Welfare and financial support

Travel

Household income less than £30,000: If you live more than 1 mile from your campus of study you may receive support with a monthly allowance to pay for your travel.

Household income between £30,000 and £50,000: If you live more than 5 miles from your campus of study you may receive support with a monthly allowance to pay for your travel.

Meals

If you received free school meals when you were at school you may also qualify to receive support with free college meals. If you or your parent/guardian are in receipt of the following benefits you may be able receive meals on the days that you attend college:

• Income-based Jobseekers Allowance
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
• Support under part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• The guarantee element of State Pension Credit
• Child Tax Credit (provided they are not entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190, as assessed by HMRC)
• Working Tax Credit  run-on – paid for 4 weeks after someone stops qualifying for Working Tax Credit
  Universal Credit with net earnings not exceeding the equivalent of £7,400 pa

Childcare

If yourequire childcare support and are aged under 20 at the start of your course, you should apply for childcare through Care to Learn.

For students aged 20 and above at the start of your course, you should apply for Childcare through the College by either collecting a Childcare Care Request form from your Financial Support Team or by downloading the form here. (Students who are applying for an Advanced Learner Loan must have this approved by Student Loans Company (SLC) to be eligible for help with childcare costs through the College).

Kit costs

Support will be provided to cover kit and equipment costs for students with a household income under £30,000.

Vulnerable Bursary

If you are a young person who meets one or more of the following criteria you can apply for Vulnerable Bursary:

• Care experience students
• Those receiving Income Support or Universal Credit because they are financially supporting themselves or anyone living with them such a child or a partner
• Those receiving Disability Living Allowance / Personal Independence Payments will also need to be in receipt of Employment and Support Allowance or Universal Credit
• Unaccompanied asylum-seeker children that are the responsibility of the local authority. (When a young person reaches legal adulthood at age 18, we must consider their immigration status. If the asylum claim is decided in their favour, they will be eligible to continue to receive support from Vulnerable Bursary until they reach the age limit

If any of you above applies to you may be able to receive help with financial costs of attending college.