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CHAPTER 7: BARRIERS TO USAGE
7.1 Having examined views on the various types of information, advice and guidance available from the Scottish Executive, it is important to understand what might prevent organisations from using different sources of IAG that are available to them. This chapter examines the barriers to usage of the different types of IAG that are available.
STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICE
Reasons for not using the Student Support Service
7.2 All 122 intermediaries who had heard of the Student Support and Benefits Advisory Service but had not used it were asked to state why.
7.3 As shown in chart 7.1, the key reason cited was that they did not think it would be useful (36%), with a further 19% saying they had never needed to use this. The only other reason cited by more than one in ten of these respondents was 15% saying that they could access the information elsewhere.
7.4 Other reasons cited by small proportions of respondents were that they did not know much about the service (7%) or that other individuals deal with that issue (6%).
7.5 While it may be disappointing that a proportion of respondents did not utilise the Student Support Service, these data suggest that there is nothing intrinsically wrong with the quality of the service available.
Chart 7.1
Reasons for not using Student Support Service
Alternative Sources of Information Utilised
7.6 All 18 respondents who said that they did not use the service because they accessed the information elsewhere were asked where they accessed it from. Specific responses from interviewees were as follows:
- Colleges/universities (5 mentions);
- General Internet/websites (3 mentions);
- Own in-house documentation (2 mentions);
- Local networks/similar organisations (2 mentions);
- SAAS (1 mention);
- Careers Scotland (1 mention);
- UCAS website (1 mention);
- Learndirect Scotland website (1 mention);
- Plan IT Plus (1 mention);
- Social work department (1 mention);
- Benefits Agency (1 mention);
- Student Representative Council (1 mention);
- Seminars (1 mention).
FUNDING FOR LEARNERS WEBSITE
Reasons for not using the Funding for Learners Website
7.7 All 114 intermediaries who had heard of the Funding for Learners website but had not used it were asked to state why. Reasons were similar to those given for not using the Student Support Service. The reason given by the highest proportion of intermediaries was that they did not think it would be useful (33%), with a further 25% saying they never had any need. In addition, 18% said that they could access the information elsewhere. The only other response made by more than 5% of the sample was that they had developed their own material (9%).
Chart 7.2
Reasons for not using Funding for Learners website
Alternative Sources of Information Utilised
7.8 The 20 respondents who said that they did not use the website because they accessed the information elsewhere were asked from information was accessed. Responses from interviewees were as follows:
- Learndirect Scotland website (4 mentions);
- SAAS website (3 mentions);
- Own documentation/in-house system (3 mentions);
- Books/leaflets (3 mentions);
- SAAS (2 mentions);
- Funding Council website (2 mentions);
- Colleges/universities (2 mentions);
- Other Scottish Executive literature (2 mentions);
- Careers Scotland (1 mention);
- Job Centre (1 mention);
- CPAG literature (1 mention);
- General Internet/websites (1 mention);
- Local networks/similar organisations (1 mention);
- "Helping you meet the cost of learning" leaflets (1 mention);
- Intermediary organisations (1 mention);
- Scottish Executive website (1 mention).
"helping you meet the cost of LEARNING" LEAFLETS
Reasons for not using the Meeting the Costs of Learning Leaflets
7.9 All 67 intermediaries who had heard of the Helping you meet the costs of Learning leaflets but had not used them were asked to state why. Reasons were similar to those given for not using the two other forms of information, advice and guidance. The key reason given by the highest proportion of intermediaries (42%) was that they did not think it would be useful, with a further 12% saying they could access the information elsewhere and 10% claiming never to have needed to access these leaflets. The only other responses made by more than 5% of the sample were that they had developed their own material or that they simply did not know much about the leaflets or what they were for (6% cited for each reason).
Chart 7.3
Reasons for not using Meeting the Costs of Learning Leaflets
Alternative Sources of Information Utilised
7.10 The 8 respondents who said that they did not use the leaflets because they accessed the information elsewhere were asked from where information was accessed. Responses from interviewees were as follows:
- Internet/websites (2 mentions);
- Consultant (2 mentions);
- Learndirect Scotland website (1 mention);
- Colleges/universities (1 mention);
- ILA (1 mention);
- Benefits Agency (1 mention);
- Colleagues (1 mention).
VIEWS OF LEARNERS AND POTENTIAL LEARNERS
Accessing Information
7.11 Many learners and potential learners noted that planning for learning can be a difficult process and that encountering barriers can impact on their motivation. The key barrier noted by many respondents was simply where to access a reliable funding map that provides consistent and accurate information. For some, the embarrassment they felt when seeking guidance - in the absence of a clearly designated individual they could approach for help or advice - could exascerbate their difficulties. Others complained that even in instances where they access information, application forms and other aspects of the process can be long-winded and complicated to complete, especially if there is no one designated person to approach for help or to provide definitive answers.
Alternative Funding Sources
7.12 Many of our learners and potential learners - primarily those returning to education after a break - found the many, alternative elements which make up their personal "funding landscape" confusing and their eligibility within these hard to ascertain.
7.13 For some of those receiving benefits (e.g. tax credits, housing benefit etc.), successfully balancing benefits currently received, against those to be received on course attendance, was an additional source of worry and confusion - particularly when determining their eligibility for courses in the first instance had been by no means easy. Advice can be contradictory, too:
"When you try to find out in the office (of the college) one person will say one thing, and another will say another thing (if your situation involves benefits or complications)."
Current Learner, City
7.14 Single or working parents and/or any who needed to remain in employment of some kind in order to maintain a level of household income were particularly burdened by these considerations. Some respondents claimed that their need to maintain household living standards had forced them to choose a part-time course over their preferred full-time course.
7.15 A small number of respondents noted that they had been unable to apply for the course of their choice because the loss of existing benefits outweighed those they would gain through funding.
7.16 Undergraduates and those leaving the school system noted that this was far less of an issue for them. In the main, schools seemed to provide the necessary amount and level of advice to school leavers; and school leavers going onto a degree course at university automatically receive advice and help from SAAS.
Past Experience
7.17 Some of our learners and potential learners had, at some point, been misadvised on funding for learning, and had faced unexpected difficulties as a result. Understandably, such experiences tended to erode confidence in subsequent advice and provision and in the credibility of the organisation or individual who provided the original information. A few respondents also reported that such an error in provision had let to abandoning a course they had already started.
7.18 Aside from the issue of misinformation, a small number of respondents also related experiences where funding and advice have been provided, but had run out without warning - also leading to hardship and/or cynicism. One respondent, awarded a year's bursary, found her funding disappear part-way through the academic year. This caused problems, not least because her financial planning for the year had hinged on the funding continuing - as had been promised when the bursary had been originally awarded.
Lack of Pro-activity from Funding Providers
7.19 In the main, respondents perceived funding providers to be very passive in publicising and handing out IAG, and they complained, sometimes bitterly, that individuals considering undertaking education were left to do all the 'leg-work' themselves. Only a few reported qualitatively different experiences: for example, one where a voluntary organisation had helped a disabled student access information on funding and complete application forms; another where a charity organisation had approached the individual with funding in place.
7.20 Some respondents felt this problem arose because colleges and others - even they themselves - placed greater initial emphasis on the course content and attendance than on possible funding when students made their first enquiries. This relegated funding concerns to the status of an afterthought: " oh you fill out forms later and you will find out what funding you can get once you have filled out forms etc.". Most of our respondents felt there should be more information given on funding at the moment of initial inquiry rather than later. It was felt by respondents that this might help students to avoid the disappointment associated with getting accepted on a course and later realising that funding was unavailable, inadequate or intermittent. Such unmanageable financial difficulties were related by one individual to high drop-out rates.
"When you decide to go to University you get a lot of advice. I don't know why they couldn't take you through other aspects of it like funding and the loans and just tell you what you're entitled to. … at the same time."
Current Learner, City
7.21 Adding to difficulties caused by funding providers' passivity, respondents protested that no single reliable source exists where they can access information on funding entitlement before signing up for a course. Respondents commented that "there is no one to say oh do you know you could be entitled to this or this and even that?", so in effect the learner has to go to the guidance source and say "here is what I might be entitled to - now tell me how to go about getting it". Many learners did not have any idea what they might be entitled to and only the very proactive learners who had done all their own 'leg-work' felt that they understood their position fully. Despite these efforts, some of these proactive learners reported that they had still found it impossible to access funding.
7.22 Many of our respondents expressed a clear desire for a single, centralised source or designated point of contact to turn to for definitive answers.
"There's no one place you can go to and they'll say this is how you do it and this is what you'll get." Current Learner, City
7.23 Overall, fragmentation of information, advice and guidance sources was a common complaint, especially among the more mature students seeking to fund more substantial courses. Even when information was available, this fragmentation meant that hunting and gathering information (whatever help may or may not be available) can be a time-consuming, difficult and dispiriting process.
"It seems (when) the information is in the right place, it's just there's so many people handling it…it goes back to (needing) one central point…. It's like a maze, funding is like a maze at the moment and you cannae get to the point you need to be at."
Current Learner, Town
7.24 Within different sub-groups of individuals (in particular hard to reach groups, such as migrant workers or asylum seekers), problems such as these tended to be exacerbated. For some, the concept of more "red tape" or officialdom was particularly offputting. However, some who had approached an organisation set up to represent their interests noted that they had had a lot of help in ascertaining what funding might be available and how to apply for this.
7.25 In summary,
- Intermediaries who had heard of each of the types of IAG but who had not used this gave the key reason for this lack of usage as being that they did not think it would be useful and a range of alternative sources of information were used, although each was mentioned by a very small number of respondents.
- Overall, learners and potential learners felt that the process of obtaining information, advice and guidance on funding for learners was complex and confusing, and the Scottish Executive is not perceived as a primary port of call for information on funding. The key barrier for most of these respondents was simply where to access consistent and accurate information.
- Key barriers included:
- Absence of a central, transparent source of IAG (a "one-stop shop") accessible to all;
- Confusion over fragmented alternative information sources;
- Concern over a loss of state benefits;
- Negative past experiences in terms of being misadvised on funding for learners;
- Lack of pro-activity on the part of funding providers to provide IAG;
- Problems of "red tape" for migrant workers or asylum seekers and a fear of officialdom.
- For learners and potential learners, finding out about funding is a key barrier; and this is exacerbated by information which arrives too late in their planning process, and by difficulties they encounter when trying to ascertain accurate information specific to individual needs and situations.
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