Financial Support and Bursaries

The College offers several bursary schemes for students enrolling on eligible full-time or part-time courses.

16–18 Discretionary Bursary

You may be eligible if you:

• Are aged 16–18 (under 19 on 31 August 2024), or aged 19–24 with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), or aged 19 and continuing onto the second year of a two-year programme.
• Have a household income of £35,000 or less per year (including benefits).

Vulnerable Student Bursary

You may be eligible if you:

• Are currently in local authority care.
• Are a care leaver.
• Receive both:
  • Personal Independence Payment (PIP) or Disability Living Allowance (DLA), and
  • Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) or Universal Credit in your own name.
• Receive Income Support or Universal Credit because you financially support yourself (and possibly a partner or child living with you).

19+ Learner Support Fund

You may be eligible if you:

• Are aged 19 or over.
• Are studying on a fully funded or co-funded course.
• Have a household income of £40,000 or less per year (including benefits).

19+ Loans Bursary

You may be eligible if you:

• Are aged 19 or over.
• Are funding your course through an Advanced Learner Loan.
• Have a household income of £40,000 or less per year (including benefits).

‍

The College uses an online system called Pay My Student.

You can apply using a smartphone, tablet, laptop, or computer.

How to apply

1. Visit Pay My Student.
2. Register and create an account.
3. You will need your Student ID number, which can be found on admissions correspondence or your student ID card.
4. Check your email for a verification link (this may be in your spam or junk folder).
5. Once verified, log in and complete your application.
6. Upload the required financial evidence.

‍

Bursary funds are means-tested, so you will need to provide evidence of your household income.

Evidence must:

• Be clear and readable.
• Show the name and address of the person it relates to.
• Match the address where you live.

Universal Credit

Provide:

• Your three most recent Universal Credit statements in full (all pages).

To download your statements:

1. Log into your Universal Credit account online using a computer.
2. Select your last three monthly statements and open them individually.
3. Click Print this statement and choose Print to PDF.
4. Save the PDF files to your computer.
5. Upload them to Pay My Student.

We will use your take-home pay and Universal Credit award to assess your household income.

Income Support, JSA, ESA or Guaranteed Pension Credit

Provide:

• A current DWP notification letter (dated within the last six months).
• Your most recent two months of bank statements.

Employed and Not Claiming Benefits

Provide:

• Your most recent three months of payslips.

We will use the gross pay shown on your payslips.

Self-Employed and Not Claiming Benefits

Provide one of the following for the current tax year:

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

Please note:

• Bank statements cannot be accepted as proof of self-employed income.
• We may also consider income from rental properties or private pensions.

‍

If you received free school meals at school, you will need to apply again at college. Free meals are not awarded automatically.

To be assessed, you must submit a bursary application.

You may be eligible if your parent or guardian receives:

• Universal Credit.
• Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.

Please note that students receiving a Vulnerable Student Bursary are not automatically entitled to free meals.

‍

Depending on your circumstances, eligibility, and available funding, support may include:

• Travel costs for students who live more than two miles from their campus.
• Free meals on the days you attend college.
• Uniforms or personal protective equipment (PPE) required for your course.
• Essential course materials, kit, or equipment.
• Childcare support for students aged 20 and over.

Students under the age of 20 should apply through the Care to Learn scheme for childcare assistance.

‍

You will receive a letter confirming:

• What support has been awarded.
• How much funding you will receive.

Payments cannot be made until:

• You have started your course.
• You have attended regularly for at least four weeks.

Payments are made directly into the student's bank account on the last Friday of each month.

Free meal support is provided through the college cafés using your student ID card.

‍

Bursary awards are based on:

• Your individual financial circumstances.
• Your assessed financial need.
• The funding available.

Once we receive your application and supporting evidence, we will assess your eligibility and notify you of the outcome.

Please note:

• No payments will be made until you have attended your course regularly for at least four weeks.
• You must tell us immediately about any changes to your household income or circumstances.
• The College may recover bursary funding if incorrect information is provided, attendance falls below expected levels, or the student is involved in disciplinary action.
• The College is not able to backdate any payments for periods before an application and full supporting income evidence has been received.

‍