British Armed Forces:
Resettlement
and Enhanced Learning Credits
The Enhanced Learning Credits Scheme (ELC)
has been launched as a new educational initiative to compliment
the Standard Learning Credits Scheme (SLC). The Scheme provides
financial support to eligible Service personnel who wish to
enhance their educational or vocational achievements at Level 3
or above.
Two Tiers
ELCs are available in two tiers: The Lower Tier has a level
of up to £1,000 per annum and the Upper Tier a level of up to
£2,000 per annum. These amounts may be claimed as a single
payment in each of a maximum of three separate financial years.
The Scheme is based upon the principle that individuals will
make a personal contribution toward the cost of their learning.
The ELC contribution may be up to 80% of the gross course value.
Applicants will also be responsible for payment for food,
accommodation, travel and subsistence.
Before submitting an application or claim for an ELC please
refer to your Education Staff and to Defence Council Instruction
(DCI) reference 'DCI JS 30/04' The Enhanced Learning Credit
Scheme - Sponsorship of Service Personnel for Personal
Development. It is essential that you do this in order to obtain
a full understanding of the eligibility criteria, both for
yourself and any development activity.
The Enhanced Learning Credits Administration Service (ELCAS)
provide the administrative support for the ELC Scheme. Education
Staff are responsible for approval of both ELC Application and
Claims. All completed forms should therefore be submitted to
Education Staff who will send the forms to:
ELCAS, Farncombe House, Broadway, Worcestershire WR12 7LJ.
Any enquiries regarding the Scheme and eligibility criteria
should be made to Education Staff.
Applications for Scheme Membership
To qualify for the Enhanced Learning Credits applicants must be
in the service when they apply for Scheme Membership.
On Enlistment: From 1st April 2003 all new recruits were made
aware of the existence of the Scheme. Recruits were briefed and
encouraged to join the Scheme by completing and signing an
application form. New recruits may only join the Scheme during
their first 12 months of enlistment.
Serving Personnel: Those already serving on 1st April 2003 were
permitted to join the Scheme by forwarding a completed
application form to ELCAS, signed not later than 1st April 2004
to arrive by 28th April 2004, and subject to meeting the
eligibility criteria described in the current DCI reference 'DCI
JS 30/04'.
Late Entry: is permitted in a six-month period between eight
years and eight and a half years of service. Service personnel
interested in late entry should consult their education staff
for more information.
Making a Claim
How to
claim and do a booking with ELCAS
In order to claim for funding, Scheme members must:
Have completed not less than four years eligible service for
"low tier" funding
Have completed not less than eight years eligible service for
"higher tier" funding
Complete the required length of service before commencing the
course of study for which support is being claimed
Submit their claim prior to the tenth anniversary of leaving the
Armed Forces
Calculating Eligible Service
Eligible service (for the ELC Scheme only) includes only that
time on active service after 1st April 2000.
Qualifying Service may include a mix of periods of regular and
non-regular service and need not be continuous - in such cases
please contact your Education Staffs for more information.
For those already serving before 1 April 2003 and who registered
on the scheme by 1 April 2004, eligible service runs from 1
April 2000 or date of enlistment, whichever is the later.
For those entering the Armed Forces on or after 1 April 2003 and
who join in the initial 12 month joining window, eligible
service is taken from the date of enlistment, regardless of when
in the twelve month window they joined the scheme.
For late entrants to the scheme, who join in the six month
window from their eight to eight and a half year service point,
eligible service is taken from the start of this joining window
(the eight year point) regardless of when in that six month
window they elect to join the scheme.
The ELC scheme is designed to provide assistance to Service
personnel with a single payment in each of a maximum of three
financial years, to help pay towards higher-level learning. ELCs
may be claimed for learning which leads to nationally recognised
qualifications at Level three or above on the NQF, as defined in
the current edition of "British Qualifications" UK NARIC or UCAS.
ELC support may be claimed for:
Full or part time study
Individual, group or distance learning
Courses which lead to a nationally recognised qualification
Study towards a first degree, including Foundation Degrees
Study towards postgraduate qualification
Teacher training
A2/AS level study
Higher Education Institute access courses
Foreign language study
Pursuit of professional self development
Accreditation of prior learning assessment fees including
accreditation of Service professional skills provided the
individual has produced new, original work
Vocational course
Examination fees in respect of types of courses listed above*
Initial registration fees and accreditation fees for
professional bodies and institutes*
Remedial training for Specific Learning Difficulties, e.g.
dyslexia or dyscalculia, where an educational psychologist has
previously diagnosed these difficulties. NB ELCs cannot be used
for initial assessment or diagnosis
* SLCs may be a more useful vehicle for claiming funding as
these fees are likely to be quite modest.
ELC support may not be claimed for:
Sports courses except where they result in the award of a
professional sports coaching qualification as part of an
individual's resettlement strategy as evidenced in an
individual's personal Development Record (PDR)
Adventure training
Anything that forms part of Service training courses or Service
on-job training
It is the Learner's responsibility to ensure that the
development selected is eligible under the Scheme and meets the
development requirements. Before submitting a claim for an ELC
please refer to your Education Staff and DCI reference 'DCI JS
30/04' The Enhanced Learning Credit Scheme - Sponsorship of
Service Personnel for Personal Development for confirmation of
eligibility.
Learning Providers
Eligible Scheme members who wish to claim an ELC must choose an
appropriate activity supplied by an Approved Learning Provider.
Applicants, with guidance from their Education Staff, are
responsible for choosing their learning activity and identifying
a suitable organisation to provide the activity.
The Enhanced Learning Credits Administration Service (ELCAS)
website includes a search engine facility which enables
applicants to search for Approved Learning Providers by
Geographic Area, Organisation Type, Qualification Levels and/or
Delivery Method. Please refer to the guidance notes provided
below when looking at the detailed Approved Learning Provider
information.
If your chosen Learning Provider is not listed then they have
not yet been approved.
Please note that although the Learning Provider as an
organisation may be Approved you must still ensure that the
Learning Activities that they provide are eligible. ELCs may
only be claimed for learning which leads to nationally
recognised qualifications at Level three or above on the NQF, as
defined in the current edition of "British Qualifications" UK
NARIC or UCAS.
Guidance notes for using the Approved Learning Provider (ALP)
Information.
All providers have responded to the questions raised in the Pre
Qualification Questionnaire (PQQ). You will see on The Enhanced
Learning Credits Administration Service (ELCAS) website that the
PQQ covers a number of issues that concern you, the learner,
e.g. what support is available if you are posted overseas or if
you are detached on operations.
Some Providers offer a complete support package regardless of
the circumstances, although others may not be able to offer
every facility that we have asked for. This does not mean that
the Provider is in any way inferior and in these cases the
organisations have provided the information that they wish you
to be aware of.
Regardless of the information on the website you should still
check with your Provider that they are able to offer a complete
support package for your chosen qualification as Providers may
be constrained by Exam and Awarding Body regulations
Contact
For all queries with regard to the application/registration
process and eligibility please consult your Education Staff.
Guidance is also provided in the Defence Council Instruction
reference 'DCI JS 30/04' The Enhanced Learning Credit Scheme -
Sponsorship of Service Personnel for Personal Development.
Before registering as a Scheme Member or submitting a claim for
an ELC please refer to your Education Staff.
Number for general ELC Enquiries 0870 411
5600
The Enhanced Learning Credits Administration Service (ELCAS)
website can be found at www.enhancedlearningcredits.co.uk
Copyright 2004 Enhanced Learning Credits Administration Services
Ltd. All Rights Reserved
How to
claim and do a booking with ELCAS
