Funding (ELC)

This is the way the MOD sponsors Forces personnel to study educational courses.
 
The Open University’s ELC Learning Provider number is 1260. 
 
If you want to know more about the scheme or to determine your eligibility please refer to the Enhanced Learning Credits Administration Services (ELCAS) website at
http://www.enhancedlearningcredits.com/mssql/index.html
 
Open University courses which are eligible for Enhanced Learning Credit funding
 There are now 2 Enhanced Learning Credit (ELC) schemes:
 

• 80% ELC scheme
• 100% resettlement (PF FE/HE or joint ELC & PF FE/HE) scheme

 
You can use your ELC funding towards most Open University courses; for the 100% resettlement scheme this is restricted to courses being counted towards a student’s first undergraduate (including foundation degree) qualification only. The exceptions for both schemes are those which have a residential school element to them as these costs are not covered by ELCs. Therefore, standalone residential school courses and the part of a course fee that relates to a compulsory integral residential school are not eligible. 
 
Some of you have raised issues in the past about whether or not our courses are at the required level to be eligible for Enhanced Learning Credit funding due to the information appearing on the ELCAS website (and in the DIN) as follows:
 
ELC funding is only available for courses that result in a Nationally Recognised Qualification at level three or above on the National Qualification Framework or level six or above on the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework
 
The Open University’s credit levels that are assigned to each course equate to the National Qualification Frameworks levels as shown in the table below.
 

 
How Enhanced Learning Credits work
Once you have been approved by ELCAS to be part of the scheme, you will be eligible to use your funding with us.
 
It is preferable that the chosen courses fall within the same MOD financial year (1st April – 31st March) but they can fall within 2 consecutive academic years, and therefore 2 consecutive MOD financial years, if they lead to the same qualification or “learning outcome” and start within the same 12 month period. 
 
You can only make one Enhanced Learning Credits claim for funding per MOD financial year. If you would like advice on how you can make the most of the funding so that it covers as many courses as possible, please contact the Student Registration & Enquiry Services (SRS) Partnerships Team on 01908 652111.
 
Methods of payment you can use to pay for your 20% contribution
For the 80% ELC scheme only, to be eligible to use an ELC you must pay for at least 20% of the course fees for any one course from your own sources. Your own sources include payment by:
 

• personal credit or debit card;
• personal cheque from your bank or building society;
• postal order;
• An Open University Student Budget Account (OUSBA). Where you only want to pay part of your fees using OUSBA, please contact the SRS Partnerships team on 01908 65211 before making a reservation.
• Financial support for students on low incomes. If you are eligible for a partial financial award for any course fees, please contact the SRS Partnerships team on 01908 652111 about the figures you will have to put on your ELC application to ELCAS to ensure that the financial award covers your 20% contribution.
• Tesco Clubcard Rewards Tokens may be used as full or part payment towards OU courses – but they can only be used for Level 1 courses.

 
How to use your Enhanced Learning Credit with the Open University
Before you send in any ELC application form to ELCAS for approval of funding the following MUST be removed from the full course fee and the ELC claim must be applied to the lower fee:
 

• Any OU discount for which you are eligible. Please note that you are only allowed to use one discount towards the same course fee.
• The part of the fee that is attributable to an integral residential school as ELC funding does not cover costs relating to accommodation and food, etc. If you intend taking an alternative learning experience rather than attending a face to face school, please contact the SRS Partnerships team on 01908 652111 for funding eligibility advice.

 
Once an ELC claim has been approved by ELCAS, you will be issued with a CAN (Claim Authorisation Note). This must be sent to us with your registration agreement as it takes the place of a sponsorship agreement.
 
Before sending your registration agreement and fee payment to us, please write your chosen start date next to each course appearing on your CAN.  Please make sure that you send us a registration agreement to cover every course that appears on your CAN as we are unable to claim the ELC funding until you are registered on all of your chosen courses. Where you are not able to register on one or more of your chosen courses due to the particular start date not yet being open for registration, you will receive an e-mail from us when your chosen courses open for registration to remind you to register.
 
Withdrawing from a course which has been paid for using an Enhanced Learning Credit
If you find that you need to withdraw from a course for which you have used an ELC you will need to contact your Education Manager in the first instance to discuss your situation. 
 
If you need to withdraw from your course there may be other options we can offer you, such as transferring to a later course start date within 18 months of the original course start date or interrupting your studies where you are able to take the assignment marks you have already achieved to the next available course start date.  Where you have been posted to a “conflict” situation, such as Afghanistan, other options may be available to you. Please contact the SRS Partnerships team on 01908 652111 for further information.