EFA selects Capita to lead education bursary schemes

Capita has been reselected by the UK Education Funding Agency to manage three student support schemes. The schemes are set up by the Government to encourage students and adults to further educate themselves to improve their skills. The consulting firm has been awarded a three-year contract.

UK student support schemes
As education and training create skills that contribute to growth and prosperity, the UK Government has set up a number of student support schemes that are designed to encourage young people and adults to take part in further education and training to help them improve their skills. The schemes that provide students with financial support are overseen by the Education Funding Agency* and the Skills Funding Agency**.

To manage three of the main bursary schemes, the Education Funding Agency has re-appointed Capita and awarded the consulting firm the £8.5 million contract which runs until 2018. “We look forward to working with Capita over the next 3 years to offer an improved, easy-to-use and streamlined service to students seeking financial support for their studies,” comments Peter Mucklow, National Director for Young People of the Education Funding Agency. 

The three schemes the consulting firm will operate are:

• Care to Learn: providing financial support covering childcare and travel costs, to young parents who want to continue or return to learning;
• Bursary Fund for Vulnerable Students: helping the most financially disadvantaged 16-19 year olds meet the costs of education or training;
• Professional and Career Development Loans: providing adults with commercial lending from Barclays or the Co-operative Bank.

Explaining Capita’s role, Philip Knight, Managing Director of Capita’s Funds Disbursements Service, says: “It’s important that we make applying for support as easy as possible. So Capita is introducing enhanced IT through its Paradigm and Connect software, including on-line application and attendance monitoring processes and a fully integrated back office that, together, will enable quicker, simpler access to the schemes for students, childcare providers and education institutions.”

* The Education Funding Agency is an executive agency of the Department for Education which manages the funding needed to support all state-provided education for children aged 3 to 16 and young people aged 16 to 19.

** The Skills Funding Agency is an executive agency of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills which manages the funding for further education and skills training needed to “succeed in playing a part in society and in growing the UK economy.”