Students who defer entry
Which financial support package should I give to students who defer entry?
If you change your support package from one year to another, there will be a different support package in place when deferred students start their studies than was available when they applied. It is for you to decide which package to give them: the one offered in their year of entry or in their year of application.
You should base your decision on reasonableness, timing and the clarity of information you have given to deferred students, particularly if your financial support has decreased.
You will need to make sure that:
- you provide clear and accessible information on what financial support package deferred students can expect, preferably directly to the students concerned
- this information makes it clear to students that your financial support package is linked either to their year of entry or their year of application (whichever you decide)
- if, when you offer a deferred student a place, you have not yet finalised the financial support package that will apply to their year of entry, you give them full details as soon as the package has been finalised.
Please be aware that if a deferred student decides to challenge you on the level of financial support you are offering and you cannot resolve the matter to their satisfaction, they may take the matter to the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education.
Can I change the financial support for deferred students?
We think it is reasonable to change the financial support you offer to deferred students provided that:
- you alerted deferred students to any negative changes within a timetable that would have reasonably allowed them to apply elsewhere and/or
- there were caveats in your original offer that your financial support might change, or was not finalised.
However, we do not think it would be reasonable to change your financial support offer if such caveats existed only in the small print. Nor do we think institutions should expect applicants to be unreasonably proactive in finding out about changes to their financial support entitlement.
We will be happy to discuss the reasonableness of your draft policies (contact your institution’s key policy adviser). We would also encourage you to test your position with your student union before deciding which financial support package your deferred students are eligible to receive.