Further Education Bursary Funds 2019/20
16 to 19 Bursary Fund
If you are aged 16 or over but under 19 on 31 August 2019 you may be eligible for assistance from the 16-19 Bursary Fund to help with specific costs associated with attending your course, such as course and travel costs. The University has a limited sum of money from the Education & Skills Funding Agency to allocate for this purpose, applications will be means tested and awards will be paid to those in greatest financial need.
Please note, you will be guaranteed a bursary if you are aged 16 or over but under 19 on 31 August 2019 and fall in one of the following categories:
- care leaver,
- young person in care,
- receiving Income Support, or Universal Credit because they are financially supporting themselves or financially supporting themselves and someone who is dependent on them and living with them such as a child or partner
- receiving Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payments in their own right as well as Employment and Support Allowance or Universal Credit in their own right.
If you are 16 or over but under 19 on 31 August 2019 with a gross family income below £16,190 and are in receipt of (or have parents in receipt of) certain means tested benefits, you may also be entitled to a free meal (to the value of £2.41) for each day of required attendance. If you meet these criteria (following an assessment of your bursary application), we will notify the FE Co-ordinator who will contact you directly to arrange this.
To find out more about the application process, please contact the Fund Administrators on +44 (0)115 848 2494 or email us.
16-18 Residential Bursary Fund
If you are aged 16 or over but under 19 on 31 August 2019 and need to study away from home because the course you want isn't available locally, and / or because your course needs you to be available at unsociable hours on a regular basis, you may be able to get financial help with the cost of term-time accommodation. The fund is limited so awards are based on household income and can only offer a contribution towards the cost of accommodation.
To find out more about the application process, please contact the Fund Administrators on +44 (0)115 848 2494 or email us.
Care to Learn (help with childcare costs)
If you start a further education course before your twentieth birthday, you may be able to get assistance of up to £160 per child per week towards registered childcare. Please visit GOV.UK to apply and for details regarding eligibility.
To get further advice you can email the Care to Learn team or telephone 0800 121 8989.
19+ FE Bursary Fund (including Advanced Learner Loans Bursary Fund)
If you are aged 19 or over on 31 August 2019 you may be eligible for assistance from the 19+ FE Bursary Fund to help with specific costs associated with attending your course, such as course and travel costs. E.g. course trips, books, equipment and transport costs. Applications will be means tested and awards will be paid to those in greatest financial need.
The fund can also assist eligible students aged 20 or over in meeting certain registered childcare costs. (If you are aged between 16-19 at the start of your course and have childcare costs, you may be eligible for assistance through the Care to Learn Scheme).
Please note, if you are aged 19 or over on 31 August 2019 and already hold a level 3 qualification (or if you are aged 24 or over on 31 August 2019), you will need to be fully assessed and approved for an Advanced Learner Loan before applying to the 19+ FE Bursary Fund.
To find out more about the application process, please contact the Fund Administrators on +44 (0)115 848 2494 or email us.
The 19+ Residential Access Fund
If you are aged 19 or over on 31 August 2019, you may be eligible for assistance towards the cost of your accommodation if you have been obliged to move from your usual home in order to follow your course of study because it is not available locally. (*for the purposes of the 19+ Residential Access Fund, available locally is determined as: your course must be more than either 15 miles or a 2 hour round trip from your home, and not available at any other colleges closer than that).
You can apply if you are living in residential accommodation on the Brackenhurst Campus or if you are living in lodgings/rented accommodation in the surrounding area. The University has a limited sum of money from the Education & Skills Funding Agency to allocate for this purpose and awards will be paid to those in greatest financial need.
Please note, if you are aged 19 or over on 31 August 2019 and already hold a level 3 qualification (or if you are aged 24 or over on 31 August 2019), you will need to be fully assessed and approved for an Advanced Learner Loan before applying to the 19+ Residential Access Fund.
To find out more about the application process, please contact the Fund Administrators on +44 (0)115 848 2494 or email us.
Advanced Learner Loans
If you're 19 or over on the day you start your course, you can apply for a loan to help with the cost of tuition fees for a college or training course.
The course must be at Level 3, 4, 5, or 6 qualification e.g. A Levels or graduate certificate at an approved college or training provider in England. Repayments don't start until the April following the completion of your course and you won't have to pay anything back until you're earning over £21,000 a year.
To apply, and for details regarding eligibility, please visit GOV.UK.
Further information and support
If you would like to discuss further education funding and eligibility, please contact the Hardship Fund Administrators via:
- Telephone: +44 (0)115 848 2494
For further information about the financial help available to FE students please visit GOV.UK.
