Financial Support

Financial support is government money administered by the College to help and support 16-19 year old students in further education. The fund is to support learners who are experiencing financial difficulty in accessing or completing their course.

How it works

The 16 to 19 Bursary is to provide financial support to help students overcome the specific financial barriers to participation they face so they can remain in education.

Every year the government gives colleges additional funding to help students with the essential costs of participating in their study programme: and depending on your circumstances you may be eligible for some (or all) for the following:

Travel (if you live more than 1 mile from the College)
Meals
Childcare Support
DBS Checks
Music Tuition
Sports Kit
Essential Course Equipment e.g. textbooks, calculators etc
Books
Educational Visits
University Open Days
Work Experience costs
Support with Examination Re-sit costs
University application fee
Laptop loan

To qualify for any of the College bursaries you must:

Be under the age of 19 on 31st August in the year you start your programme of study.
Meet residency criteria. If you have any queries regarding this, please contact Admissions.
Enrol on a government funded programme of study. For clarification, all of our courses at the college are government funded.
Have your own bank account – Students must have a bank account in their own name, we are unable to make payments into anybody else’s account. For help and information about opening a bank account please click here.

You can apply for your financial support using the PayMyStudent portal.

The application form is available online, and you must submit all required evidence for us to assess eligibility.

For a guide on how to apply for bursary, click here.

Apply for Financial Support

Types of Bursaries

There are three categories of financial support available at the Sixth Form College:

This bursary is available for specific vulnerable groups. You could receive up to £1,200 per academic year depending on your courses and if:

You are a young person in care, including unaccompanied children seeking asylum.
You are a young care leaver.
You are a young person receiving Income Support or Universal Credit in your own right.

If you are living independently and not on Income Support we may still be able to offer you financial support.

You will also be entitled to either the Discretionary Bursary or the Discretionary Bursary & Free Meals.

If your household income is £32,000 or less after deductions, you may be eligible to receive financial support for the cost of:

Travel (if you live more than 1 mile from the college)
Childcare Support
DBS Checks
Music Tuition
Sports Kit
Essential course equipment e.g., textbooks, calculators etc
Books
Educational visits
University Open Days
Work experience costs
Support with Examination Re-sit costs
University application fee
Laptop loan

You will qualify for free meals and the discretionary bursary if your parent(s)/guardian(s) are in receipt of one or more of the following benefits:

Income Support
Income-based Job Seekers Allowance
The guaranteed element of State Pension Credit
Income-related Employment & Support Allowance
Support under Part VI of the Immigration & Asylum Act 1999
Universal Credit with net earnings no more than £7,400
Child Tax Credit (not Working Tax Credit) and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190, as assessed by HMRC.

You may be entitled up to 100% of the cost of:

Travel (if you live more than 1 mile from the college)
Childcare Support
DBS Checks
Music Tuition
Sports Kit
Essential course equipment e.g., textbooks, calculators etc
Books
Educational visits
University Open Days
Work experience costs
Support with Examination Re-sit costs
University application fee
Laptop loan

FAQs

The College’s Bursary team will be happy to help you with any questions you may have. You can get in touch by calling us on 01782 848736 or e-mailing bursary@sfc.potteries.ac.uk.

Alternatively, you can visit the 16-19 bursary fund on the Government website via www.gov.uk/1619-bursary-fund.

If your household income changes during the year—for example, if a parent loses their job—you can apply for a bursary at any point in your studies.

Up to 100% of the cost of train travel can be covered (if you live more than 1 mile from college).

You will need to complete the travel questionnaire as part of the on-line bursary application form.

The questionnaire will ask you if you have a 16-17 saver card and which station you travel into college from. You will be required to purchase a 16-17 saver card for £30 to receive 50% off all train travel – this will be reimbursed along with your first bursary payment (if your application is successful).

For information on the 16-17 saver card click here.

If you are eligible for free meals, a daily allowance will be added to your ID card for you to purchase food or drink from the College refectory or College shop.

Your programme of study will include activities, tutorials, and enrichment opportunities alongside your chosen subjects. This will assist you in developing the skills and mindset for sustainable employment. Your bursary may be stopped if:

Full engagement in these activities is not met.
You fail to comply with the colleges attendance policy.

Appeals Process

Where the applicant is not satisfied with the original decision, he/she/they may appeal formally in writing within ten working days to the Assistant Principal, who is totally independent of the assessment process. Appeals can be considered on the grounds of extenuating circumstances, which have not previously been disclosed, or new financial evidence that has not previously been considered. A photocopy of all pages of any additional evidence must be included with the appeal. Appeals will be assessed by the Assistant Principal and a decision notified to the applicant in writing within 15 working days of receipt. This decision is final.

Care to Learn

If you are under the age of 20 and have one or more children, Care To Learn can help you with the cost of childcare whilst you are learning.

You are a parent under the age of 20 at the start of your course.
You are the main carer for your child.
You live in England.
You are either a British citizen or have a legal right to live and study. Click here for more information.
Your course qualifies (all courses at the College qualify).
Your childcare provider is registered with Ofsted.

Terms & Conditions

The Sixth Form College will promote this scheme and take the necessary actions to ensure that all students can easily access information and advice on financial assistance.

When data is provided to us, we use it solely for the purpose for which it was supplied. Your information may be shared with College staff but we will not share your information with any other organisation.

All gathered data is collected under the ‘legitimate interests’ rights detailed in article 6 and article 9 of the GDPR. It will be kept for 6 years for audit purposes and treated with the strictest confidence and will not be shared with any external organisations.

If you are awarded funding on the basis of false information, you will be asked to repay any money you were awarded. This will be subject to disciplinary proceedings and the matter may also be referred to the Department for Education and/or the Police.

All of the information in the guidance is accurate at the time of publication. Please note that if you withdraw from your course, payments will stop and the College may take the necessary steps to reclaim any monies that were issued.

From Beginning
to Beyond

Apply Online