Skip to content

16-19 BURSARY AND 16-19 VULNERABLE YOUNG PERSON BURSARY

If you are aged between 16-18 and your household income is below £29,000 you may be eligible for help with kit/equipment, uniform, and travel.

16-19 Bursary Policy Statement

The 16-19 Bursary Fund is provided by the Education and Skill Funding Agency (ESFA) and is designed to help with the essential costs associated with accessing post-16 education. The funding is designed to support those students most in need of financial support to enable them to engage in education provision. Students can apply for the 16-19 bursary if they live in a household with an income of £29,000 or under.

If your household income is between £29,000 and £41,500, you may be eligible for help with travel only.

16-19 Bursary

To be eligible you must be:

· Resident in the UK for 3 years or more.

· Enrolled on a 16-19 study programme funded by the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA).

· Aged 16, 17, or 18 on 31st August.

· Aged 19 or over and continuing a study programme you began aged 16 to 18 (19+ continued).

· Aged 19-24 on 31st August and have an Education, Health, and Care Plan (EHCP).

· Have a household income of £29,000 or below.

16-19 Vulnerable Young Person Bursary

To be eligible you must the criteria set out above as well as being:

· A young person in care

· Care leaver

· In receipt of income support or universal credit in your own name

· In receipt of employment support allowance (ESA) as well as Disability Living Allowance or personal independence payment (PIP) in your own name

Young people who meet the above criteria will receive payments and support with direct course-related costs, meals and transport up to a total award value of £1,200.

Students will be awarded the amount of support they need to participate based on an assessment of the types of costs they have and will not be automatically awarded £1,200. Students on a study programme lasting less than 30 weeks will be awarded a bursary on a pro-rata basis as appropriate based on an assessment of actual need.

What you may receive

If your household income is below £29,000 you will be entitled to the following:

· Travel to and from college which is usually in the form of a Stagecoach Travel Pass or a cash contribution if you are unable to access a Stagecoach bus route (only eligible if you live more than 2 miles away from College)

· Any essential equipment associated with your course e.g. uniform, kits, materials

· Support with costs associated with any educational trips

· Free meals (dependent on benefits)

If your household income is between £29,000 and £41,500 you will be entitled to the following:

· Travel to and from college which is usually in the form of a Stagecoach Travel Pass or a cash contribution if you are unable to access a Stagecoach bus route (only eligible if you live more than 2 miles away from College). If you travel to and from College by car you are not eligible to receive a bus pass.

Proof of household income (wages/benefits) will be required as part of the application process

Free college meals

Chesterfield College can support eligible students aged 16-18 with free College meals for each day they are due to attend college. You will receive an allowance of £3.50 per day which will be added to your student ID card. You can only use this at the College’s canteens. If you don’t attend a main college campus then you will receive a termly cash payment that will go into your bank account.

To be eligible for free college meals you must be:

· Aged between 16 and 18 on 31st August or 19 to 24 on 31st August who are subject to an Education, Health, and Care Plan (EHCP)

· In receipt of, or having parents who are in receipt of, one of the following benefits:

· Income Support

· Income-based Jobseekers Allowance

· Income-related Employment and Support Allowance

· Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.

· The Guarantee Element of State Pension Credit.

· Child Tax Credit (provided they are not entitled to Working Tax Credit) and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190 as assessed by HMRC.

· Working Tax Credit run-on (paid for 4 weeks after someone stops qualifying for Working Tax Credit).

· Universal Credit with net earnings not exceeding the equivalent of £7,400 for each year (after tax and not including any other benefits).