The 16 to 19 Bursary Fund provides financial support to help students overcome the specific financial barriers to participation they face so they can remain in education.
16 to 19 Bursary Fund
There are 2 types of 16 to 19 bursaries:
- bursaries for defined vulnerable groups of up to £1,200 a year - detailed below
- discretionary bursaries which institutions award using policies they set, in line with funding rules
The College provides an application process for financial support that is completely confidential and we encourage any student who thinks they may be eligible or encountering financial costs associated with college that could be a barrier to their participation at college to contact Student Services for a confidential consultation.
Age Eligibility
A student must be aged 16 or over but under 19 at 31st August of the year they enrol to be eligible for help from the bursary fund.
Students aged 19 or over are only eligible to receive a discretionary bursary if they are continuing on a study programme they began aged 16 to 18 (‘19+ continuers’) or have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).
These 2 groups of aged 19+ students can receive a discretionary bursary while they continue to attend education (in the case of a 19+ continuer, this must be the same programme they started before they turned 19), as long as their eligibility continues and their institution considers they need the support to continue their participation.
Students aged 19 or over are not eligible for bursaries for vulnerable groups.
Defined Vulnerable Groups Bursary. Eligibility criteria: bursaries for young people in defined vulnerable groups
Vulnerable Bursaries are available for up to £1,200 a year for students aged 16 to 18 (at the start of the academic year) who are either:
- In care.
- A care leaver.
- Receiving Income Support, or Universal Credit because they are financially supporting themselves or financially supporting themselves and someone who is dependent on them and living with them such as a child or partner.
- Receiving Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payments in their own right as well as Employment and Support Allowance or Universal Credit in their own right.
- Those studying Higher Education, Full Cost courses or Apprenticeships are not eligible.
Vulnerable Bursaries are available for up to £1,200 and are designed to help students overcome the individual financial barriers to course participation that they face and institutions must ensure the funds go to those who genuinely need them. No student will automatically be awarded a set amount of funding without an assessment of the level of need they have and therefore applicants will need to provide evidence to support their claim for transport, meals and/or equipment up to the value of £1,200.
Vulnerable bursaries will not pay the costs of purchasing electronic devices such as laptops or tablets, where applicable students should contact their social worker as there is a national scheme to provide this equipment for vulnerable young people supported by social workers. If not supported by their social worker, students should speak to the Learning Resource Centre to enquire about borrowing a college laptop.
Contact Us
Student bursary support is complex, for more details, please call Student Services on 0191 518 8222.
PLEASE NOTE: Students on apprenticeship programmes, or any waged training, are employed, rather than in education. They are not eligible for the 16 to 19 Bursary Fund. Non-employed students aged 16 to 19 who are participating in a Prince’s Trust Team Programme are eligible to receive the bursary in the same way as any other student participating in an eligible, publicly funded course.
Finance