You may be eligible for extra financial support while you are studying. This can come in different forms depending on your personal circumstances. Detailed below is a breakdown of some of the support that is available. This should only be used as a guide. For an assessment of your personal situation, please contact Student Welfare who will be able to further assess your circumstances.
Discretionary Learner Support Fund
The discretionary Learner Support Fund (dLSF) is money given to the College to assist students who are experiencing financial barriers to learning.
If you are on benefits or have a household income of under £20,817, the dLSF may be able to provide you with funding to make continuing or returning to study easier. Some of the things that you may be able to get assistance with are books, equipment, travel costs and educational trips.
Application forms for the dLSF are available from Student Welfare.
Please note that if a student leaves before the end of their course, they will be asked to return the equipment provided and further applications for support may not be granted.
Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA)
If you are between 16-19 years of age EMA could help with the costs of coming to College.
If you can answer ‘YES’ to all of the following questions, you could receive up to £30.00 per week paid directly into your bank account:
1.Are you aged 16, 17 or 18?
2.Are you in full time education?
3.Is your household income less than £30,810?
For further information or to apply for EMA:
1. ema.direct.gov.uk
2.Call the Learner Support Helpline: 0800 121 8989
3.Speak to Student Welfare
Adult Learning Grant (ALG)
If you are over 19, then ALG could help you with the cost of studying at College. ALG is designed to help improve your qualifications and worth up to £1,000 per year. You can use ALG to study for a wide range of qualifications, including BTECs, NVQs, GSCEs and A-levels.
In order to qualify for ALG you must be:
1.Studying for your first Level 2 or Level 3 qualification – if you are unsure about the level of course you are to study, please contact the Funding Team or Student Welfare for advice.
2.Be enrolled on a full time course
3.Earning an income of under £19,513 if you are single, or a combined income under £30,810 if you’re living with a partner
Please be aware that if you are claiming an ‘out of work’ benefit such as Jobseekers Allowance or Income Support you will not qualify to claim ALG.
For further information or to apply for ALG:
1.http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/EducationAndLearning/AdultLearning/FinancialHelpForAdultLearners/Adultlearninggrant/index.htm
2.Call the Learner Support Helpline: 0800 121 8989
3.Speak to Student Welfare
Other Funding
There are other funding streams available to students, some of which are detailed below. Central Bedfordshire College can give you information regarding these funds but as they are external agencies, the College is unable to get involved with any applications or decisions.
Learning For Life Grant Making Trust
The Trust was set up to disperse funds to individuals within Bedfordshire and Luton to help them reach their full potential. Many of the challenges faced by people in the UK require them to undertake some form of upskilling to enable them to make the best of themselves and to increase their employability. Learning for Life believe that much of this can be achieved through people engaging in learning in the style and level appropriate for them. This could be anything from a short part-time course to an annual full time course, learning in an educational establishment or with a Training Provider and at all levels from basic skills to degrees.
Learning for Life say:
‘[The] Trust provides grants to enable people to get the learning and training they need particularly where there is no funding available through regular routes to access that learning. Learning for Life is not there to finance just any person to learn for there are systems and funding in place to do that; what we are there for is to stop people ‘falling through the net’ i.e. wanting to help people get into learning for whatever reason where they are not able to access any form of funding. Perhaps certain funding does not apply to your circumstances or type of course; no budget exists in your workplace to enable you to learn. Therefore, if we can, and it is felt it meets our Trust’s Objectives, we will do our best to support your learning.’
Who the trust can support:
1.Adults aged between 24-67
2.Individuals who live or work in Bedfordshire or Luton
If you would like to apply to the Learning for Life Grant Making Trust, please collect an application form from Student Welfare.
Educational Grants Advisory Service
Family Action has been making grants to families and individuals in need since its foundation in 1869.They make both welfare grants, meeting a range of essential needs and educational grants, for the additional costs associated with education such as travel, books and equipment.
EGAS offer an online search program that enables you to find out which grant you may be eligible for. For further information please click here.
Prince’s Trust
The Prince’s Trust Development Awards are grants to help you get into education, training or development. The Trust can assist people aged 14-16, in education, and at risk of achieving fewer than 5 GCSEs grades A-C, or aged 16-25 and not in education, training or work (or working less than 16 hours a week)
Among other things, a Development Award can be used to:
buy clothes for a job interview or new job
cover fees for a training course
fund childcare costs to help you attend a college course
buy equipment, materials or tools
pay for travel costs to a work placement, training course or job
For further information:
1. Please call 0800 842 842
2. Visit the Prince’s Trust website – click here
3. Complete the online enquiry form.
Career Development Loans
A Professional and Career Development Loan could help you pay for learning that enhances your job skills or career prospects. It’s a bank loan, so you’ll have to pay it back once you’ve left your course.
However, you don’t pay interest for the period when you’re in learning.
A Professional and Career Development Loan is a bank loan. You make an agreement with a participating bank to borrow an amount between £300 and £10,000. Then once you’ve stopped studying, you pay it back in the normal way.
The difference with a Professional and Career Development Loan is that the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) pays the interest on the loan while you’re studying – and for one month afterwards.
After this, you’ll pay interest at the rate fixed when you took out the loan. Interest rates on the loans are set so they’re competitive with other ‘unsecured’ personal loans that are commercially available.
Currently, banks offer Professional and Career Development Loans at a reduced customer rate of 9.9% per annum, equivalent to a typical APR of 5-6% over the lifetime of the loan. However, interest rates may vary from bank to bank. For further information, consult the participating banks.
Don’t forget that a Professional and Career Development Loan isn’t for everyone and that there are other types of financial help available.
For further information:
1.Please call 0800 585 505
2. Visit the website – click here
3. Complete an email enquiry form
4. Book a callback from a Professional and Career Development Advisor
