Bursary information for students aged 19+

The bursary fund provides support towards the cost of attending College, including travel, course equipment, and meals.

 

Please note Bursary applications open on the 1st August 2025 for this September. If you have any questions please email:
19plusfinance@weston.ac.uk

Eligibility

To be eligible you must be:

  • Aged 19 or over on the 31st August 2025 (your date of birth will before 31 August 2005
  • Undertaking a further education course
  • Able to show a residual household income (see below for explanation), of no more than £44,443.

You will not be eligible if you are:

  • A waged apprentice or are undertaking other learning or training whilst a wage is paid
  • A prison-based learner or learning whilst released on temporary licence
  • Undertaking a higher education course

How am I assessed?

If you’re living on your own

  • You will be financially assessed against your income
  • You will need to provide evidence of your income (3 consecutive months worth dated April 2024 onwards)
  • You will need to declare your gross income (e.g. wages, working tax credit, child tax credit, universal credit, housing benefit, other out-of-work benefits)
  • The College will calculate residual income by deducting, from your gross income, £1,130 for each child aged under 19 residing with you
  • Residual income is used to determine which Banding of support package you will receive

 

If you’re living with your partner, husband or wife

  • You will be financially assessed against your own income as well as that of your partner, husband or wife
  • You will need to provide evidence of your and their income (3 consecutive months worth dated April 2024 onwards)
  • You will need to declare, separately, your own and their gross income (e.g. wages, working tax credit, child tax credit, universal credit, housing benefit, other out of work benefits)
  • The College will calculate residual income by deducting, from your joint gross income, £1,130 per child aged under 19 residing in the same household
  • Residual income is used to determine which banding of support package you will receive.

 

If you live with your parents or another relative and have no income of your own

  • You will be financially assessed against your parents' income
  • You will need to declare your parents' gross income (e.g. wages, working tax credit, child tax credit, universal credit, housing benefit, other out of work benefits)
  • They will need to provide evidence of their income (3 consecutive months worth dated April 2024 onwards)
  • The College will calculate residual income by deducting, from your parents' income, £1,130 for each child aged under 19 residing in the same house
  • Residual income is used to determine your support ‘banding’.

If you live with your parents or another relative and have income of your own

  • You will be financially assessed against your income
  • The College will add £5,401.24 to your income in lieu of housing costs (shared accommodation rate for N Somerset via Directgov) unless you get Housing Benefit paid to you when that figure will be used
  • You will need to declare your gross income (e.g. wages, working tax credit, child tax credit, universal credit, housing benefit, other out of work benefits)
    • You will need to provide evidence of your income, even if paid to your parent or carer (3 consecutive months worth dated April 2024 onwards)
  • The College will calculate residual income by deducting, from your income, £1,130 for each of your children aged under 19 residing in the same house
  • Residual income is used to determine your support ‘banding’.
BandResidual Income
A£0 - £19,190
B£19,191 - £25,000
C£25,001 - £34,449
D£35,000 - £44,443

What support might I get?

Eligible students depending on their individual needs will receive a package of support.

The package of support may include:

  • Bus passes 
  • Professional start-up kit or uniform 
  • Childcare 
  • Fieldtrip or residential visit support directly related to your course 
  • Essential books of equipment 
  • Exam Fees 
  • Professional memberships needed to sit exams 
  • IT Bursary (for courses of 24 weeks or more)

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Bus Pass

All eligible full-time bursary students who need support with the costs of getting to college can request a First Bus 5 day "bus pass" for the Autumn, Spring and Summer terms (or two terms if you are doing a Fast Track course), these cannot be exchanged for money or transferred to the rail network. First Bus can be used on the First Bus West of England zone buses.

You will be emailed (to you college email account) a voucher code for an M Ticket which you will activate via the First Bus M Ticket app. Details can be found here: https://www.firstbus.co.uk/buy-ticket/mtickets-faqs

 

Weston College also offers a 7 day First Bus pass. Approved bursary students can opt to pay an additional £55 per term to upgrade their free 5 day pass to the 7 day one. This must be done before you activate the 5 day voucher code otherwise you will pay the full, unsubsidised cost for the 7 day pass.

Childcare

Parents aged 20 or over at the start of their course can request help for childcare support for a child aged 14 or under at the 31st August 2025.

Childcare covers timetabled sessions and a maximum of one hour before and one hour after for travel. You will need to provide evidence of costings from your childcare provider.

Funding is not guaranteed – even if your bursary is fully approved – so don’t make any childcare arrangements you cannot afford until college has confirmed your allowance.

Payments are made directly to the childcare provider, who must be registered with Ofsted.

BURSARY BandFull-time and fast track studentsPart-time students
AUp to £3,000Up to £1,500
BUp to £2,500Up to £1,250
CUp to £2,000Up to £1,000
DUp to £1,500Up to £750

Course essential items

Some courses require students to have specialist clothing, equipment, or set textbooks in order to participate e.g. hair and beauty kit, chefs knives or specialist dance shoes.

College maintains a list of course essential items and will either provide them as a 'payment in kind', pay contribution towards therefore reducing your college invoice or reimburse, fully or partially against a receipt for the specific item.

Course essential items contribution levels:

Bursary Band% Contribution
A100%
B100%
C75%
D50%

Fieldtrips and residential visits

You may request help towards the cost of fieldtrips or residential visits.

You will need to apply in writing, to Student Funding, giving details of the trip (where, when and overall cost), what you think you will gain from it as well as your financial need.

You won’t be entitled to funding for trips deemed compulsory for your course, and can’t apply for more funding until after October half-term.

The maximum contribution per year across more than one or more trips is £300, any contribution will be paid directly to your faculty.

Financial Evidence

Evidence that you submit may include but is not limited to:

  • P60 or 3 consecutive months of wage slip
  • UC Award Notice (all pages) for 3 consecutive months 
  • Housing Benefit statement 
  • PIP or DLA letter 
  • Carer’s Allowance letter 
  • Income Support letter 
  • Child Tax Credit and / or Working Tax Credit Award Notice (all pages)

Exceptional circumstances

Weston College recognises that at times individuals have challenging financial circumstances. Whilst bursary cannot be awarded to support personal bills and debts the bursary panel can authorise greater contributions than those listed towards course related items.

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