We can support with the costs of studying at college for students who need it most.
Bursary funds for 16-18 and 19+ who do not need an Advanced Learner Loan have now been allocated, so we have temporarily closed the travel, course costs, and childcare bursaries.
Awards for students who have withdrawn from their courses have been adjusted, so we hope to reallocate these funds to more students for the above bursaries.
We are continuing to receive all complete bursary applications. These will be placed on a waiting list and funds will be awarded on a first-come basis.
Bursaries that remain open for 22-23:
This does not affect bursary applications for courses beginning in September 2023.
A wide range of bursaries are available, helping you with the cost of studying with us. All bursaries are subject to you meeting eligibility criteria.
Please note: You must submit a new application each academic year, even if your course runs for more than one year.
A bursary provides financial support to help students overcome any financial barriers to be able to do their course. It can be used to pay for essential travel, meal credits, books, equipment, and childcare.
All decisions about which students receive a discretionary bursary and how much bursary they receive are based on each student’s individual circumstances and their actual financial need.
Travel bursaries are available to support students with travel costs to and from college.
To be eligible, students must live three miles or more from the nearest Activate Learning campus offering the course they are studying.
Support is not provided towards the cost of taxis.
Students who apply by Friday 5 August 2022, will have their pass available at the start of term. During our peak application period during August and September it can take up to four weeks to process your application and confirm if you have been awarded a bursary, so you will be responsible for any travel costs until your financial support is in place.
How will support with travel be provided?
The support provided will be by the most cost - effective method, which will either be a travel pass or travel expenses paid into your bank account.
We will buy a travel pass on the student's behalf for the journey they detailed on their financial support application form or a pass for the most cost-effective method of travel.
We buy travel passes from the following travel companies:
Students who are awarded a Stagecoach South pass will be provided with a code to order their own travel pass from the company’s website.
Passes are usually available for collection within three weeks of award confirmation.
How do I arrange for a replacement travel pass if it is lost or damaged?
What happens if I withdraw from college or complete my course early?
Students may be awarded travel expenses in the following circumstances:
If I am awarded a payment, how will it be paid?
Bank details
If we need to make a payment to you, we will do it by direct transfer into the student’s bank account.
The European Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) does not expect bursary payments to be paid into another person’s account, except in exceptional circumstances where a student is unable to administer their own account.
A basic bank account (which students can open at age 16) allows BACS transfers and allows the student to withdraw money. More information on basic bank accounts can be found at https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/banking/basic-bank-accounts/
Students must only spend any bursary payments made to them on the support that has been identified as necessary to help them take part in education.
The receipt of the 16 to 19 Bursary Fund does not affect receipt of other means tested benefits paid to families, such as IS, Jobseeker’s Allowance, Child Benefit, Working Tax Credit, Housing Benefit or, generally, Universal Credit (UC). If a student is in receipt of DLA (or PIP) and ESA, parents can no longer receive certain household/family benefits for that child, such as child benefit.
A bursary to support students with the cost of essential items needed for their study programme.
Any equipment and materials that are essential for a course may be borrowed from college, therefore the course costs bursary cannot support these costs.
All decisions about which students receive a discretionary bursary and how much bursary they receive are based on each student’s individual circumstances and their actual financial need.
The fund supports:
When assessing your application, we take into consideration your individual circumstances including the size of your family and participation costs. If your costs are high, we will consider applications with an income slightly above £30,000.
We can support with:
Support paying your course fee
Students enrolled on ESOL courses
Please note bursary funds do not support towards laptops or other IT equipment, extra-curricular activities, counselling or counselling supervision.
Please complete a course costs bursary form.
You may submit additional course costs forms throughout the year if you have more course costs e.g., trips, university open days, without the need to complete a full bursary application each time.
Completing the form for different costs:
When you have been approved as eligible for bursary funds faculty may support you by buying the essential items you need; you should speak with the faculty coordinator and show them your email confirming you are eligible for bursary funds. Bursary funds awarded to you would be paid to the faculty to cover the costs.
Submit completed forms by hand to an Adviser at the Advice Centre or email it to studentfinance@activatelearning.ac.uk
Funds will be paid by:
When you complete your course or if you withdraw from college, all equipment and books purchased using bursary funds must be returned to your faculty.
If you meet the eligibility criteria, you will receive a free breakfast or lunch on the days you are in college.
Meals credits (taken at lunch or alternatively at breakfast)
If your course is not based at a campus with a refectory, or you have been awarded meals while attending on work experience you will receive a fortnightly, term-time direct transfer payment (£3.50 a day) into your bank account to buy a meal. You will be required to submit receipts half termly for each meal purchased.
To be eligible you must be aged 16–18 on 31 August 2022; or continuing a study programme you began aged 16–18; or have an EHCP plan and provide evidence that your household is in receipt of one of the following benefits:
If you received free meals last year and we can confirm the award, you will continue to be eligible for free meals if you let us know you want them. We may ask you to provide your free meal entitlement letter.
Parents who are self-employed and in receipt of Universal Credit will need to provide:
Please note: Working Tax Credit is not a qualifying benefit for free meals.
If you are not eligible for meal credits under the standard criteria, you may be able to access these through Student Support. Please speak to a member of the Student Support Team.
How are Meal Credits provided?
Students based at a campus take up their meal credits through college outlets. Payment is made for your meal by presenting your ID card at the checkout.
If your course is not based at a campus with a refectory, you will receive a fortnightly term time Direct transfer payment (£3.50 a day) into your bank account to buy a meal. You will be required to submit receipts half termly for each meal purchased.
Receipts for meal credit expenses
If you are awarded meal credit expense payments, receipts for all meals bought must be submitted to the Advice Centre half termly. Future awards may be reduced or stopped if receipts have not been provided or if the funds have not been spent on meals.
Schedule for when payments for meal credit expenses due in bank accounts.
If you are eligible for Meal Credits and attend a placement you will need to provide details of your placement on a course costs form.
This bursary supports eligible students who have a financial need to enable them to remain in education.
Students who live in Scotland or Wales are not eligible for a bursary for vulnerable groups. Students should approach their home local authority in Scotland or Wales and apply for Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA).
Students who meet the criteria for bursaries for vulnerable groups are not automatically entitled to a bursary if they do not have financial needs or their financial needs are covered from other sources.
Bursary fund payments are not made as regular payments for living costs.
Students in the defined vulnerable groups are:
Yes. The evidence you're required to show is:
UC claimants should be able to print off details of their award from their online account or provide a screenshot of their award.
Students can also contact their UC Work Coach (or relevant Benefit Office if they are receiving IS or ESA) and ask them for help in providing evidence of receiving benefits.
Students who are absent for a period of four continuous weeks or more (excluding college holidays) payments will be stopped unless there is evidence that they intend to return
The bursary provides a contribution towards the cost of accommodation for students who are enrolled on a specialist subject that is not available where they live.
To be eligible you must:
Support with accommodation for the academic year as follows:
Please note: Where students leave part way through the year, transfer to a non-specialist course, or are excluded from their accommodation, their accommodation bursary payments will stop on the date they left their course or were excluded.
Students aged 19+ in receipt of an accommodation bursary will only be supported with a travel bursary in exceptional circumstances.
This is a bursary fund to support with childcare costs whilst studying.
Care to Learn can help you with childcare costs while you study.
Care to Learn can help with the cost of:
You can get up to £160 per child per week if you live outside London.
How do I apply for Care to Learn?
Apply online at https://www.gov.uk/care-to-learn
Do I need to provide any evidence?
You will need to provide evidence that you receive Child Benefit or a copy of your child's birth certificate to studentfinance@activatelearning.ac.uk
You may be able to receive childcare costs to support time needed to attend timetabled sessions at college plus a realistic amount of time to travel to college to the maximum award.
How do I apply for the Childcare bursary?
How is the support provided?
Please note: Both students and the childcare provider must return a signed copy of our full Childcare Bursary Terms and Conditions documents before invoices will be paid.
Apply by 22 August 2022 as applications submitted after this date may not be processed within our standard time scales.
Applications will only be processed if they have been completed and submitted with all the evidence exactly as detailed in section 2 of the application.
We will carry out a financial assessment for each student to establish their household income, and to establish the costs the student has to take part in the course.
Bursary applications must be signed by the student to confirm they give formal agreement to their bursary fund conditions and terms of payment
Any equipment / books bought with bursary funds must be returned to their faculty coordinator when they complete their course or withdraw from college.
Communications
See our HE page for financial support information.
Students must be assessed as a ‘home’ student and enrolled on a funded further education course. If you are not a UK citizen, you can check if you are a home student by using the UKCISA website.
There are exceptions to this which are detailed below:
To be eligible for our bursaries, students need to meet the household income thresholds detailed below:
If you are eligible to apply for an Advanced Learner Loan and choose to pay your own course costs or your Advanced Learner Loan is not approved, you are not eligible for bursary support.
We assess financial needs using household income, along with individual circumstances, such as the number of dependent children in the household.
Evidence of household income is required for all bursary applications, except for asylum seekers aged 19 and over and students who are looked after or in care, who will need to supply local authority confirmation of their status.
Applicants must apply for all statutory benefits before applying for a bursary. For further information on government benefits you may be eligible for, please visit www.gov.uk/benefits-calculators.
Please click here for a detailed list of all evidence required for each bursary, including information regarding how we assess household income.
All student finance applications are confidential, so you shouldn’t worry about applying.
Funds are limited so please apply early to avoid any disappointment, applications will be processed on a first come, first-served basis.
The application form will only be processed if it has been completed and submitted with the required evidence so don’t forget to include this with your application.
We strongly recommend that you submit your application before Monday 22 August 2022, as applications received after this date may not be processed within our standard timescales of 4 weeks. Bursary payments will not be backdated for applications made after the start of your course.
If you need any help completing your application form, one of our Advice and Admissions Team will be happy to help you either at one of our Advice Centres on each campus, by calling 0800 612 6008 or send an enquiry.
If you are not satisfied with the outcome of your application and wish to appeal, please submit your appeal in writing with a supporting statement no later than seven days from the date of the application decision.
Appeals will be reviewed by a panel including the Group Head of Advice and Admissions and Group Head of Student Support. Once the appeal has been considered and a decision has been communicated, there is no further right of appeal.