DaDa Funding for 2013-14

[Robsmumma]

Really? And you just lost it if no funding was offered? £400 is a lot of money!

[Caroline A-C]

It was actually £350 and I think it was refundable provided you gave 4 week's notice before the start of the first term. Think that is correct.

[bruno2]

This is so sad, that’s all we want for our kids is to give them the best possible chance, it would be so nice if everyone of them could have equal opportunities irrelevant of what income their parents have. I wonder if the kids have their differences when they attend colleague. I do feel for you all, there must be a better system but sadly its will be to late for some of us.

[riverdancefan]

It's going to be A levels for DS (continuing to train outside school with the best we can provide for him) and then the best 3 years training he can get for the loans and finances we can get together...whatever that will be in 5 years time ?? who knows
I can foresee there being NO DaDAs at all in the form they are now in the future...

We have five years to attempt to save and help him (and our older son) out. I just feel his academic studies are SO important, they will have to come first unless an amazing scholarship deal comes up.
He is never going to be a well employed child performer unless he shrinks 5 inches overnight, we had hoped some wages would be put away for his future. So both he and us agree that this is the way to go, he isn't interested in Btechs.

Life has a way of turning round and biting you on the bum, and the best laid plans go awry sometimes. I wonder what the future holds for us all??

[doubletrouble]

As previously mentioned the funding doesnt take into consideration how many DC you are trying to support at the same time. We were fortunate that my boys both received their DADA and are in their second year of training. Without the DADA we would not have been able to fund this, we presently have to pay the £1275 each annual tuition costs (i think it is) but are allowed to do this via postdated cheques.
Where they live they can apply for housing benefit so pretty much all the students receive this upto a certain amount per month, this is not means tested,, but i think depends on the local council. The extra cost they incur is living costs (food drink social!!!etc) students can apply for maintenance grant and this is means tested on household income, students can receive upto £1200 per term (£100 per week) if income is below a certain level. We dont qualify for this so this can be difficult to fund with 2 strapping lads who can hoover the fridge in seconds
Basically what i am saying is the old system worked, DADA was offered on talent/potential alone and was non discriminatory, the extra costs were then dependant on income.
I hope this is resolved as although i didnt want my boys to leave home at 16 i know if they had waited until they were 18 this year then they would definately not have had the opportunity they have, it would be shameful that many dreams could be shattered on an unfair government policy.

[Katymac]

Whether DD gets a DADA or not - I have no idea how we will afford for DD to go

I think our options are re-mortgaging or bumping off the grandparents

DD is planning on working 'lots & lots' when she is at college.......not quite sure what doing tho' - she won't be old enough for a bar job

Realistically an early morning au-pair job might help with the accommodation (someone who needs the children getting up and to school - it shouldn't interfere with college, except for the late nights)

[2dancersmum]

doubletrouble - you are certainly lucky your boys both get housing benefit. That does depend on the local council and you must have struck lucky. More than one court ruling have taken place where students on DADAs (or self funded) have applied for housing benefit, been refused and appealed. The ruling has been to the effect that only students in further education are entitled to housing benefit and that the DADA courses are more advanced than A levels and are therefore classed as higher education so students on these courses are not legally entitled to housing benefit. We were sent a copy of the ruling when DD applied and was refused and it seems more and more councils are refusing.

Katymac - my DD often starts at 8am - bit early for an au-pair job. Plenty on her course work weekends though - shops or waitressing.

[JayLou62]

I don't think my 2 dds have a choice - both are auditioning for 2014. One for Musical Theatre, one for dance. Elder dd has no option but to go down the Uni route and younger dd will try for Central and Rambert plus overseas (there has been talk on this on the ballet.co site) such as Germany, Portugal and Sweden as their tuition is free and boarding costs are less than the UK even with travel. We earn under £50k but over £25k so finding money for one child to go would be difficult, let alone 2!
Elder dd is training as a Lifeguard to earn money Younger dd plans to do the same when she is 16

[JayLou62]

I received a letter from Rt Hon. David Laws today. He says:



'I was sorry to read that you were disappointed with my previous letter.....in my earlier response, I explained that we are moving towards a fully means-tested scheme to enable us to target funding at those students who need the support the most (see my post above to know that this is not working in practice as those on low incomes cannot fund the cost of auditioning, travel, overnight accommodation, maintenance costs etc). The number of DaDAs available will however remain limited. Unfortunately that does mean that there will be families who will have to make difficult financial decisions as to whether they can support their choice for study at a private institution - and in making that decision, families need to take into account all the associated costs.......



We appreciate that families with more than one child face greater costs in educating them and we considered this in looking at how DaDA should operate. However, we have had to consider that other families may also have a range of different financial pressures. Overall, we concluded that it would be prohibitively complicated to take into account families' wider financial circumstances.



Given our intention, therefore, to support the same number of DaDA students as we have in the past, the limited DaDA budget available, and the need to be fair to all families, we are not able to provide extra DaDA support for families with more than one son or daughter in education or training - whether that is privately or state-funded.



We will, however, continue to monitor how the scheme operates in practice, particularly how the new arrangements are working in 2013/14. As part of this we will monitor the scheme rules and income scales, and whether any adjustments need to be made in subsequent years in relation to families who may have more than one student participating in the DaDA scheme.



Although there are no state-maintained dedicated musical theatre or ballet schools, there is a range of state-funded courses available in performing arts, and there are other options that you and your daughters could explore in the state funded sector.



You also mentioned the issue of child benefit. I am afraid that there is little I can add to my previous reply regarding HMRC rules and regulations. I do appreciate that the advantages of specialist dance and drama education, and the opportunity to study for high level qualifications at a young age does have a cost for families whatever their household income - but in these difficult economic times, there are significant constraints on the extent to which Government is able to support young people who attend private education providers......



I have noted that you have started an e-petition about your concerns and appreciate that this is not the response you are hoping for. I do, however, hope that your daughters are successful in their studies, whichever direction they take.'



Great - we live on a council estate which is in the top 10% of the Government's Multiple Deprivation Index. We're working hard for our children to have a good life and actually leave the estate. We also learnt this week that we have lost our youth provision and are losing our Adventure Playground due to the cuts and then I get this letter. I also had an argument on Twitter with someone who told me they had funded 4 years and it's possible if you 'work hard'. I know that it's virtually impossible to find funding for individuals (I have worked in the Voluntary Sector). When I asked where I could find £30,000 pa he suddenly vanished. Sometimes I could just cry

[riverdancefan]

I have a few words for this muppet in his Ivory Tower

you have NO idea how this will impact on the ordinary working family...but that's fine , as long as the public school cronies and the Knightsbridge/Cheltenham lunchers are ok, YOU don't give a damn!!

I loathe this Government!!!

[Robsmumma]

DD auditoned at Bodywork studios monday, offered place today but need to pay £75 to secure place and invited to scholarship audition, but interestingly no forms to fill in re means testing/ income details? They have changed it from DaDA auditions to scholarship audition since last year!

[carriecrafts]

I've just seen this document about the new DaDA arrangements:

http://media.education.gov.uk/assets/fi ... 0final.PDF

On page 10 it clearly states that schools cannot charge a registration fee or holding fee for DaDA places. I know schools were doing this last year but have they done so this year too?

Also, on page 12, it states that DaDA students cannot apply for Housing Benefit, so that rules out DaDA schools for my dd as even with a DaDA we can't afford the lodgings I know students at Laine get HB at the moment though

It will have to be a BA route for dd, if she can find one where Student Finance covers the whole fee... so frustrating.

[Robsmumma]

No registration fee?
Have been asked for £75 at Bodywork, and £250, (yes £250!!!!!) at ContI's!! If dd carries on being successful the registration fees are going to nudge £1000!
This can't be right?

[riverdancefan]

No registration fee?
Have been asked for £75 at Bodywork, and £250, (yes £250!!!!!) at ContI's!! If dd carries on being successful the registration fees are going to nudge £1000!
This can't be right?

Crikey!!! That is downright outrageous!!!!

[Robsmumma]

You are right, it is extortion, they dont send you DaDA details till registered, so are basically holding your arm up your back! I think the only two that don't do it are Urdang and Bird.