Financial Support & Bursaries

The College holds several types of bursaries for students enrolling onto eligible full-time or part-time courses.

Bursaries for students aged 16-18 (under 19 on 31st August 2024) or 19-24 with an Education Healthcare Plan (EHCP) or aged 19 and continuing onto the second year of a two-year programme.

16-18 Discretionary Bursary

Have a gross household income of £33,000 or less per year (this includes any benefits)

Bursaries for students aged 16-18 in defined vulnerable groups.

• In Care through the local authority
• Care Leavers – A Care Leaver is defined as:

A young person aged 16 and 17 who was previously looked after for a period of 13 weeks consecutively (or periods amounting to 13 weeks), which began after the age of 14 and ended after the age of 16; or

A young person aged 18 or above who was looked after prior to becoming 18 for a period of 13 weeks consecutively (or periods amounting to 13 weeks), which began after the age of 14 and ended after the age of 16.

• In receipt of PIP/DLA and ESA/Universal Credit (both benefits to be in the name of the student, not the parent/guardian)
• Receiving Income Support or Universal Credit because you are financially supporting yourself or financially supporting themselves and someone who is dependent on them and living with them such as a child or partner.

19+ Learner Support Funds

• 19+ and either fully funded or co – funded
• Have a gross household income of £38,000 or less per year (this includes any benefits)

19+ Loans Bursary

• 19+ and paying for their course with an Advanced Learner Loan
• Have a gross household income of £38,000 or less per year (this includes any benefits)

All applications must be submitted online. Please see links listed below for each of our applications, and please choose the correct one relating to your age.

16-18 Bursary form

19+ Bursary form

Please note if you are a parent aged 20+ you will need to complete both the 19+ Bursary form as well as the 20+ Childcare application form.

20+ Childcare application form

Once the application has been completed fully and submitted online, you will receive an email from Student Funding asking to submit the relevant documentation regarding household income etc. and asking you to supply evidence of the student’s bank details.  

Students must have their own bank account as any money awarded through the bursary scheme will be paid directly into their account at the end of each month.

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The College bursary funds are means-tested. This means that you'll need to provide copies of documents that demonstrate your household’s gross annual income.

We need to see evidence for each named adult in the household as detailed below. All documents must be clear, readable and show the name and address of the person they relate to and be for the address where you live.

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Tax Credits

Tax Credits Award Notice 2024/25 in full – ALL 6 PAGES (or 4 pages if it is your review document)

We use the amount of your earned income (if applicable) plus the tax credit award amount to assess your annual gross income.

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Universal Credit

3 most recent Universal Credit statements in full – ALL PAGES

• Login to your Universal Credit account online via a computer
• Select your last 3 months' statements and open them individually.
• Click ‘Print this statement’ and choose ‘print to PDF’
• Save the PDF files to your computer
• Attach to an email

We use the take home pay plus the amount of Universal Credit awarded to assess your gross annual income.

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Income Support, JSA, ESA or the guaranteed element of Pension Credit

Current DWP Notification letter (must be dated within last 6 months) and most recent 2 months' bank statements

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In employment and NOT claiming benefits

Most recent 3 months' payslips.

We use the gross amount on your payslips to calculate your annual income.

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Self Employed and not claiming benefits

We will require one of the following:

• Personal tax calculation from HMRC
• Self-assessment tax return
• Statement of accounts
• Accountant's letter
• Annual tax summary

We DO NOT accept bank statements as evidence of self-employed earnings.

We also will consider any income received from rental or other properties or private pension schemes.

If you were eligible for free meals at school, you will not automatically get these in College.  You'll need to apply for a bursary so you can be assessed.

Free meals in further education has its own eligibility criteria and a student who meets the criteria for a defined vulnerable group bursary is not automatically eligible for a free meal.

You may be eligible to get a free meal whilst attending College if your parents/guardians are in receipt of any of the listed below:

• Income Support
• Income-based Job Seekers Allowance
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Guaranteed element of Pension Credit
• Child Tax Credit (provided you’re not also entitled to Working Tax Credit) and have an annual gross income of less than £16,190)
• Universal Credit - if you apply on or after 1 April 2018 your household income must be less than £7,400 a year (after tax and not including any benefits you get)
• Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999

Depending on your household financial circumstances meeting the eligibility criteria, costs of attending College and available funds, you may get help towards the following:

• Travel on the days you attend College if you live more than 2 miles from the campus you're studying at (mileage is calculated using AA mileage calculator).
• A meal on the days you attend College.
• Any required clothing needed to participate in the course – Uniform and protective clothing (PPE).
• Kit/equipment/course materials that are needed to pass your course.
• Childcare for parent aged 20+ (parents that are under the age of 20 should apply to Care2 Learn for financial support towards childcare costs).

Students will receive a letter notifying them of what they've been awarded and how much.

We are unable to make any payments before you start your course and have attended for at least 4 weeks. Payments will be made into the student bank account on the last Friday of each month. Free meals are accessed in the College café at both campuses using your ID card.

Decisions about the amount of support awarded to students will depend on your individual financial circumstances, an assessment of financial needs and the amount of bursary funds available.

Once we've received your application and financial evidence, we'll make an assessment and then send you details of your bursary award.

No awards will be paid until after you start your course and have attended regularly for a minimum of 4 weeks.

You must inform us immediately of any changes in your household circumstances, including any changes in income.

The College has the right to reclaim any funding if the student is found to have provided incorrect information, is subject to any part of the college’s disciplinary process or attendance falls below the expected standards.