Funding and financial support

Degree level students please visit the University Centre Reaseheath website.

All full-time further education students who are EEA Citizens and have been resident in England for 3 years may apply online for financial support from the Residential and Discretionary Learner Support Fund (including Free College Meals) for help towards the cost of attending College.

Applications from students who are age 19+ and are resident in a Devolved Combined Authority area (for more information see our FE tuition fees page), will be considered by the relevant authority area. When your local authority have agreed your funding, please complete the application form below and supply the information required regarding household income.

Students who reside in Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own funding arrangements.

There may be exceptional circumstances where, on occasion, Welsh students may wish to travel or reside in England to study when specialist provision is not offered locally, if the course that you wish to study isn’t available at a College in Wales, please complete the online application form.

Financial support could include:

Applications are considered on an individual basis and assessed using household income.

If you are in receipt of benefits and your application is successful, you must advise the benefit agencies of the support you receive as this may affect your benefit eligibility.

If you have any queries on tax or would like some guidance on how to get your taxes right here’s a website that may help you.

For information about meal allowance on your student ID card, click here.

Applying for a Bursary

Bursary applications for 24/25 wil be opening soon.

If you are looking to apply for 23/24 then please contact student finance on 01270 613205.

Opening soon

Discretionary Learner Support Funds

Limited Discretionary Learner Support Funds are available to contribute towards educational costs for students aged 16 and over. An assessment of household income will be made to determine the level of assistance to be awarded.

Free College Meals

Students may be able to apply for free college meals. Free College meals are targeted at disadvantaged students. To be eligible for Free College Meals, you or your parent/s must be in receipt of one or more of the following benefits:

  • Income Support
  • 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 the State Pension Credit
  • Child Tax Credit (provided they are not entitled to Working Tax credit) and have annual gross income of no more than £16,190, as assessed by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs.
  • Working Tax Credit run on – paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit. Working Tax Credit is not a qualifying benefit for Free College Meals
  • Universal Credit with net earnings not exceeding the equivalent of £7,400 pa (after tax and not including any benefits you get)

Find out who is eligible and what award is available here.

Residential Bursary Fund

This bursary is designed to help students to access education that is not available within reasonable daily travel of their home address to study a land-based course and can be used to assist with college accommodation costs or landlord fees if applicable. An assessment of your household income will be made. This is not available to students that reside in Wales where there is a college in Wales that offers the same course. If you are unsure whether your course is eligible  please contact the Student Finance Team:  studentfinance@reaseheath.ac.uk, Tel 01270 613205.

Vulnerable Bursary Fund

This fund supports young people in care, care leavers, young people in receipt of income support, and disabled young people in receipt of Employment and Support Allowance who are also in receipt of Disability Living Allowance/Personal Independence Payment. You must be aged between 16-18 to be eligible.  Please complete the Bursary application form.

More information

If your Financial Circumstances Change –

It is possible to amend your application if your financial circumstances change during the year, we will re-assess your Bursary taking into account the new information/evidence that you provide. There is no need to complete a new application form.  Please email the new financial information to studentfinance@reaseheath.ac.uk

If you wish to appeal a Bursary assessment decision –

Should you wish to appeal against a decision you will need to explain why you are appealing and provide evidence to support your appeal.  Once received, the information will be reviewed by an appeals panel and you will be notified of the outcome within 4 weeks.

To be re-assessed or to appeal, write to the Student Finance Team or email studentfinance@reaseheath.ac.uk

Bursary FAQ’s

We will need to assess your household income to ascertain how much help we can offer. You will need to supply copies of benefit letters/P60/self-employed accounts or bank statements for the previous tax year along with your online or paper application form. We aim to assess your application within 10 working days, but this could be longer during busy periods. Please apply as early as possible to avoid delay. You will receive an email with the outcome of your award.

The amount of assistance that you will receive depends on the assessment of your household income. There are bandings below the £41,000 threshold to determine the level of award, with the maximum amount of assistance going to those on the lowest household incomes.

No, although your award will be reduced if you withdraw from College.

Yes, you need to maintain 90% attendance to receive bursary payment. Your award will be reduced if you withdraw from College.

Residential Bursary

The award made will be credited to your accommodation invoice. The bursary will not normally cover the full cost of your accommodation. Your invoice will show the shortfall that you will have to pay, and information about how to arrange a payment plan.

Transport Costs

Travel costs to work experience placements are a set daily amount that will be paid directly to your bank account, within 15 working days after each half term.

Where an award has been made for Public Transport costs, you will need to hand in your tickets or receipts at the end of each half term. We will then check the registers during the half term holidays and make a payment to your bank account for the days that you attended College.  The payment will be made within 15 working days after each half term.

Equipment/PPE

A list of the items covered by your award will be sent to you along with your award letter. Receipts for purchases made, or the receipt number if ordered through the College Online Store, must be given to the Student Finance team. We will then assess these and make the appropriate payment to your bank account. The first assessment of receipts will take place  during October half term,  with the first payment being made in November, subsequent assessments will be made each half term. The payment will be made within 15 working days after each half term.

Free College Meals

A daily allowance of £4.50 will be allocated to your student ID card, this can be used to purchase a meal in any of the College catering outlets.

Tuition Fees

The award made will be credited to your Tuition fee invoice. The bursary will not cover the full cost of your Tuition fee, the invoice will show the shortfall that you will have to pay, and information about how to arrange a payment plan.

Stock Duties (Agricultural Students only)

The award made will depend on the outcome of your household income assessment. This will only cover the full cost of your stock duties if you have been awarded the maximum. Where there is a shortfall, you will need to pay this at the time of your stock duty to the Student Finance team. All students must pay the £10 room key deposit via the College Online Store, which is refunded when the key is returned.

Childcare

Payment will be made monthly to your childcare provider. They will need to send an invoice each month and we will pay a percentage of the fee depending on your award, directly to them for each day that you attended College.

Residential Trips Fees

Your department will be informed if you have been awarded assistance with your Residential Trips Fees. If your award doesn’t cover the full fee, you will need to pay the shortfall.

Laundry Fees (Applicable to Food Students only)

Your department will be informed if you have been awarded assistance with your Laundry Fees. If your award doesn’t cover the full fee, you will need to pay the shortfall.

We can only make payments if we have your bank account details! Don’t forget to complete and return the form to the Student Finance team. All payments should be made to the students own bank account. We can make payment to another account in exceptional circumstances. The student would need to give their authorisation on the bank details form. Payments will be in accounts approximately two weeks after each half term.

Additional Funds available

College Course Bursaries

You may also be entitled to claim additional funds from the following College Course Bursaries. Please see their websites for further details.

Care to Learn

Care to Learn enables young parents under the age of 20 to continue in or return to learning after the birth of a child by assisting with the costs of childcare and associated travel.

For more information on the scheme and for how to claim visit www.gov.uk/care-to-learn.

EMA/WGLG Wales

Any Welsh post coded learner who attends College in England can apply for EMA or ALG or Welsh Government Learning Grant.. Further information on this is available from www.studentfinancewales.co.uk/ema or by telephoning 0300 200 4050.

Advanced Learner Loan

If you are aged 19+ and are thinking about studying a Level 3 qualification, an Advanced Learner Loan could help pay the fee charged for your Tuition. Students who choose to fund their Tuition fees through an Advanced Learner Loan can also apply for financial support with College expenses, from the Advanced Learner Loan Bursary using the application form above.

Find out more about Advanced Learner Loans.

National Skills Fund

If you are aged 19 or over with no Level 3 or equivalent qualification such as an A Level or Advanced Technical Certificate, you could be eligible for funding.

Click here for more information and to see the list of courses you could study with us.

Please note the information contained in these pages may be subject to change and is updated on a regular basis to reflect this.