The 16 -19 bursary fund is a Government funded scheme to help support students who face financial barriers to education. The bursary award takes into account the individual student’s needs and circumstances. The bursary process uses household income when considering eligibility for assistance from the bursary fund.
Who can apply?
Students in care or care leavers
Students in receipt of certain benefits in their own right
Students aged 16 or over and under 19 at 31st August 2024
Students aged 19 who are continuing a programme of study which started before they turned 19, or have an EHCP plan, and continue to be eligible for financial support and are considered to still need financial support.
There are two types of 16-19 bursaries available to Aquinas students, a discretionary bursary and a bursary for students in defined vulnerable groups.
Eligibility for the vulnerable student bursary and the discretionary bursary:
In care: application to be supported by written confirmation of looked after status from the local authority.
Care leaver: application to be supported by written confirmation from the local authority that the student has been a previously looked after child for a period of thirteen weeks consecutively, or periods amounting to thirteen weeks which began after the age of fourteen and ended after the age of sixteen.
Student receiving Income Support or Universal Credit in theirown right and financially supporting themselves.
Students receiving both Income Support or Universal Credit and PIP /DLA in their own right
Students may be eligible for assistance from the discretionary bursary where the household is in receipt of;
- Universal Credit
- Income Support
- Job Seekers Allowance
- Employment Support Allowance
- Child and Working Tax Credits
- Support under Part IV of the Immigration and Asylum Act
Students where the household income is below £50000.
During the transition to Universal Credit a student who has been in receipt of free school meals at or after 1st April 2018 will continue to receive free meals whilst Universal Credit is rolled out. A copy of your letter showing the students entitlement to free school meals must be uploaded with your bursary application form. Transitional protection is on an individual child basis.
- Households in receipt of any of the following benefits may give the student access to free meals at college;
- Income Support
- Income based Job Seekers Allowance (JSA)
- Income related Employment Support Allowance (ESA)
- Support under Part IV of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
- The guarantee element of State Pension Credit
- Universal Credit and net earnings not exceeding £7400 per annum
- Child Tax Credit provided not entitled to working tax credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190
- Working Tax Credit run on – this only paid for four weeks after someone stops qualifying for Working Tax Credit.
Once eligibility has been established the allowance is accessible on the student’s mobile phone, it is not available as a cash payment
Application process
Bursary applications are made online through the students myaquinas account.
The Bursary policy and guidelines for completing your application online and the supporting evidence required, can be found on the Aquinas website by following the link below: