16-19 Bursary fund 2024/2025

The 16-19 Bursary Fund is a scheme to help students facing financial hardship to continue in full time education after Year 11. It is designed to contribute towards costs incurred when remaining in education, i.e. travel to and from their place of education and to provide essential equipment or resources.

Students who are in local authority care (or have recently left it) or from homes with an annual income of £30,000 or less including benefits (more information below) may apply for a bursary. Applications will be assessed individually depending on personal circumstances and award decisions will be on a case by case basis according to need. Those not eligible for the Discretionary Bursary may apply for an Educational Support Grant.

To qualify, a student must be aged 16 but under 19 at 31 August 2024 to be eligible for help from the bursary fund in the 2024 to 2025 academic year.

Students aged 19 or over are only eligible to receive a discretionary bursary if they are continuing on the same programme of study they began aged 16 to 18 (19+ continuers) or have an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP). Students aged 19 or over are not eligible for vulnerable group bursaries. Additionally, their programme of study must average at least 12 hours of timetabled study per week across the two week timetable.

The majority of bursary awards will be ‘in kind’, i.e. a travel pass (or a contribution towards one), text books, course materials/equipment as specified by subject areas. If a digital bus pass is purchased proof will be in the form of a screenshot of the pass. Where possible text books and trips will be supplied by the relevant subject area and paid for direct from the bursary fund.

Any resources provided to a student via the bursary must be returned at the end of their programme of study.

If a student leaves the sixth form before the end of the school year they will be expected to return all resources purchased for them to use and also repay, pro-rata, any monies advanced for travel.

Please note that the 16-19 bursary is not intended as a source of regular income and it must only be used for costs related to a student’s programme of study. Receipts may be required as proof of how an award is spent by the student.

Please note that funds are strictly limited and that eligibility criteria may be subject to change depending on ESFA funding.

The Scheme Comprises Two Parts:

1. A VULNERABLE STUDENT BURSARY of up to £1,200.00 per academic year for those most in need of financial support:

   Young people in care or having recently left local authority care.

   • Those receiving Income Support (IS) or Universal Credit (UC) and financially supporting themselves and/or a dependent (ie child or partner living with them).
   • Young people in receipt of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) or Personal Independence Payments (PIP) in their own right as well as Employment Support Allowance (ESA) or Universal Credit in their own right.

2. A DISCRETIONARY BURSARY The level of bursary will vary and is assessed individually according to need for students in need of financial support with costs to enable them to stay in education.

   Eligibility for a Discretionary Bursary is based on total annual household income of up to £30,000 (i.e., earned income together with Universal Credit awards, Company Dividends and certain other benefits).

AN EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT GRANT (ESG) may be available for students not eligible for the Vulnerable or Discretionary Bursaries but in need of financial support with specific costs to enable them to stay in education and complete their courses successfully. One-off applications for the ESG can be made throughout the year and usually because of a change in circumstances. Applications will be assessed individually for eligibility according to household income and circumstances. Once granted awards will be ‘in kind’ as far as possible and may be used towards transport to and from school and for essential resources/educational trips relating to course of study/UCAS fees and travel expenses for visits to Higher Education institutions.

All bursaries are subject to good attendance, conduct and attitude to learning which will be monitored across the school year.

Appropriate evidence will be required to support an application.

For the Vulnerable Group Bursary

• A letter referring to the benefit(s) to which the young person is entitled and/or
• Written confirmation from the Local Authority of the young person’s current or previous looked after status.

For the Discretionary Bursaries and Educational Support Grant

Evidence of total household income (including benefits):

• Earned income – copies of the most recent 3 months payslips for every working adult in the household
• Universal Credit (printouts of the most recent 3 months statements)
• Original copies of other benefits
• Evidence of Company Dividends if self-employed.

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Students whose applications are received before Friday 27th September 2024 will receive bursaries backdated to the beginning of the Autumn Term. Those whose applications are received after this date will receive bursaries from the date that their application is submitted.

The award will be for the 2024/25 academic year only

Students will need to re-apply in the summer of 2025 if they wish to receive a bursary for the 2025/26 academic year.

If any awards are monetary rather than ‘in kind’ payment will be made by BACS into a student’s bank account, half-termly in arrears and on a pro-rata basis. If a student does not have a bank account they will need to open one in order to receive their bursary. All awards are dependent on student attendance, conduct and application to their studies and previous ‘in kind’ awards may also be affected. Students and parents/guardians will be expected to agree to and sign a Bursary Fund Agreement before awards are made.

The Sixth Form Bursary Team will be responsible for deciding who receives the awards based on the criteria outlined in this leaflet. The Bursary Fund is given to the school each year by the ESFA (Education & Skills Funding Agency).

Appeals relating to the bursary or grant should be made in the first instance to Ms J Heaton. Final appeals should be made in writing to Mr R Nicholls, Head of Sixth Form.