Financial support and bursaries

The college offers different bursaries for full-time and part-time courses.

You could get a bursary if you are

• Under 19 on 31st August
• 19-24 years old with an Education Healthcare Plan
• Over 19 in your second year of a two-year course

16-18 Discretionary Bursary

Your household income is less than £33,000 (this includes any benefits).

Bursaries for students aged 16-18 in defined vulnerable groups

• In a local care group
• In care for over 13 weeks, and over 16 years old
• Get PIP/DLA and ESA/Universal Credit in your name
• Get Income Support or Universal Credit if you support yourself, a child, or a partner

Bursaries for ages 19+

19+ Learner Support Funds

• Your course is paid for or partly paid for
• Your household income is less than £38,000

19+ Loans Bursary

• You pay for your course with an Advanced Learner Loan
• Your household income is less than £38,000

If you would like to apply, go to Pay My Student to start.

You can apply using your phone or a computer.

• Click https://bath.paymystudent.com/portal/ to start.

• Register and make an account
• Use your student ID number. You can find it in your emails or on your student ID card
• We send you a code to your email. Check your spam or junk folder
• Log in and go to the main portal page
• Finish the application and give proof of your household income

All college bursaries check your income. You must give us copies of the document to prove your household income.

We need proof of income for every adult who lives in your home, and each document must be clear.

It must also show their name, address, and your home address.

Tax Credits

Upload the full Tax Credits Award Notice. It must be all 6 pages. We then add your income to the tax credit amount.

Universal Credit

You must show us your last 3 full statements

• Log in to your Universal Credit account
• Open the statements from the last 3 months
• Print each and upload the PDF files to your computer
• Upload to Pay My Student

We use your 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 Pension Credit

Upload your Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) letter from the last 6 months, and your last 2 bank statements.

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In a job but no benefits

Upload your pay slips from the last 3 months. We use the gross amount to calculate your income.

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Self-employed and not on benefits

We need one of these:

• Personal tax calculation from HMRC
• Your self-assessment tax return
• Statement of accounts
• A letter from your accountant
• Annual tax summary

We DO NOT accept bank statements for self-employed income. We will also check any income from rental or private pension schemes.

You need to apply for a bursary to get free meals at the college.

Free meals in further education have different rules. Even if you get a bursary, or you had free meals at school, you might not get free meals at college.

You can have free meals if your parents receive one of these:

• Income Support
• Income-based Job Seekers Allowance
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Guaranteed part of Pension Credit
• Child Tax Credit with an income of less than £16,190 a year
• Universal Credit with a household income of less than £7,400
• Support under Part 6 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999

Your college costs depend on your household income and the funds available, but you may get help for:

• Travel costs on the days you attend college, if you live more than 2 miles from the campus you're studying at
• A meal on the days you are in college
• Any clothing you need for the course, like a uniform
• Kit or materials you need to pass your course
• Childcare if you are a parent over 20

You will get a letter explaining how much you will be paid.

We can't pay you before you start your course. You will also need to attend class for at least 4 weeks.

The money will be sent into your student bank account on the last Friday of each month.

You can have free meals at the City Centre Campus and Somer Valley Campus cafes, but you must bring your student ID.

The amount of support you get will depend on:

• Your household income
• The amount of financial help you need
• The amount of bursary funds available

When we receive your application and proof, we will send you the details of how much money you will be paid.

You must go to your course for 4 weeks before you get paid. If you move house or your income changes, you must let us know.

The college can take back your funding if you:

• Give us the wrong information
• You behave badly at the college
• You do not go to your classes