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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.
Please note bursary applications open on the 1st August 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 2023 (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 £35,000.
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
- You will need to provide evidence of your name (3 consecutive months worth dated April 2022 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 2022 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 2022 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 £5,684.64 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)
- You will need to provide evidence of your income, even if paid to your parent or carer (3 consecutive months worth dated April 2022 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’.
| Band | Residual Income |
|---|---|
| A | £0 - £14,999 |
| B | £15,000 - £19,190 |
| C | £19,191 - £27,999 |
| D | £28,000 - £35,000 |
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 Pass
All full-time students who have a fully approved bursary will receive a 5 day "bus pass" for the Spring
and Summer terms, these cannot be exchanged for money or transferred to the rail network.
Students can opt for:
-
FIRST BUS (Mon to Fri pass)
- 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 M Ticket app. Details can be found here: https://www.firstbus.co.uk/buy-ticket/mtickets-faqs
-
BAKERS DOLPHIN
- You will be emailed (to you college email account) a voucher code for a Bakers Dolphin pass which you will activate via the Bakers Dolphin app. Details can be found here: https://schools.bakersdolphin.com/?link=schools-instructions
- You will be emailed (to you college email account) a voucher code for a Bakers Dolphin pass which you will activate via the Bakers Dolphin app. Details can be found here: https://schools.bakersdolphin.com/?link=schools-instructions
Weston College also offers a 7 day First Bus pass. Approved bursary students can opt to pay an
additional £50 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 apply for childcare support for a child aged 14 or under at the 31st August 2023.
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 | Monetary Value | Autumn Term Paid 26 Sep 2023 | Spring Term Paid 9 Jan 2024 | Summer Term Paid 23 April 2024 | One-off payment per year (six weeks after first course start date) |
| A | £350 | £175 | £87.50 | £87.50 | £200 |
| B | £300 | £150 | £75 | £75 | £160 |
| C | £250 | £125 | £62.50 | £62.50 | £125 |
| D | £175 | £87.50 | £43.75 | £43.75 | £100 |
Professional start-up kit and uniform (course equipment)
Support towards the cost of course equipment is available for the courses listed below. Your college invoice will be reduced by the amount you are awarded.
- Hospitality and Catering courses
- Hairdressing and Beauty Therapy courses
The portion of the cost that is met depends on your banding, to a maximum of £450:
| Band | Professional start-up kit or uniform |
|---|---|
| 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 |
|---|---|
| A | Up to a maximum of £250 per year |
| B | Up to a maximum of £187.50 per year |
| C | Up to a maximum of £125 per year |
| D | Up to a maximum of £62.50 per year |