Bursary Policy and Guidelines
The 16 to 19 Government Bursary Fund is to support eligible students overcome specific barriers to participation so they can remain in education.
The bursary fund is to help eligible students with essential costs such as travel to college, a meal during the day whilst in college and essential curriculum trips and resources required for the student’s programme of study. These are items that the student would otherwise have to pay for.
Eligibility for support from the 16-19 bursary will be assessed on the actual need of the individual student, and even if a student belongs to a group that typically receives bursaries, the award depends on their individual financial situation.
There are two types of 16-19 bursaries:
- a vulnerable bursary for students in the defined vulnerable groups where there is an actual financial need for support
- a discretionary bursary for students with an actual financial need for support
To be eligible for either type of bursary students must: be aged 16 or over and under 19 at 31 August 2024 to be eligible for help from the bursary fund in the 2024-2025 academic year.
Students aged 19 or over are only eligible to receive a discretionary bursary if they are continuing on a study programme they began aged 16-18 (19+ continuers: this must be the same programme they started before they turned 19 as long as their eligibility continues and it is considered the support is needed in order for the student to continue their participation) or have an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP)
- Bursary funding is to help students with the cost of travel to college and essential resources.
- Students will be awarded the amount of support needed based on an assessment of the actual costs they have.
- It cannot provide financial support for extra-curricular activities or provide support with living costs.
Vulnerable bursary
Students who meet one of the four criteria listed below and who have a financial need can apply for the vulnerable bursary.
The defined vulnerable groups are students who are:
- in care: children looked after by a local authority on a voluntary basis or under a care order
- care leavers: a care leaver is defined as a young person aged 16 and 17 who was previously looked after for a period of 13 weeks consecutively (or periods amounting to 13 weeks) which began after the age of 14 and ended after the age of 16 or
a young person aged 18 or above who was looked after prior to becoming 18 for a period of 13 weeks consecutively (or periods amounting to 13 weeks) which began at the age of 14 and ended after the age of 16.
- The student receiving Income Support or Universal Credit in their own right because they are financially supporting themselves or financially supporting themselves and someone who is dependent on them and living with them, such as a child or partner.
- The student is receiving Personal Independence Payments or Disability Living Allowance in their own right as well as Employment Support Allowance or Universal Credit in their own right.
Students in Care or Care Leavers:
To verify your looked-after status, please upload one of the following documents:
- A letter from your local authority confirming your current or previous looked-after status.
- An email from your local authority confirming your current or previous looked-after status (send to bursary@aquinas.ac.uk).
Students Receiving Income Support or Universal Credit:
- Upload a copy of your Income Support or Universal Credit notice clearly stating:
- The claim is in your name.
- You are entitled to benefits in your own right.
- There are no conditions preventing you from pursuing further education (applicable to Income Support only).
Additional Documents for Students on Universal Credit (Supporting Others):
If you’re financially supporting yourself or someone living with you while receiving Universal Credit, please provide:
- Child Benefit: Proof of child benefit (if applicable)
- Child’s Birth Certificate: Birth certificate of the child(ren) you’re supporting
- A copy of your tenancy agreement and utility bills in your name (where relevant):
It may be assessed that although a young person may be eligible for a bursary, because they are in one or more of the defined groups above, that they do not have any actual financial need and so do not need support from the scheme.
Foster Care
A young person placed in foster care by the Local Authority, including where the foster carer is on the books of an independent fostering agency, is classed as a looked after child. They meet the criteria for “in care” if they have a financial need.
A child who is privately fostered, where a private arrangement is made between the child and the person who will care for the child is not classed as a looked after child and is not eligible for the vulnerable bursary but may wish to submit an application for the discretionary bursary.
In some instances, a young person may have been in the care of the local authority and the care transferred to another party via a permanent form of fostering such as a Special Guardianship Order. In these circumstances, the young person is defined as having left care so is now a care leaver. They must meet the definition of a ‘care leaver’ in full (please see the period of weeks and age range set out above). If they do, they are eligible for help from the bursary for vulnerable groups, where they need financial support to participate.
Asylum Seekers
Generally, asylum seekers are not entitled to public funds.
Accompanied asylum seeking children are entitled to an education but not to public funds. If you are an asylum seeker and have not had your application for asylum refused educational institutions can provide in-kind student support such as books, equipment or a travel pass. Please seek advice from Student Information Services for any assistance which we may be able to make available to you.
Unaccompanied asylum-seeking children do not receive cash support from the Home Office and are the responsibility of the local authority. They are treated as looked after children and are eligible for a bursary for vulnerable groups where there is a financial need.
The Discretionary Bursary
We welcome applications for the Discretionary Bursary from students whose household income is at or less than £50,000 per year. Applications are made by submitting an online application form and supporting documentation.
The Discretionary Bursary is to help students with transport costs, essential curriculum trips, equipment or specialist clothing.
The bursary fund is not intended to provide learning support services that institutions give to students, for example: counselling or mentoring, or to support extra-curricular activities where these are not essential to the student’s study programme.
Decisions for the discretionary bursary award are based on each student’s individual circumstances and actual financial need.
Receiving assistance from the bursary fund does not affect receipt of other means-tested benefits paid to families, such as Universal Credit, Income Support, Job Seekers Allowance, Child Benefit, Working Tax Credit and Housing Benefit.
We would encourage applications from:
- lone parents, bereaved parents
- households where the student is being looked after by a family member for example grandparents,
- families receiving benefits.
If you require assistance in completing your application please email your queries to Bursary@aquinas.ac.uk
Monetary payments for approved, eligible students will be sent by BACS to the students Bank Account and are paid weekly.
Funding may be withdrawn for students who fail to attend regularly.
Availability of Funding
The college will help as many students as possible with the funding available but will prioritise those in most need. We cannot guarantee assistance in every case, but welcome applications.
Appeals against unsuccessful applications can be made to the college by e-mail to Bursary@aquinas.ac.uk All appeals will be responded to within one working week by the Assistant Principal Finance.
Who can apply
To apply for a bursary you must be aged between 16 and 19 and in full-time or part-time further education.
How do I apply?
New Applicants:
Students can log into their application and follow the instructions in the “16-19 Bursary” section.
The application form can be completed by either, or both, the student and parent or carer.
New applications from current students: Log into My Aquinas, select “Support/Bursary” from the banner at the top of the screen and follow the instructions on the page.
Students currently in receipt of bursary funding will receive a self-declaration form to confirm that their household circumstances have not changed. This form must be completed by parents or carers for academic year 2024-25. Where household circumstances have changed please contact the bursary team on bursary@aquinas.ac.uk
Please be aware that in most cases the bursary will not entail a cash payment but will be given “in kind” as access to free meals in college, assistance with travel and resources. This is in line with the current 16-19 Bursary Government guidelines and regulations. Students who are still eligible for this assistance from the bursary fund will receive an email.
We accept bursary applications throughout the academic year until May 31st when the current years application form will be closed, we will not be able to process any applications submitted on or after this date.
What do I include with my application?
You will need to provide documentary evidence dependent on your individual circumstances. The application can be completed by the student or the student’s parents or carers. To support the discretionary bursary application, documents showing household income need to be uploaded to the application. Information about the documents required can be found below.
The required supporting documentation can be uploaded to the application by parent or students using a mobile phone, once uploaded these documents are only visible to the Aquinas College staff processing the bursary application.
Please include with your application form images of any applicable documents:
- P60 2024 for all adults in employment in the household
- SA302 and dividends if self-employed.
Your accountant will be able to request an SA302 for you, or you can call HMRC yourself. You will need your basic personal information, your ten-digit UTR (unique tax reference) and NI Number.
- Council Tax Bill 2024-25
showing any council tax reductions e.g. single occupancy discount
- Universal Credit
Complete document must be uploaded. Submit your three most recent monthly statements. The documentation submitted must show the recipient’s name, the Universal Credit amount and all income and deductions made.
Universal Credit has replaced many of the benefits below, but where households are not in receipt of Universal Credit please upload any of the applicable benefits;
- Child and Working Tax Credits 2024-25
(please upload all pages of the full document)
- Employment Support Allowance
- Income Support
- Job Seekers Allowance
- Carers Allowance
- Housing Benefit
Other applicable incomes:
- DLA/PIP (when applying for the vulnerable bursary)
- State Pension
- Pension Credit
- Other Pension income
- Bereaved Parents Allowance
- Income from savings, shares, investments, trusts, dividends
- Income from rental properties
- Any other household income you may be in receipt of
Failure to submit all the necessary evidence will result in your application being delayed or rejected.
When do I send it?
We accept bursary applications throughout the academic year, we understand that households can experience a change in circumstances at any time.
We would encourage completed applications to be submitted before the start of the academic year in September.
Applications received during September may not be acknowledged due to the pressures of enrolment.
Support will commence from the date the complete application with all required documentation is received. Where possible we will request outstanding documentation once by e-mail or letter. No further action will be taken until all outstanding documents are received.
I am studying part-time. Can I apply?
Yes, you can apply, colleges can consider applications from part-time students.
How will I receive my bursary?
Eligible students may receive any or some of the following dependant on circumstances:
- Access to a free meal from the college canteen or coffee shop
- Assistance with the cost of essential trips and resources
- Assistance with the cost of courses followed eg music lessons, headphones etc. where deemed appropriate or necessary by the subject department. Any essential items required by the student will be ordered for them by the finance department following confirmation from the subject department.
- Provision of IT equipment. Where equipment is provided to an eligible student that equipment remains the property of the college and must be returned to the college when the student completes their programme of study.
- Stationery and equipment to support learning
- Re-imbursement of the cost of an Our Pass for students within the Greater Manchester area.
- Assistance with the cost of travel for students outside the Greater Manchester area. These students will be asked to provide proof of travel during the academic year.
- Assistance with phone or broadband for eligible students on proof of costs.
If eligible for assistance from the bursary fund
- Students who may be eligible for a weekly cash payment into their bank accounts will be required to provide receipts for the items purchased with their bursary funding. The funding must be used for the cost of travel to college, meals at college, essential equipment to complete your chosen programme of study. You will be asked to upload receipts for travel, meals or items purchased at certain times throughout the academic year. Further information for provision of proof of purchase will be available at the start of the academic year.
- You, the student, must have a bank account in your own name. Payments can only be made to your bank account and will be paid by BACS. In exceptional circumstances a cash payment may be made with the expectation that the student will open a bank account as soon as possible.
- College may also make payments in kind which means instead of receiving money you could get a transport pass, meals or equipment for your course. Or you might receive part of your bursary in kind and part in money.
- Payments will not be made until college has seen and verified the appropriate evidence that the student is eligible to receive a bursary award.
- Payments are made a week in arrears where the student has met the conditions of the bursary contract.
- All eligible students receiving the bursary must sign the bursary contract.
- Payments are authorised every Wednesday and should be in the student’s bank account on Friday morning.
All queries regarding weekly payments should be made in the first instance to Student Information Services on 0161 419 3624 or by email to Diane Bailey diane.bailey@aquinas.ac.uk or Julie Hern julie.hern@aquinas.ac.uk
Can college tell me what to spend my bursary on?
Yes. Your bursary is to help pay for things you really need to stay on at college, for example travel costs, meals during the day or equipment for your courses. We may ask to see receipts or proof of payment made for equipment or other agreed support. In certain circumstances the money awarded can be recovered from the student if it has not been used for the reasons it was awarded.
Our Pass
All students living in the Greater Manchester area must apply for an Our Pass and include an image of their Our Pass and their Our Pass number with their application.
We hope to be able to refund the cost of the Our Pass to students during the academic year. Please follow the link for information about Our Pass Our Pass
Can college stop my bursary payments?
Yes. You will be asked to sign a bursary contract.
The contract states the conditions under which you will receive your bursary. Typically, these conditions include attendance, lateness, behaviour, medical appointments and sickness.
The bursary will cease where a student has been absent for 4 weeks or more.
If I can’t attend college because of illness, medical appointments or authorised absences will I still receive my bursary?
When you sign your contract it will give you details of the amount of authorised absences we will allow you in any half term period before your bursary will be withheld. This can be three authorised periods of sickness per half term, three late marks per half term.
A parent or carer will need to phone Student Information on 0161 419 3624 or email absencereport@aquinas.ac.uk every day the student is absent due to illness to authorise your sickness, or medical appointments.
Where a student is absent or sick for a whole week the bursary will not be available for that week.
Holidays are not authorised absences.
