Bursary information for students aged 19+
The bursary fund provides support towards the cost of attending College, including travel, course equipment, and meals.
The eligibility rules and banding grades differ depending on whether you’re aged 16 to 18, or 19 and over.
If you have any questions please email:
19plusfinance@weston.ac.uk
Eligibility
To be eligible you will need to be:
- Aged 19 or over at the 31st August 2020 (your date of birth will be before 31st August 2002)
- Undertaking a further education course
- Able to show a residual household income (see below for explanation), for the April 2019 to April 2020 tax year, of no more than £34,000
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 for the 2019/2020 tax year (6th April 2019 to 5th April 2020).
- 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 for the 2019/2020 tax year (6th April 2019 to 5th April 2020)
- 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 for the 2019/2020 tax year (6th April 2019 to 5th April 2020)
- 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)
- 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 for the 2019/2020 tax year (6th April 2019 to 5th April 2020)
- The College will add £5,086.12 to your income in lieu of housing costs
- 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 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’.
| Band | Residual Income |
|---|---|
| A | £0 - £13,999 |
| B | £14,000 - £18,190 |
| C | £18,191 - £27,999 |
| D | £28,000 - £34,000 |
What support might I get?
Eligible students will receive a package of support, which is paid at points throughout the academic year. To continue receiving support students must have an attendance rate of over 85% across their whole learning programme including maths, English and tutorials.
The package of support could include:
- Bus passes
- Money
- Professional start-up kit or uniform
- Childcare
- Fieldtrip or residential visit support
Bus passes
All full-time students who have a fully approved bursary will receive a five-day bus pass for the spring and summer terms.
Bus passes can be used on First Bus West of England zones buses. They can’t be exchanged for money or transferred to the rail network.
Part time students are not eligible for a subsidised bus pass.
You will be emailed the voucher code and will need to activate an M Ticket through First Bus. See https://www.firstgroup.com/buy-ticket/mtickets-faqs for details.
For an additional £40 you can top up to a seven-day pass. This must be done before you activate the voucher code otherwise you will pay the full, unsubsidised cost of a seven-day pass.
Students with fully approved bursaries who are assessed as ‘band V’ will also receive an autumn term five-day bus pass.
Childcare
Parents aged 20 or over at the start of their course can apply for childcare support for a child aged 14 or under at the 31st August 2020.
Childcare covers timetabled sessions and a maximum of one hour before and one hour after for travel. You will need to provide 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.
| Band | Childcare Full-time students |
Childcare Part-time students |
|---|---|---|
| A | Up to £3500 | Up to £1750 |
| B | Up to £3000 | Up to £1500 |
| C | Up to £2500 | Up to £1250 |
| D | Up to £2000 | Up to £1000 |
Money
This is paid by BACS transfer into your bank account.
| Full-time students | Part-time students | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Band | Money total | Autumn Term Paid 29/09/2020 | Spring Term Paid 12 Jan 2021 | Summer Term Paid 27 April 2021 | One-off payment per year (six weeks after first course start date) |
| A | £275 | £137.50 | £68.75 | £68.75 | £175 |
| B | £215 | £107.50 | £53.75 | £53.75 | £137 |
| C | £150 | £75.00 | £37.50 | £37.50 | £100 |
| D | £90 | £45.00 | £22.50 | £22.50 | £62.50 |
Professional start-up kit and uniform (course equipment)
Support towards the cost of course equipment is available for:
- Hospitality and Catering courses – you will be reimbursed when you show a receipt from Nisbets (the College’s catering equipment provider)
- Hairdressing and Beauty Therapy courses – your college invoice will be reduced by the amount you are awarded
- Production Arts courses – your professional start-up kit will be reduced by the amount you are awarded.
The portion of the cost that is met depends on your banding, to a maximum of £400:
| Band | Professional start-up kit or uniform |
|---|---|
| V | 100% |
| A | 100% |
| B | 75% |
| C | 50% |
| D | 25% |
Fieldtrips and residential visits
You may be entitled to some help toward 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) and what it you think you will gain from it.
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.
If successful the portion of the cost that is met through bursary is:
| Band | Fieldtrips / Residential Visits |
|---|---|
| V | 100% to maximum of £250 per year |
| A | 100% to maximum of £250 per year |
| B | 75% to a maximum of £187.50 per year |
| C | 50% to a maximum of £125 per year |
| D | 25% to a maximum of £62.50 per year |
