1. 16 – 18 Bursaries
The 16-18 Bursary was first introduced in 2011/12 as a replacement for the EMA scheme which is now discontinued. The fund is intended for learners aged 16-18 coming from one of the defined ‘vulnerable groups’ (young people in care, care leavers, young people in receipt of income support and living independently, plus disabled young people who receive both Employment Support Allowance and Disability Living Allowance.
Eligible learners will receive a guaranteed bursary of up to £1,200 per year which will be paid pro-rata (Approximately £33.33 per week) on a weekly basis into your bank account. Please be advised that all payments are subject to satisfactory levels of attendance (minimum 92%), behaviour and attitude which will be monitored by your course tutor each week.
Application forms are available upon request from the Advice Zone – main reception.
2. BEMA (Bournville Education Maintenance Allowance)
The Bournville Education Maintenance Allowance (BEMA) is a discretionary fund aimed at providing financial assistance to learners aged 16-18 from low income households who need help with course related costs i.e. travel, food, books, stationery, equipment etc.
How much will I get?
- Up to £720 over two years
- Learners who meet the eligibility criteria will receive up to £360 each year for the duration of their two year course
- Payments will be issued on a pro-rata basis at the end of each month
- Learners whose household income is below -£30,800 will qualify for £10 per week.
- Payments will be issued via BACS, so a valid bank account will be required
What is the criterion for BEMA?
- Be intending to enrol on a full time Further Education course at Bournville College. Apprenticeship courses, Higher Education courses or full cost courses are not eligible
- Be attending for at least 12 guided learning hours per week and participating in a programme lasting at least 10 weeks in duration
- Be at least 16 but under 19 years of age on 31 August 2012
- Be from a household receiving means-tested benefits (income support, income based jobseekers allowance, housing benefit, council tax benefit, pension credit (guarantee credit) employment support allowance)
- Be from a household receiving an income of less than £30,800
Eligible learners will receive a weekly award which will be paid monthly directly into your bank account. Please be advised that all payments are subject to satisfactory levels of attendance (minimum 92%), behaviour and attitude which will be monitored by your course tutor each week.
Application forms are available upon request from the Advice Zone – main reception.
3. 19+ Hardship Grant
The 19+ Hardship funds are discretionary and are primarily aimed at providing financial assistance to learners aged 19+ from low income households. The funds can help contribute towards course related items such as; travel, food, books, stationery, equipment etc. To receive DLSF support learners must:
How much will I get?
- Up to £720 over two years
- Learners who meet the eligibility criteria will receive up to £360 each year for the duration of their two year course
- Payments will be issued on a pro-rata basis at the end of each month
- Learners whose household income is below -£30,800 will qualify for £10 per week.
- Payments will be issued via BACS, so a valid bank account will be required
What is the criterion for 19+ Hardship?
- Be aged 19 or over on 1st September 2012
- Enrolled on a full-time or part-time FE course (more than 12 weeks and at least 10hrs in duration) which is government funded
- Be from a household receiving means-tested benefits (income support, income based jobseekers allowance, housing benefit, council tax benefit, pension credit (guarantee credit) employment support allowance)
- Have a gross household income of less than £30,800
- Enrolling on a level 1,2 or 3 qualification
- In all cases, once a learner achieves a ‘full’ Level 1,2 or 3 qualification, their entitlement for DLSF will be exhausted at that level
Priority for funding will be given to: basic skills learners, those with mental health problems, travellers, those in care or have recently left care, asylum seekers eligible for Agency funding, refugees, ex-offenders, full-time carers, those recovering from alcohol or drug dependency.
Learners will not receive DLSF support if:
- They have a total household income which is above the threshold (£30,800)
- They have outstanding debts to the College
- They have previously (within the last three years) received financial support from Bournville College for a course that is or the equivalent level to their intended course
- They receive financial assistance via the Welfare to Work scheme
- They are enrolling on a full cost recovery programme (non-government funded provision)
- They are enrolling on a HE provision
- They are enrolling on a course that is less than 12 weeks in duration
Application forms are available upon request from the Advice Zone – main reception.
4. 20+ Childcare
Support towards the cost of childcare is available to applicants who are:
- Aged over 20 or over on 1st September 2012
- Learners must also satisfy the general criteria for 19+ DLSF
Conditions of Award
- Childcare funding will only be paid only to fund childcare with a Provider who is Ofsted registered
- The College will not offer funding towards informal childcare, such as that provided by a relative
- Learners must have Parental responsibility for the children being claimed for and must provide copies of the birth certificate(s)
- Where a partner (if applicable) is available to care for the child(ren) whilst the learner attends college, the College will not offer funding
- The College will not offer funding towards childcare for applicants who are signed up to the Welfare to Work Scheme or receiving the Childcare element of Working Families Tax Credit, although top-up fee may be considered
- Learners aged 19 or under must claim their childcare fees via the Care to learn scheme
- Childcare payments will be subject to a minimum attendance requirement of 80% which will be monitored on a weekly basis
- Continual poor attendance or prolonged absence will result in the termination of any childcare award
- Learners who receive subsidised childcare via the Nursery Education Grant (NEG) will have this amount deducted from their weekly cost
- It is the learners responsibility to inform us if:
a) Their timetable changes (They must also let the childcare provider know)
b) The weekly rate changes
c) The amount of days/hours their child attends the nursery changes
d) They withdraw from the course
- In the event that a learner wishes to change provider, prior approval must be sought from the Student Funding Team, as there can be no overlapping of fees between two providers
- Learners who withdraw leave their course prior to the scheduled end-date, will assume full responsibility for payment of outstanding fees to childcare providers from the date of their withdrawal
- Childcare providers will be asked to complete a claim form on a monthly basis. The College will write to all childcare providers to explain the rules surrounding that govern payments
- Childcare payments will be issued on a monthly basis via BACS via third party payments direct to the childcare provider
N.B. The College is not the contracting body. All agreements are with the individual and the childcare provider. Funding is intended as a contribution and may not, therefore cover the entire cost of childcare. The College cannot guarantee that we will be able to meet any rises in costs or payment of any late fees and this will depend on the funds we have available at the time. Payments will begin as soon as we have sufficient verification from college registers that learners have started on their intended course. This may be approximately 6 weeks into the course.
5. 24+ Advanced Learning Loan
24+ Advanced Learning Loans are similar to higher education loans, but will be introduced for further education students. The loans application process will launch in April 2013 for the academic year 2013/14.
To qualify you’ll need to be:
- aged 24 and over at the start of your course
- a resident in the UK for 3 years prior to the start of the course
- enrolling on a course at level 3 and above, such as: A levels, Access to HE Diplomas, other Diplomas and Certificates, Advanced Apprenticeships or Higher Apprenticeships
The loans are not means tested or credit checked and any individual who meets the criteria will be able to apply for a loan whether they’re employed or unemployed – the loan will then be paid directly to the college on your behalf.
You don’t pay anything up front for your course fees and if you’re not earning over £21k, you won’t pay anything back either.
If your loan is for an Access to Higher Education programme and you progress to complete a Higher Education programme, you will not have to pay back your 24+ loan!
For apprenticeships, the learner and employer are expected to share the costs of the course, so the loan you would take out would only be for half the course cost.
The 24+ Learning Loans cover two key areas; Access to Higher Education and Level 3 or above education (A Levels, Access to HE Diplomas, other diplomas and certificates, Advanced or Higher Apprenticeships). For more information, including how to apply download the corresponding PDFs:
To download our leaflet about 24+ Advanced Learning Loans, click here
For any additional information about 24+ Learning Loans please visit this government website.
Alternatively get in touch with our Student Finance Team on 0121 447 1772/1773 or studentfinance@bournville.ac.uk.
