I'm another one joining the line of people standing on the edge of this particular fiscal cliff with a very squeezed middle.
My daughter has successfully auditioned for a place at Tring Park 6th form, I can confirm that the paperwork we received said that evidence to be provided for income would be for the year April 2012-13.
Mixed emotions really, thrilled that my daughter has had this recognition of her ability and hard work, sadness that she is very unlikely to be able to accept the place, frustration at the whole dance provision and funding situation and at not being able to even access a student loan for the training.
Before embarking on the auditioning process we did discuss the level of the fees at the different places she was applying to with our daughter and shared the information about our income and expenditure with our daughter so she understands the situation and what it would mean if we weren't able to access any finance (by way of a student loan or funding award).
When the Dada income scales were published it became apparent that we're a little over the threshold where any help is available even if she were lucky enough to gain an award.
We discussed other options such as attempting to find a better paid job or selling/remortgaging the house (might pay for one year!). Obviously cutting expenditure back would be looked at but since we don't live an extravagant lifestyle there isn't a huge amount that can be pared back there (certainly not sufficient to make the fees affordable).
Aside from being unrealistic, unsustainable, and unlikely to happen in the timescale required in any case, knowing what the sacrifices these measures would mean for the rest of the family would place quite a burden on our daughter. We also have 2 other children.
She pushes herself very hard in any case; this would cause her to put herself under even more pressure. I'm not sure how healthy that would be.
Because we've been honest all the way through she knew it was a long shot so she isn't completely devastated (she have a plan B and a plan C too!); however she is still only 16 and so feels the injustice of the current confused arrangements for access and funding for vocational dance especially keenly.
I have signed the petition mentioned earlier in the thread.
The whole situation must be very fraught and frustrating for the schools too.