East Durham College - Student Financial Support (16-19 Bursary Fund)

POLICY TITLE: Student Financial Support (16-19 Bursary Fund)
DOCUMENT NUMBER: 7.4
GROUPING POLICY: Finance
AUTHOR / REVISOR / OWNER: Director of Student Experience
DATE OF CURRENT VERSION: June 2026

This policy supports current and prospective students in understanding their eligibility for financial assistance through the 16-19 Bursary Fund.

The fund exists to help students meet the costs associated with participating in further education. This policy outlines the college’s bursary conditions and procedures, which operate in line with the eligibility requirements and funding rules set by the Department for Education (DfE) and in compliance with the requirements of the Equality Act 2010.

The DfE requires institutions administering the 16–19 Bursary Fund to publish “a clear, accessible policy outlining how they will use the funds, the eligibility criteria, and any terms and conditions.” This policy fulfils that requirement.

The policy is based on national guidance available at the time of writing. The college reserves the right to amend the policy should national guidelines change and the policy may be subject to in year review and changes.

Higher Education, Apprenticeships, 14-16 and full-cost provision are excluded unless specified under separate funding arrangements.

The purpose of this policy is to explain how the College will administer the 16–19 Bursary Fund to remove financial barriers to participation, improve attendance, retention and achievement, and ensure funds are distributed fairly, transparently and in accordance with DfE guidance.

East Durham College recognises the important role that the 16-19 Bursary Fund plays in removing financial barriers that may prevent young people from accessing and completing further education. The College is committed to using bursary funds to maximise positive impact on student recruitment, attendance, retention and achievement.

Funds will be allocated transparently and in accordance with guidance issued by the DfE and Durham County Council’s Post 16 Transport Policy.

Bursary funding is intended to support students experiencing financial hardship by contributing towards essential course related costs, including travel, meals, equipment, educational visits and other learning related expenses. No learner has an automatic entitlement to discretionary support.

Statement of Principles

• Bursary information and support will be communicated and promoted via digital communication, information leaflets and the college website.
• Upon approval, bursary support may be reviewed where attendance, punctuality or behaviour fall below expected standards. Attendance would normally be expected to be at least 90%; however, individual circumstances, including illness, disability, caring responsibilities and safeguarding concerns, will always be considered.
• Applications will be assessed within 21 days.

There is a commitment to ensuring bursary funds allocated to the College are fully distributed to support as many students as possible, however, budgets are provided by the DfE, and therefore, the college can only make payment if there are sufficient funds.   Should bursary funds become fully allocated during the academic year, the College will prioritise support in the following order:

1. Vulnerable bursary learners.
2. Free meal eligible learners.
3. Lowest household income bands.
4. Other assessed hardship cases.

Support may be reviewed where attendance, engagement or participation falls below expected levels. Individual circumstances, including illness, disability, caring responsibilities and safeguarding concerns, will always be considered.

General Eligibility

To be eligible to apply for the 16-19 Bursary Fund:

• Students must be enrolled on a course at East Durham College.
• A student’s place on the course must be funded by either the DFE or the Local Authority.
• Students must be aged 16 years or over on 31st August 2026.
• Students must be maintaining satisfactory attendance and progress as outlined in this policy.
• Students must be a “home” student, i.e. having been ‘ordinarily resident’ in the British Isles.
• Accompanied asylum-seeking children (under 18 with an adult relative or partner) provided they have not had their application for asylum refused, can receive in-kind student support such as books, equipment or travel.*

*Unaccompanied asylum-seeking children do not receive cash support from the Home Office and are the responsibility of the local authority. They are treated as ‘looked-after’ children and are eligible for a bursary for vulnerable groups (‘in care’ group), where they have a financial need.

Types of Support 

 Free School Meals

Eligibility for Free School Meals is assessed separately in accordance with current DfE Free School Meals guidance. Eligibility will be assessed using the current DfE Free Meals in Further Education guidance in force at the time of application.

 Vulnerable Bursary

The Vulnerable Bursary is designed to help students overcome any individual financial barriers to course participation with funding available up to the value of £1,200 a year. Students eligible for the vulnerable bursary will receive support based on their actual participation costs and assessed financial need. The College will not automatically award the full £1,200

This bursary is for students aged 16 or over but under 19 on 31 August 2026 for bursary funding for academic year 2026-27, and are one of the following: 

• In care.
• A care leaver.
• Receiving Income Support, or Universal Credit in their own right because they are financially supporting themselves or financially supporting themselves and someone who is dependent on them and living with them (such as a child or partner).
• Receiving Disability Living Allowance (DLA) or Personal Independence Payments (PIP) AND receiving Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) or Universal Credit in their own right.

Discretionary Bursary

The Discretionary Bursary can be awarded to any student aged 16 or over but under 19 on 31 August 2026 for bursary funding for academic year 2026-27, who faces genuine financial barriers to staying on in education and training to help with costs related to their timetabled study programme, such as transport, meals at college and other course-related costs they would otherwise be expected to pay for.

Discretionary Bursary will only be awarded subject to a fully completed application with supporting evidence and approval will be subject to an individual assessment of financial need. East Durham College has determined the following household income thresholds to ensure bursary funding is distributed fairly across the available allocation:

 When assessing discretionary bursary applications, the College will consider household income, household composition, essential equipment costs, compulsory educational visits, exceptional financial circumstances and any safeguarding or welfare considerations. As a result, students (or their parent(s)/carer(s), where applicable) must provide evidence of their household's financial circumstances. The College will assess household income alongside the student's individual participation costs and financial need when determining eligibility and the level of support awarded.

Evidence may include, but is not limited to: 

• Payslips
• Universal Credit
• Council Tax Reduction statement
• Income Support
• Income Based Job Seekers Allowance (JSA)
• Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
• Personal Independence Payments (PIP)
• Income related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
• Support under part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• Guarantee element of Pension Credit
• Other evidence of household income requested by the college where appropriate.

Receipt of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) or Personal Independence Payment (PIP) may be considered as supporting evidence of financial circumstances where relevant but does not, on its own, determine eligibility for discretionary bursary support.

The College may request additional evidence where necessary to assess financial need and will consider each application on an individual basis, taking account of both household income, other factors and the student's actual participation costs.

The College reserves the right to request any additional financial evidence necessary to assess eligibility and actual financial need. Meeting the financial eligibility criteria does not guarantee an award. All awards are subject to an assessment of available funding, actual participation costs and the student's individual circumstances.

See Appendix 1 for further details and useful links.

19+ Discretionary Bursary

The 19+ Discretionary Bursary is available to students aged 19 or over at the start of the academic year who are:

• continuing on a study programme they began when aged 16 to 18 (19+ continuers); or
• aged 19 or over and have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP),

where they are funded by the DfE or Local Authority.

To be eligible for support, applicants must have an income of £32,000 or below and demonstrate that they face genuine financial barriers to participating in and completing their course.

All applications are subject to an assessment of financial need, household income, individual circumstances and the availability of bursary funding. Meeting the household income threshold does not automatically guarantee an award.

The bursary may provide financial assistance towards essential course-related costs, including travel, meals, equipment, course materials and, where appropriate, childcare costs. Childcare support will only be provided where the childcare provider is Ofsted registered (or otherwise meets the eligibility requirements set out in the Care to Learn or bursary funding guidance, where applicable).

Advanced Learner Loan

The Advanced Learner Loan (ALL) is available to students whose tuition fees are funded through an ALL approved by the Student Loans Company (SLC). A copy of the ALL approval notification must be submitted as part of the bursary application.

To be eligible for discretionary support, applicants will normally have a gross annual household income of £80,000 or below and must demonstrate that they face genuine financial barriers to participating in or completing their course.

All applications are subject to an assessment of household income, individual circumstances, essential participation costs and the availability of bursary funding. Meeting the household income threshold does not automatically guarantee an award.

Support may be awarded towards essential course-related costs, including travel, equipment, materials, childcare and, where appropriate, examination or assessment fees.

Students with a gross annual household income above £80,000 may still apply for hardship support where exceptional financial circumstances and emergency hardship can be demonstrated. Each application will be considered on an individual basis, taking account of the student's financial circumstances and participation needs.

Childcare support may be provided where the childcare provider is registered with Ofsted (or otherwise meets the relevant funding eligibility requirements).

Childcare support (Care to Learn/C2L)

• Under 20s

Young parents aged under 20 at the start of their course may be entitled to help with childcare costs of up to £180 per week whilst studying. Young parents who become 20 years old during their study programme can continue to get funding to the end of that specific study programme, so to the end of the same programme at the same level. The student must meet the eligibility requirements of the C2L scheme. The childcare provider must be registered with Ofsted.

You can find out more about Care to Learn eligibility at https://www.gov.uk/care-to-learn  

Where C2L does not meet the full childcare costs, the College may consider providing additional support through the Learner Support Fund in exceptional circumstances, subject to available funding. Any additional support will only be considered where:

• the student is receiving the maximum Care to Learn entitlement;
• the childcare costs are essential to enable participation;
• the College is satisfied that the additional costs cannot reasonably be met from another source.

Any top up paid must be made in line with C2L funding rules and paid directly to the childcare provider, not to the student.

• Over 20s

Students aged 20 or over who are funded by the DfE, Local Authority or through an ALL may apply for childcare support where their income is less than £32,000 or below. Applications will be assessed based on household income, financial need, childcare costs and the availability of funding.

Financial support will only be provided for childcare required to enable attendance on timetabled learning, mandatory work placements or essential assessments.

Students must utilise any statutory free childcare entitlement before applying for Learner Support Fund assistance. Please see details about free childcare at https://www.gov.uk/find-free-early-education 

Applications must have confirmation from the Ofsted Approved provider of the daily rate to be charged. The learner support funds will only reimburse the agreed daily childcare rate - any other fees or charges made by the Ofsted Approved childcare provider will not be covered by this fund.

If funding for the course is provided through an ALL, the college will not be able to consider a claim until a loan application has been approved and evidence must be uploaded with the application.

If an application is successful, students must then submit receipted invoices from the Ofsted Approved childcare provider confirming the days the child attended (this must match the attendance of the student’s course) and the daily fee invoiced. We will not consider payments for childcare where the student fails to attend their course.

Wherever possible, childcare payments will be made directly to the childcare provider. Where this is not possible, reimbursement may be made to the student on production of receipted invoices and evidence of attendance, in accordance with the College's bursary procedures.

 Bursary Awards and Assessments

Bursary awards are discretionary and are subject to an assessment of the student's financial circumstances, household income, individual need, participation costs and the availability of funding. The type and level of support awarded will vary according to the student's circumstances and may include one or more of the following:

Meals

Eligible students aged 16 to 18, and students aged 19 to 24 with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), who have an approved bursary application may receive support towards meals while attending college.

Support is normally provided to the value of up to £6 per timetabled day and can be used at the designated catering outlets across College campuses. Where students are undertaking an approved work placement as part of their study programme, support towards meal costs may be reimbursed, subject to attendance and the College's bursary procedures.

Uniform, Kit, Equipment and Books

Where students are required to purchase essential uniform, protective clothing, equipment, books or specialist materials to participate in their course, they may apply for bursary support towards these costs.

Students will normally be required to provide receipts or other appropriate evidence of expenditure. Awards will be based on assessed need and available funding and may not cover the full cost of the items.

Travel to College and Work Placements

Eligible students may receive support towards the reasonable cost of travelling to and from college and/or mandatory work placements where these costs present a barrier to participation.

Travel support may also be provided through the College's approved travel scheme or by reimbursement of agreed travel costs, subject to attendance, punctuality and behaviour in line with the College's bursary procedures.

Educational Visits and Trips

The College recognises that educational visits, field trips and other curriculum-related activities can form an essential part of a learner's study programme. Where participation in a compulsory educational visit or curriculum-related activity would present a financial barrier, eligible students may apply for bursary support towards the associated costs. Support will normally only be considered for activities that are a mandatory requirement of the student's programme of study.

Emergency Hardship

Students experiencing an unexpected financial crisis that places their continued participation at risk may apply for emergency hardship support. Emergency hardship requests will be assessed individually, taking in to account individual circumstances, safeguarding concerns and the urgency of need and the availability of funding. Where appropriate, emergency assistance may be awarded before a full bursary assessment has been completed to remove immediate barriers to participation in education.

Notification of Outcome

Following assessment of a bursary application, students will be notified in writing of the outcome. Where an application is successful, the notification will outline the type of support awarded and the process for claiming or accessing the approved support.

Wherever possible, financial support will be provided in kind (for example travel passes, meal credits, equipment or direct payments to suppliers). Cash payments will only be made where considered appropriate and in exceptional circumstances.

Evidence and Verification

The College will retain evidence of applications, assessments and awards in accordance with DfE funding audit requirements and internal college policies. 

The College reserves the right to verify information provided within any bursary application. False, misleading or fraudulent applications may result in support being withdrawn and recovery of funds where appropriate.

Withdrawal of Support

The College reserves the right to suspend or withdraw bursary support where a student:

withdraws from their course;

is no longer eligible for funding;

provides false or misleading information;

fails to comply with bursary conditions without reasonable explanation.

How to Apply

Students should complete the relevant application form via PayMyStudent available from Student Services.

The application form must be completed in full, signed, dated and submitted via PayMyStudent with all the required evidence. Bank details must be provided with the application as all awards made will be paid by BACS. Payments will normally be made into the student's own bank account. Alternative arrangements may be agreed where safeguarding or exceptional circumstances apply.

We cannot accept any responsibility for any incorrectly entered bank account information. Where payments are made to incorrect accounts there will be no further payments made as we are unable to recover these funds.

Applications submitted without the required evidence will not be processed and will therefore cause delays in approving any support funds. Student Services will email the student (using the email address provided to the college in PayMyStudent) confirming the evidence that is missing.

Applicants must confirm that all information and evidence provided is accurate and complete and understand that false or misleading information may result in support being withdrawn and recovery of funds.

Once an application has been submitted, it will be assessed by the Bursary team and a decision made on whether an award can be made. Applications can take up to 21 working days to process due to the high volume of applications at main enrolment. During peak times, such as September and October, it may take longer than 21 days for applications to be assessed. We will communicate the reason for unsuccessful applications. 

 Appeals Procedure

Students or parents/carers who are dissatisfied with a bursary decision have the right to request a review of that decision.

Stage 1 – Review of Decision

The student or parent/carer should submit a written request for a review within 10 working days of being notified of the bursary outcome. The request should clearly explain why they believe the decision is incorrect and include any additional evidence they wish the College to consider.

The review will be undertaken by a member of staff not directly involved in the original assessment wherever possible. A written outcome will normally be provided within 10 working days.

Stage 2 – Formal Appeal

If the student or parent/carer remains dissatisfied following the review, they may submit a formal appeal within 10 working days of the Stage 1 outcome.

The appeal will be considered by the Assistant Principal (or nominated senior manager) who will review all available evidence and the application of the College's bursary policy. A written decision will normally be issued within 20 working days.

Stage 3 – Complaints Procedure

If the student or parent/carer believes that the bursary policy has not been applied correctly or that the appeal process has not been followed appropriately, they may submit a complaint through the College's formal Complaints Procedure.

The outcome of the appeal will be final in relation to the allocation of bursary funding.

Data protection statement

The College processes personal data in accordance with UK GDPR and Data Protection legislation

• Evidence will be processed under UK GDPR
• Information may be shared with the DfE, auditors and other funding or regulatory bodies where required for audit, assurance or compliance purposes.
• Records are retained in line with college retention schedules.