If you are under 19 years old on 31 August in the year you start a course and are enrolling on a course with government funding, you do not need to pay tuition or exam fees. You may also be able to get funding, benefits or grants to help you with your education.
16-19 Bursary fund
If you are aged 16 to 19 and need some financial support to stay on at school or college, you may be able to get help from the 16-19 bursary fund. It can help with costs like equipment for your courses, travel and lunch. You’re automatically eligible for up to a £1200 grant if you fit one or more of these criteria:
- You’re in care or have been in care
- You get Income Support or Universal Credit because you are financially supporting yourself
- You get Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) plus Disability Living Allowance (DLA) or Personal Independence Payments (PIPs)
There is also a Discretionary bursary – schools, colleges and training providers set their own criteria for discretionary bursaries, for example they might look at family income. Ask your student support services about their criteria and any evidence you’ll need.
If you are 19 or older, the discretionary bursary might still be available, for example if you are continuing a course, you started aged 16 to 18 (known as being a “19+ continuer”) or have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP)
For more information, visit 16 to 19 Bursary Fund at GOV.UK.
Care to learn
The Care to Learn scheme provides funding for childcare to help young parents (aged under 20) continue in education after the birth of a child.
The scheme can also help with any additional travel costs involved in taking the child to the childcare provider. The scheme is available for publicly funded courses in England, including courses in schools, school sixth forms, sixth form colleges, other colleges and learning providers and children’s centres.
The eligibility criteria for the scheme includes the following:
- You are a parent under the age of 20 at the start of your course
- You must be the main carer and in receipt of child benefit for the child(ren) for whom you are claiming Care to Learn
- You must be living and studying in England
- Your course qualifies – you’re learning provider can confirm if a course is eligible
- Your childcare provider is eligible.
More information about the Care to Learn scheme, including the full eligibility criteria, can be found by visiting the GOV.UK website Care to Learn page, by calling the Student Bursary Support Service on 0800 121 8989 or by visiting the Student Bursary Support Service online portal.
Benefits
Benefits are payments for people aged 18+ who may need some extra help. Some young people may be eligible to claim benefits such as Universal Credit if they are aged 16 or 17 and if certain conditions apply.
Find out what support you may be able to get help with on Gov.uk Check benefits and financial support you can get – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk
Child benefit / tax credit
When you turn 16 your parents or carers can still claim child benefit/child tax credits if you continue in full-time approved education or training. This does not include apprenticeships as you will be receiving a wage on an apprenticeship.
The Tax Credit Office always assumes that a 16-year-old is a school leaver and must be informed if the young person is to continue with full time education otherwise payments will stop on 31 August after their sixteenth birthday. For full details see Child Tax Credit.
Tax credit will also be paid for 20 weeks if a young person leaves education or training before, they are 18 and:
- registers with their local careers service, Connexions or local authority support service (Register here for support with Young Work Wiltshire if you are not in education, employment or training.)
- joins the Armed Forces
This only applies if the young person is aged 16 or 17, works less than 24 hours a week and does not get certain benefits (for example Income Support).
Higher education – student loans
Through Student Finance you may be able to borrow money to help pay for university or college tuition fees and to help with living costs. You might get extra money on top of this, for example if you’re on a low income, are disabled or have children.
19+ Advanced learner loan
If you are aged 19+ and aiming to study on a Level 3, 4 5 or 6 qualification, for example A Levels or graduate certification you can apply for an Advanced Learner Loan to help with the costs of the course. However, you will have to pay these loans back.
Other funding and grants
Depending on your circumstances and the subject you’re studying, you may qualify for a variety of grants to help with your day-to-day living costs while you are studying. This is just a sample of what is available:
- Wiltshire Community Foundation offer a range of grants to support individuals to support their development, education and future employment.
- Prince’s Trust Development Awards can cover the cost of course fees, tools or equipment to help you achieve your goals.
Course-specific grants
- The City & Guilds Foundation offers bursaries to people who study for a City & Guilds or ILM qualification.
- Dance and Drama Awards are available at some specialist private schools and help with fees and living costs.
- The General Federation of Trade Unions Educational Trust has grants for students of economic theory and history, industrial law and industrial relations.
- If you’re training to be a doctor or dentist, you may get an NHS bursary.
- The social work bursary is a grant that doesn’t depend on your household income and doesn’t have to be paid back.
- Extra funding may be available if you are training to be a teacher and leads to qualified teacher status (QTS) (depending on the subject you’re training to teach.
Turn2Us provides information about education grants and has a grant search.
Wiltshire council transport support
Wiltshire Council runs a subsidised transport scheme for further education students aged 16 – 19, at the start of their course. Transport is provided to students attending or living more than 3 miles from their designated sixth form or college.
More information and details on how to apply is available on the Wiltshire Council website School transport – Wiltshire Council.