ELC - A GUIDE FOR SERVING PERSONNEL

READ THIS FIRST!

Do not commit any funds to a learning provider before you are authorised to do so by the RAF ELC system. ELC will pay for your course in advance only and the regulations will not permit you to claim a refund under any circumstances. You need to have a Claim Authorisation Note (CAN) in your possession before you pay any money to a learning provider. Read the notes below for a fuller explanation.

With effect from 1 Sep 05, all ELC Claims must be received by ELCAS at least 15 working days before the commencement of the course for which ELC support is being claimed. Claims which are received within 15 working days will be rejected.

MAKING 2ND / 3RD ELC CLAIMS

Personnel are now submitting 2nd and 3rd ELC claims. JSP 898 Part 4 Chapter 3 details the requirements for making such claims. To summarise, personnel making 2nd / 3rd ELC claims are to :

• Provide proof from their Learning Provider that they have completed the course.
• Provided a completed Course Evaluation Form (CEF) for the course undertaken. NOTE: ELCAS are unable to accept faxed copies of CEFS.

In certain circumstances it may be necessary to apply for a second or third ELC claim whilst still studying a previous course being funded using ELC. In these cases, the CEF must be completed up to the point you are currently studying and sent in with your claim form to the Education staff.

YOUR ROLE IN ELC

• ELC offers you a level of support for your learning, which is not given by many other employers.

• In return for this, you are expected to take responsibility for organising your learning. This means that you need to research your chosen Learning Provider thoroughly. You should also be prepared to justify your course and ensure it meets the rules required for it to be eligible for ELC support.

• The staff in your Learning Centre can help and advise you as necessary but will expect you to undertake the research and preparation of information in support of your ELC claim.

• The authoritative document for ELC is JSP 898 Part 4 Chapter 3.

WHAT IS YOUR ENTITLEMENT

ELC awards are available at two “tiers”: the “Lower Tier” level of up to £1000 per annum for those with four or more years’ eligible service; and at the “Upper Tier” level of up to £2000 per annum for those with eight or more years’ eligible service. Providing they meet all the criteria, personnel may make ELC claims in up to three separate financial years (which need not be consecutive and may be a combination of lower tier and upper tier funds) either while in service or for up to ten years after leaving. ELC funds may be directed at one learning purpose (such as successive years’ study towards a particular qualification) or different purposes in each of the three years

MAKING A CLAIM

The Claim Process

• The process for enabling you to make a claim under ELC is IN JSP 898 Part 4 Chapter 3.

• Check if your chosen Learning Provider is on the database of Approved Learning Providers, held by ELCAS, the MOD’s contractor for central aspects of administration of the ELC scheme. The database of Approved Learning Providers can be found on the ELCAS website: http://www.enhancedlearningcredits.com/

• If your provider is not already on the approved list, you should follow the advice given later in these notes.

• When you make contact with your learning provider, you should be able to reserve a place on the course with them but DO NOT pay money to them under any circumstances. The whole scheme is based on the MOD funding being promised at the same time as your contribution.

Completing the Claim Form

• The Claim form is available to down load on the ELCAS website http://www.enhancedlearningcredits.com/. Claimants are only to use the current version, which ELCAS has placed on the website. Failure to use the current version will result in the Claim Form being returned to claimants with a request to use the correct version

• Claim Forms must be completed by the claimant and countersigned by Line Managers and the responsible Education Staff before forwarding to ELCAS. In essence, the CSP, on receipt of a properly completed Claim Form, will send a Claim Authorisation Note (CAN) to the individual through the Education Staff. The CAN is effectively a promissory note that the MOD will support 80% of the costs of learning provided the individual pays the remainder of the course costs.• Your Learning Centre staffs are the only individuals authorised to sign Part 5. ELCAS have been instructed by the MOD not to accept any claim forms which are not on the list of authorised signatures held by them.

• If education services on your unit are provided by an Army or RN Education Centre/Learning Centre, the staff there will be authorised to countersign and submit your claim.

YOUR PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN (PDP)

• You are required to attach a PDP to each ELC Claim Form you submit.

• Dowload a copy of a suggested PDP and guidance on how to undertake the planning.

• You can of course use your own version of a PDP. Learning Centre staff have all been told that this is a perfectly acceptable alternative to the one offered on this website, provided it answers the main questions about your plans:

Where am I now
Where do I want to be? (and when?)
How can I get there?

• The PDP should be a living document which you will want to amend as your plans come to fruition.

CONFIRMATION OF YOUR CLAIM - THE CLAIM AUTHORISATION NOTE (CAN)

• On receipt of your claim form, ELCAS will check your eligibility and record the ELC Claim for their financial processes. They will then send you, via your Learning Centre Staff, a Claim Authorisation Note (CAN). The CAN is the sole authority which tells your learning provider that you are being supported financially and that the MOD will pay its part of the bill.

• On receipt of the CAN, you should confirm your course with the provider by sending them the CAN and making arrangements for paying your part of the bill.

APPROVED LEARNING PROVIDERS

Approved Learning Provider Database

• The ELCAS website http://www.enhancedlearningcredits.com/ contains the Database of Approved Learning Providers. Each entry gives brief details of the courses offered by a provider as well as notes on what they can provide to Service personnel. For instance, some providers may not be able to support you overseas, while others may charge exam fees separately from tuition fees.

• Such policies do not make providers unsuitable but the notes are there to help you make an informed decision, based on your circumstances and plans.

• If your chosen provider is not on the ELCAS Database, you should contact them and ask them to download the Pre-Qualification Questionnaire or PQQ on the ELCAS website. The PQQ is the method by which providers apply to the MOD for Approved Learning Provider status for the ELC scheme. Your provider should complete the questionnaire and submit it to ELCAS in accordance with the instructions on the front cover.

• ELCAS will review the PQQ and then contact your provider. Be aware that the whole process of approval could take up to 6 weeks, so you need to stress to your provider that they need to move quickly.

• Not all courses offered by Approved Learning Providers will attract ELC support. They must meet the rules drawn up by ELC. See below.

WHAT ARE THE RULES FOR COURSES ATTRACTING ELC SUPPORT?

• To be eligible for ELC, your claim must meet ALL of the following rules:

• Your chosen course must be at Level 3 or above on the National Qualifications Framework (Level 6 on the Scottish Qualifications Framework). This means that it must be a nationally recognised qualification. Level 3 would include A Levels, Level 3 NVQs and HNCs.

• Your Provider must be on the Database of Approved Learning Providers.

• You must attach a copy of your PDP when you give the Claim Form to the Learning Centre staff for their signature. Your PDP will not be sent to ELCAS but will be held in your F7269, your personal education record.

• Your chosen course must be of “direct benefit to the Service”. See the next section for MOD’s definition of this

WHAT ABOUT CLAIMANTS NO LONGER IN SERVICE?

• If you are a Claimant no longer in the Service (CNLIS), you do not have to pursue a course which is of direct benefit to the Service. You may, however, be liable for tax on the ELC grant you receive. Further advice should be sought from the appropriate tax authorities.

• Unlike personnel still in the RAF, you should submit your ELC Claim directly to:

No 22 (Training) Group,
Learning Credits Administrator (CNLIS)
Learning Forces
Room 227
RAF College Cranwell
Sleaford
Lincolnshire
NG34 8HB

• When you submit your claim form and PDP, you must also provide the following proof of identity:

a. Copy of passport page or driving licence page (with photograph)
b. Copy of Service discharge document
c. Copy of utility bill (for address)

A SUMMARY OF THE RULES - ELC ELIGIBILITY - CATEGORIES CHECKLIST

• The table below summarises the different rules as they apply to the different categories of learners.