The Local Education Authority (Post Compulsory Education Awards) Regulations 1999 required LEAs to make an annual determination in respect of their powers to make awards to students. The determination had to be made before the start of the following financial year. The requirement to make an annual determination applied regardless of whether an LA had previously determined that it would not exercise its powers to offer awards.
The Council had already determined not to exercise the power to offer discretionary awards for the 2010/11 academic year. No financial provision had been made to make discretionary awards in the 2011/2012 academic year either for a specific category or on appeal.
The effect on applicants had remained unchanged since 2000/01 when Cheshire County Council first decided not to take up the discretionary powers and no new awards had been made since then. No discretionary awards have been made since the academic year 2003/4 when existing students already in receipt of an award were funded from a residual fund to allow them to complete their course.
RESOLVED:
That the Council does not take up the power to grant discretionary awards for the 2011/2012 academic year.