costs in the loan application. Loans will not normally be granted to retain rental accommodation during vacation periods.

(b)    Removal costs - A loan may be provided to assist with the costs of removal within the Adelaide metropolitan area.

(c)    Connection charges and operating costs - Deposits and connection fees for gas, electricity, water and telephone may qualify a student for a loan if evidence is provided that the amount involved is beyond the student's capacity to pay.

(d)    Utilities (eg Telephone, Gas, Electricity) - These costs are usually regarded as being part of a student's normal budget. However, a student may qualify for a loan, if he/she can provide evidence of hardship and incapacity to pay such charges.

(e)    Insurance Loans - may be granted to cover the costs of household contents insurance.

(f)    Household and appliance repairs - A loan may be provided in cases of emergency leading to a decline in living conditions (eg failure of a hot water service or refrigerator).

(g)    Structural alterations - Such costs are generally seen as being outside the scope of the fund. A student would qualify for a loan only in exceptional circumstances, where there is evidence that a small expenditure would lead to a reduction in a student's weekly costs or would rectify a poor study environment.

3

Transport Expenses

(a)    Car repairs - A loan may be granted if there is evidence that a student requires his/her vehicle to attend classes, travel to work or transport dependants, or because he/she has a disability.

(b)    Registration and insurance - Registration costs are generally seen as being outside the scope of the fund, on the grounds that they would be included within a student' s normal budget. A student would qualify for a loan only in exceptional circumstances where there is evidence that deregistration is imminent and the student requires his/her vehicle to attend classes, travel to work or transport dependants, or because he/she has a disability. Loans may be granted to cover the costs of third party property insurance and the excess component of an insurance claim.

(c)    Vehicle purchase - Loans will not normally be granted to fund the purchase of a car, because the purchase price will generally exceed the loan limit of $500. However, where there is evidence that a student requires his/her vehicle to attend classes, travel to work or transport dependants, or because he/she has a disability, consideration will be given to a loan application to fund a part of the cost of a vehicle.

(d)    Purchase of bicycles, motor cycles and safety equipment - Loan applications to fund the purchase of bicycles, motor cycles and associated safety equipment will be considered where there is evidence that a student requires this transport to attend classes or travel to work.

(e)    Fines - In cases where payment of a fine is no longer negotiable, a loan may be provided to avoid the issue of a warrant and imprisonment.

4

Books and Equipment : A loan may be granted to cover the costs of textbooks and other equipment directly related to the study needs of the student. Loans will not normally be granted to fund the purchase of a computer, because the purchase price will generally exceed the loan limit of $500. However, a loan may be granted for the purchase of a second hand computer, or where there is evidence that the loan will be a partial contribution towards the total purchase price, with the balance to be provided by the student from other sources.

5

Clothing : A loan may be provided in cases where a student requires a special item of clothing to qualify for employment or to undertake a field placement. Basic clothing requirements for students will also be considered. (See also clause 7(a) below).

6

Travel

(a)    Employment related travel - A loan may be approved to cover the costs of travel incurred in gaining vacation employment outside the Adelaide metropolitan area;

(b)    Travel costs resulting from family emergency - A loan may be granted in cases where travel costs are incurred at short notice due to death, illness, or another emergency within a student's family;

(c)    Field trips/placements - A student may be granted a loan to cover costs incurred in attending a field trip/placement or other educational excursion, which is a requirement of the course or topic in which the student is enrolled. Academic staff will be asked to substantiate such expenditure;

(d)    Travel associated with intramural sport etc - A loan may be granted to assist with travel costs when a student is representing the University and can provide evidence that he/she will face hardship due to the additional expenses. Evidence will be sought to substantiate the student's involvement in the sporting activity.

7

Dependants

(a)    General expenses - A loan may be provided to cover costs relating to a student's dependants.

(b)    Child minding expenses - A loan may be granted to assist a student who is experiencing difficulty in meeting child minding costs. However, such support will not be provided on an ongoing basis.

8

Medical, Dental or Optical Expense: Loans may be granted to cover the costs of urgent and unplanned medical, dental or optical treatment.

9

Visa Fees : Loans will not be approved to cover the costs of visas for full fee-paying international students.

10

Other Purposes : Students may apply for loans for purposes other than those detailed above. However, these applications must be supported by evidence that financial difficulties are having, or are likely to have, an adverse effect on a student's academic performance.