16-19 Bursary Fund

The 16-19 Bursary Fund is paid by the Education Funding Agency (EFA) to Schools and Colleges so that they may provide financial help to students whose access to or completion of education might be inhibited by financial consideration. Students wishing to claim from the 16–19 Bursary Fund will fall into two categories:

1. Vulnerable Student Bursary

  • Vulnerable students are defined as:
  • Young people in care
  • Care leavers
  • Young people personally in receipt of income support or universal credit
  • Disabled young people in receipt of Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payments in their own right as well as Employment and Support Allowance or Universal Credit in their own right

If you believe that you fall into this category of bursary, you may be eligible for a payment of up to £1200 for the academic year.

2. Discretionary Student Bursary

The 16-19 Discretionary Bursary is a government fund allocated to schools to help students to cover the cost of their education. This is available to students whose parents meet one of the following criteria:

  • receiving Free School Meals
  • receiving Income Support
  • receiving income-based job seekers allowance
  • receiving support under part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
  • receiving Child Tax Credits – provided the parent is not entitled to Working Tax Credit and their annual income assessed by the Inland Revenue does not exceed the maximum allowed (£17,005)
  • receiving the guaranteed element of the state pension credit
  • a resident in the UK/EU for three years (NB refugees are not required to meet the three-year residency rule if refugee status was confirmed in the three years prior to starting the course.

The discretionary bursary can be used to contribute to the following costs:

  • clothing, books and other equipment for your course
  • transport and lunch on days you study or train
  • one-off payments to cover study trips or travel for university interviews.

Students in receipt of this discretionary funding will not be eligible or granted any further financial support from the school in help towards these costs.

Funding may only be partial payment and to a limited amount available within the budget.

As the discretionary bursary is targeted for those students who most need financial help, we reserve the right to request evidence of need.

We will also take into consideration wider family circumstances:

  • Whether a student is from a single parent family
  • Distance to travel to and from school
  • Whether there are a lot of other children in the family.
  • Where a student has additional responsibilities that may impact on the help they need, for example they are a young carer

Timing, Amount of Payments and other information

Students are only eligible for payments if they are legitimately enrolled and attending as defined by the criteria.

  • The Vulnerable Student Bursary will be paid in equal instalments via cheque in the name of the student.
  • The Discretionary Bursary payment will be made at point of claim via cheque in the name of the student. Students are required to show receipts to prove reimbursement
  • Students in receipt of a bursary must have satisfactory attendance and attitude to learning
  • We are unable to make payments to anyone other than the student
  • Students should ensure they have a bank account in their name through which to receive funds

Should an individual student wish to make a case for additional support, they should contact the Director of Post-16 Education at the school: Thomas.Marlow10@fearnhill.herts.sch.uk