Financial support may be available for students who attend college. Details of the type of support available are listed below. If you have any questions about what support you might be eligible for, please contact the Student Finance team by emailing welfare@educationpartnershipne.ac.uk
16-19 Bursary Fund
Household income less than £28,000: If you live more than 1 mile from your campus of study you may receive travel support. Course related costs such as kit and equipment for your course.
Household income between £28,000 and £40,000: If you live more than 5 miles from your campus of study you may receive help towards the cost of travel.
Travel
Eligible students will receive support via the cheapest route which may be:
Travel will be offered in the form a suitable travel pass. A travel pass will always be considered to be the most appropriate method of support, if a travel pass is not appropriate students may receive a monthly travel allowance. This will be based on individual circumstances.
- Stagecoach pass.
- College bus pass
- Students travelling a significant distance to campus or who are required to overcome transport barriers may apply for an enhanced travel payment alongside a bus pass. This payment will be looked at on an individual basis.
- Mileage is paid at 30p per mile for those students who use private transport.
Students who are 16-18 and live in Northumberland need to make an application to Northumberland County Council Post 16 travel scheme. Click here to apply for the travel scheme.
If you are 16-18 and are not eligible for free travel through Northumberland County Council and/or don’t live in Northumberland, you can apply for travel from the college bursary if your household income is below £40K. Click here to apply.
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.
Those in receipt (or parent/guardian) of certain benefits will qualify for a free meal each day from one of our catering outlets.
Childcare
If you are aged 16-20 and require childcare support you will need to submit an application to Care to Learn. Care to Learn will help with cost of students childcare including:
- Childcare, including deposit and registration fees.
- A childcare taster session for up to 5 days.
- Keeping childcare places over the summer holidays.
- Taking the child to their childcare provider.
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).
Course related costs
Students may apply for assistance with the help of purchasing course related costs which are not mandatory to completing their qualification, this includes:
- Kit and equipment.
- Uniform.
- Books.
- Trips.
- UCAS Fee.
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.
The best way to contact the team is through email: welfare@educationpartnershipne.ac.uk
Please click here to complete the online Financial Support application.
You will be notified via email within 3 weeks of submitting your application form.
You will receive an award notification email which will tell you what you have been award.
You may receive help with travel cost, course related cost, free college meals and childcare. What you have been awarded will be detailed in your award notification email.
Payments will be made on 21st of every month.
You should contact the Welfare Team who will advise you what to do, as there may be a fee payable.
You need to contact the Welfare Team who will email you a secure link to enter your new bank details.
Speak to a member of the welfare team with ill advise what you need to do next, you may need to supply additional evidence to support your application.
Your childcare will be paid directly to your Childcare provider monthly.
