The 16 to 19 Bursary Fund is a scheme to help young people to stay in full-time education.
The scheme is made up of two parts:
- Those most in need will be eligible for a bursary of £1,200 a year. This includes young people in care, care leavers, young people receiving income support, and disabled young people receiving both Employment Support Allowance and Disability Living Allowance. Eligible students can apply for support for specific items up to the total value of £1,200 per academic year. This bursary is referred to as a ‘full’ bursary.
- Other students who need financial support to help them to stay in education or training may also be able to claim a bursary to help with their costs. Eligible students can apply for support for specific items. This bursary is referred to as a ‘discretionary’ bursary.
Eligibility
For the full bursary you must meet one of the following criteria by being a:
- Young person in care or a care leaver
- Young person receiving Income Support* or Universal Credit
- Disabled young person receiving both Employment Support Allowance and Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payments
For the discretionary bursary, you must be a student whose parents or carers are in receipt of:
- Income support*
- Income related Employment and Support Allowance* or Universal Credit
- Income based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Support from the National Asylum Support Service
- Child Tax Credit, and an annual income, assessed by the Inland Revenue, that does not exceed £16,190
- Guarantee element of State Pension Credit
Or:
- Be eligible for free school meals
- Be providing care for a sick or disabled relative
- Have a long term medical condition that can affect studies
*From 2013 there is the phased introduction of the Universal Credit to replace Income Support and Employment Support Allowance and Personal Independence Payments to replace the Disability Living Allowance. Where applicable, these benefits will be taken into consideration in the place of the replacements.
There are additional criteria that need to be met to be eligible for a bursary, but it is anticipated that the majority of applicants will satisfy these criteria. These criteria include course types, residency and age restrictions. We will contact you as part of the assessment process if we believe there will be an issue with meeting these criteria.
What is the 16-19 bursary fund to be used for?
A bursary is money that you, or your education or training provider, can use to pay for things like:
- Clothing, books and other equipment for your course.
- Transport and lunch on days you study or train.
Applying
If you believe you are eligible for a bursary, please complete Section A of our application form if you wish to apply for the full bursary or Section B if you wish to apply for the discretionary bursary. You will find further information about how to apply for the bursary and what the money can be used for in the bursary information sheet and the bursary shopping list.
You can only apply for one bursary, not both. Students who receive a bursary award in Year 12 must make a new application in Year 13.
You will find more information about the 16 to 19 Bursary on the government website.
