Date:September 09, 2016

Student Financial Support – Bursary Fund

Introduction

The 16-19 Bursary Fund is designed to help support those young people who face the greatest barriers to continuing in education or training post-16. It also aims to eliminate the gap in attainment that currently exists nationally between students from poorer and more affluent backgrounds. This is the overarching principle on which decisions regarding the bursary fund will be made.

Who is eligible to apply?

In determining who is eligible to receive awards, and how much each award may be there are national guidelines that we must follow.

The 16-19 Bursary Fund must be used to support two groups of learners in the Sixth Form. One group is determined very specifically by the government and these students are entitled to a guaranteed bursary award; the second group are students eligible to apply for discretionary awards to support their learning in the Sixth Form:

1. Guaranteed Bursaries. The government has determined that four specific groups of learners are guaranteed to receive a £1,200 bursary per year. The groups are:

Young People in care
In care/care leavers
In receipt of Income Support
Disabled young people in receipt of Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) who are also in receipt of Disability Living Allowance (DLA).

2. Discretionary Awards will be made available to young people facing genuine financial barriers to participation in education. Typically, this will be an award to support the costs of transport, meals, books or equipmen Given our rural area, priority will be given to transport costs. Many schools and colleges across the country have decided that these awards will be available only to students whose household income falls below £16,190; this is the figure at which Free School Meals can be applied for. Budehaven will use this figure as its guiding ‘rule of thumb’ but we do recognise that exceptional circumstances may exist for individual students where the household income is greater than this figure. The amount that each individual applicant will receive will depend upon their own individual circumstances, but we anticipate that it is unlikely individual awards will exceed £10 per week (this is equivalent to £400 per annum).

If you would like to apply for a bursary, please complete the enclosed application form. We will need evidence to support your application and this may include details of your household’s financial circumstances (see Making an Application below). This information will be strictly confidential and used solely for the purpose of awarding bursaries.

In order to receive a bursary, the student will need a bank account in their own name and the account details must be completed on the application form. All bursaries will be paid directly into the student’s bank account on a monthly basis in arrears.

In all cases, a bursary will only be given where the student attends regularly, meets deadlines for completion of work, and ensures that work is of a standard consistent with their ability.
If a student’s attendance at lessons drops below 90%, the school reserves the right to withdraw the payment of any bursary award. No action will be taken without discussion with the student.

Further Information