Bursaries & Grants
‍‍
Financial Help

16-19 Bursary Fund (Aged 16-18 as of the 31st August 2023)

Depending on your personal circumstances you may be eligible for financial support whilst you study with us. The 16-19 Bursary fund provides financial support to help learners overcome specific financial barriers to participation so they can remain in education.

16-19 Discretionary Bursary & Free School Meals

Learners who meet eligibility criteria, with a household income below £30,000 may receive support with travel and meals together with essential kit, equipment and trip costs.
When learners apply for this bursary, we automatically assess entitlement to Free School Meals, learners who would not qualify for the bursary but are still covered by the Free School Meal protection are still able to apply for this support.
If the household income falls into one or more of the below categories, it is likely that you will qualify for Free School Meal vouchers to use in our cafe.

  • Income Support
  • income-based Jobseekers Allowance
  • income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
  • 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 Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC))
  • Working Tax Credit run-on – paid for 4 weeks after someone stops qualifying for Working Tax Credit
  • Universal Credit (UC) with net earnings not exceeding the equivalent of £7,400 for each year (after tax and not including any benefits they get)
    You can find out more and print an application form below

View the guidance document

Download Form

16-19 Vulnerable bursary

Learners aged 16-18 who fall into one or more of the below categories may be eligible for support from the 16-19 vulnerable bursary;

  • In Care
  • Care Leavers
  • In receipt of Universal Credit (UC) or Income Support (IS) in their own right
  • 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 (UC) in their own right.

The vulnerable bursary can offer support up to a total of £1,200 per year (£1,200 is not automatically awarded and financial need will be assessed)
You can find out more and print an application form below

View the guidance document

Download Form


Care to Learn

Care to Learn is a government funded programme that funds childcare for learners under 20 who are living and learning in England. Full details can be found by visiting www.gov.uk/care-to-learn or you can call their helpline on 0800 121 8989. Care to learn can support childcare costs up to £180 per week whilst studying with us.

You will be required to provide us with either your child(ren)’s full birth certificate(s) or proof of Child Benefit.


If you would like to discuss Care to Learn in more detail or need support applying please contact the student finance team on 01482 329943 or via email studentfinance@hull-college.ac.uk who will be happy to help you.

Learners studying Level 3 courses

If you are in receipt of bursary support and studying on a level 3 course, we can support towards the costs associated with applying to university.

UCAS
Most learners use UCAS to apply for university. UCAS have recently changed their fees to a one-off application fee regardless of whether an application is made to one provider or five.  At present this appears to be £27.50 for 2024 entry. Once you have paid and submitted your application, please forward your confirmation email to us and we will reimburse this cost for you.


Open event/Interview Costs

We may be able to support with the costs involved with visiting University open events and interviews. This will be looked at on a case-by-case basis and will be dependent on support that you have already received and if support is already available from the university*.
*Lots of Universities offer support with the costs of visiting their open events, we would advise checking their policies in the first instance as they may be able to help with travel costs and accommodation.


Appeals Process

If you disagree with the outcome of your bursary application you are welcome to appeal the decision within 10 days of receiving the email.
The relevant contact details will be provided on the outcome email.
Depending on the reason for the appeal, you may need to provide supporting evidence such as household outgoings/bank statements/doctors notes etc. as we must be able to evidence why we have made any decisions at audit.


If you would like to discuss the bursary in more detail or need support applying, please contact the student finance team on 01482 329943 or via email studentfinance@hull-college.ac.uk . You can also speak to the Customer Service Advisors via telephone and in person at Chester’s Reception.

19+ AEB Learner Support Fund

Depending on your personal circumstances you may be eligible for support whilst you study with us. The 19+ Learner Support Fund provides financial support to help learners who may be suffering financial hardship.

If your household income is below £30,000 and you are studying on a full -time course you may receive support in the following ways:

  • Fortnightly payments to help towards lunches and any other costs that may be accrued whilst attending college.
  • Support towards travel costs.
  • Support with essential kit, equipment and trip costs.
  • Support towards childcare costs. (If applying for 20+ childcare)

If your household income is below £30,000 and you are studying on a part time course you may receive support in the following ways:

  • Termly payments (£1 per guided learning hour)
  • Support with essential kit, equipment and trip costs.
  • Support towards childcare costs (If applying for 20+ childcare)

You can find out more and print an application form below

View the guidance document

Download Form

 

 

Learners studying Level 3 courses

Advanced Learner Loan

If you are studying on a level 3 (or non HE level 4) course and do not qualify for funding, you may be able to apply for an Advanced Learner Loan. This Loan is arranged by Student Finance England and is similar to a HE loan but is designed to only cover course fees. There is no maintenance loan available.

If you are unsure if you need a loan, please contact the Customer Service Team on 01482 329943 or via info@hull-college.ac.uk to discuss this. Please note that all information given is subject to your answers provided, if this information is not accurate you may end up owing fees.

It is also important to note that if you do not qualify for funding and do not qualify for/choose not to apply for the Advanced Learner Loan, you will be classed as a ‘full cost’ learner and will not be eligible for any bursary support.

You can find out more information here https://www.gov.uk/advanced-learner-loan.

The Advanced Learner Loan bursary is similar to the 19+ learner support fund, you will just need to provide extra evidence to show that you have applied for the loan.

You can find out more and print an application form below

View the guidance document

Download Form

 

 

Applying for University

If you are in receipt of bursary support and studying on a level 3 course, we can support towards the costs associated with applying to university.

UCAS

Most learners use UCAS to apply for university. UCAS have recently changed their fees to a one-off application fee regardless of whether an application is made to one provider or five.  At present this appears to be £27.50 for 2024 entry. Once you have paid and submitted your application, please forward your confirmation email to us and we will reimburse this cost for you.

 

Open event/Interview Costs

We may be able to support with the costs involved with visiting University open events and interviews. This will be looked at on a case-by-case basis and will be dependent on support that you have already received and if support is already available from the university*.

*Lots of Universities offer support with the costs of visiting their open events, we would advise checking their policies in the first instance as they may be able to help with travel costs and accommodation.

 

 

20+ Childcare

Learners aged 20+ as of the 31st August 2023 can apply for support with childcare via the bursary. 

You must provide the details of your child/children on your application form and hand in their full birth certificates as part of your evidence.

You must also register with our on-site nursery in the first instance, if they are unable to accommodate or agree that you can use a different nursery you will need to collect contracts from us and complete them with your chosen childcare provider. This provider must be OFSTED registered and the contracts need to be completed correctly and handed in before we can pay any invoices.

Childcare support is currently capped at £42 per full day and £27 per half day, half fees over holiday periods (£21 per full day and £13.50 per half day) and can only be paid for days you are timetabled to be in college unless agreed otherwise by your tutor and the Customer Services Manager.  Any fees incurred above the cap will be your responsibility. We recommend that you use any government funding in the first instance.

Childcare Invoices are paid a month in arrears.

 

 

Appeals Process

If you disagree with the outcome of your bursary application you are welcome to appeal the decision within 10 days of the receipt of your outcome email.

The relevant contact details will be provided on the outcome email.

Depending on the reason for the appeal, you may need to provide supporting evidence such as household outgoings/bank statements/doctors notes etc. as we must be able to evidence why we have made any decisions at audit.

If you would like to discuss the bursary/childcare support in more detail or need support applying, please contact the student finance team on 01482 329943 or via email studentfinance@hull-college.ac.uk . You can also speak to the Customer Service Advisors via telephone and in person at Chester’s Reception.

Here are some of our most asked questions, If you still have any questions that have not been answered here or in our guidance document, please contact us or visit reception where the team will be happy to help.

What is a Bursary?

Bursaries are non-repayable funds that are designed to support our students who are most in need so that they can stay in education.  

Who can apply?

Most of our learners aged 16+ can apply however there are some limitations due to courses with different funding, due to this the following learners are unfortunately unable to apply: Learners studying ‘full cost’ courses (this includes Level 3’s with no funding or loan), Apprentices, Higher Education Learners* and Learners studying certain short courses (unknown which at present).

*HE Bursaries may be available, please contact HERegistry@hull-college.ac.uk for more information.

Why do i need to provide so much information?

Bursary funds are provided by the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA), as part of the funding we are required to check household income prior to allocating funds to ensure support goes to those who need it most. All information is subject to ESFA audits and is held securely for 7 years.

Why does the application form ask for a GDPR contact?

Due to General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) rules we are not able to give anyone other than yourself information about your bursary claim.   We have added the question so that you can inform us who you are happy for us to discuss your claim with, this allows your chosen contact to speak to us without you having to be present. Please ignore the question if you do not wish to provide a GDPR contact.

Is there a deadline for appilcations?

No, you can apply at any point until the end of the academic year, however, we encourage learners to apply as early as possible, especially if they require childcare support or kits for their courses. Please bear in mind that there may be delays in assessment at the start of the year due to the volume of applications received in a short space of time.

We ask that part time learners apply at the start of their course rather than waiting until the course has finished.

Why do I not qualify for support? I cannot afford to attend college.

If your household income is assessed as higher than £30,000 you will not be eligible for the bursary, however, we realise that whilst income may be higher than others, some families have higher outgoings. In this case you are more than welcome to appeal the decision, providing that you can evidence this. More information on the appeals process will be provided within the rejection emails and our website.

Can college tell me what to spend my bursary on?

Yes, the ESFA are clear in their guidance that these funds are not to be used to support household costs and are solely to help learners with the cost of studying. We ask that any payments you receive are used towards meals and extra equipment that you may need, that is not already covered by the funding.

Why do I get meal vouchers instead of money?

Learners who qualify for Free School Meals are supported with vouchers as the Free Meals guidance requires us to do this, due to our catering facilities on site.

Can you stop my support if I don’t attend or I am involved in a behaviour incident?

Yes, by completing an application form you are agreeing to our attendance and behaviour policies. If you receive payments, these are subject to attendance on a weekly/fortnightly/termly basis. If you are receiving travel support and are found to not be using it to attend this support will be either altered or stopped completely. Tutors can also request that you not be supported if your attendance is not satisfactory

What should I do if I cannot attend college?

You must inform our attendance team before 10am. If your absences are authorised, they will not affect your bursary support. You can contact the attendance team via email attendance@hull-college.ac.uk or via telephone 01482 598779. Voicemails can also be left if the line is busy.

I am an adult Asylum Seeker, can I apply?

Yes, providing that you are eligible to study with us. You must provide ID and proof of Section 95 (NASS) support. Support will be provided in-kind.

I am an Asylum Seeker, aged 16-18, can I apply?

Yes, support will depend on your circumstances.
If you are an Unaccompanied Asylum Seeker receiving support from the Local Authority you can apply for the Vulnerable bursary.
If you are an Accompanied Asylum Seeker, living with parents or a relative, you may be eligible for in-kind support from the discretionary bursary.

I need help with my Childcare costs but my child is already settled in a nursery and I do not want to move them to Queens Gardens Childcare Centre, can I still receive support?

You will still need to register your child at Queens Gardens Childcare Centre, but this is something that we can discuss and support with on a case-by-case basis.