FINANCIAL SUPPORT

General

• Leisure Courses
  There are no longer any subsidies available to help students on leisure courses. However if your course costs more than £100 you may wish to pay by instalments.

For 16-19 Year Old, Full-Time Students

• The Student Support Fund
  This is a cash limited fund which is intended to support students from lowincome households with the essential costs associated with attending College.The priorities for the fund will be to help towards travel costs to College, and books and equipment that are essential to your course. It is not anticipated, under normal circumstances, that exam re-sit fees will be paid through the Student Support fund. Priority will be given to students who are in receipt of a low household income, and have difficulty meeting the specific financial costs of attending College. Forms are available via ACE Reception.

• Student Bursary
  If you are a Looked After Child (looked after by the Local Authority), a Care Leaver, a student who is a parent and you are claiming Income Support, or if you live independently and receive Income Support, please speak to the Student Services staff (at Owens Road), as you may be entitled to the Student Bursary. NB Students from households in receipt of Income Support who do NOT fall into the above categories are not eligible for a Bursary but can still apply to the Student Support Fund.

• Educational Maintenance Allowance (EMA)
  The Educational Maintenance Allowance (EMA) scheme isclosed to new applicants, however, some continuing students may still be eligible to receiveweekly payments made by the government to help students stay on at college. Payment of the grant is linked to 100% attendance at college. The amount a student gets is means tested.

• Care to Learn (Childcare Support Scheme)
  If you are under 20 and attending an SFA co-funded accredited coruse, you may be able to get hlep with your childcare as long as the carer/care setting is fully Ofsted registered. Application packs are available via Reception or request a pack via www.direct.gov.uk/caretolearn

For 19+ Year Old Students

• 19+ Discretionary Learner Support Fund
  If you are over 19, you may be able to apply for help with essential course costs of materials/kits and books but not course fees. This is a cash limited fund for cases of genuine hardship if you are enrolling on a vocational Skills Funding Agency (SFA) course (mainly those with a blue background in the brochure) available on a first come, first served basis.Priority will be given to those studying afull Level 2 or 3 qualification. You will also need to meet the residencyand "settled" status requirements(per your enrolmentcard) andbe named on one of the following benefit notifications:

• Jobseekers Allowance (JSA)
• Employment & Support Allowance (ESA) in the Work Related Activity Group (WRAG)
• Council Tax Benefit (not 25% single person's discount)
• Housing Benefit
• Income Support
• Working Tax Credit (household income less than £15,276 & not purely Child Tax Credit)

You may apply for an exam fee and materials (if applicable) to be paid out of this Fund if you have completed an Unemploment Declaration form or Level 1 Progression Declaration but you will need to comply with the criteria.

Application forms are available from the Student Support Administrator via Reception.

• 20+ ChildcareScheme
  This is available as part of the 19+ Discretionary Learner Support Fund for the following full time Skills Funding Agency (SFA) funded courses:
  
• Access to Higher Education (one year course)
• Beauty Therapy NVQ L2 (one year course)
• Beauty Therapy NVQ L3 (one year course)
• Hairdressing NVQ L2 (one year course)

If you are over 20 and attending an SFA co-funded course, have a dependent child aged under 15 (16 if child with disabilities) and subject to household income, you may be eligible for help with childcare costs (childcare provider needs to be fully Ofsted registered). This is a cash limited fund available on a first come, first served basis. The maximum amount per child per week that will be allocated is £16 (£8 per day for full day courses or £4 per Access to HE module) payable to the childcare provider.

Level Definitions

• Level 2: 5 or more GCSEs at grades A* to C or an NVQ level 2 or its equivalent
• Level 3: 2 or more A levels or an NVQ level 3 or its equivalent
• First full: You may have some level 2 qualifications e.g. 2 GCSEs at grades A* to C, but not yet have completed a full level 2 qualification.

Other Definitions

Full time
The definition of full time is equivalent to at least 450 hours of guided learning per year, for example, 12 hours per week across 38 weeks or 150 hours of guided learning per term. It isn't full time in the way a full time job could be. Guided learning is where someone is helping you learn, e.g. sitting in the classroom, attending a lecture, being supervised.

Residence Conditions
That means you have settled status in the UK and have been 'ordinarily resident' for the three years before the course begins. If you are in doubt as to your status, please ask at ACEReception.

OTHER FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

Professional & Career Development Loan
These are deferred commercial loans ££100-£10,000) set at a competitively low interest rate to help pay for learning or training that enhances employment prospects. The course does not have to lead to a qualification but itMUST be one that will help withyour career (more detailed information in the application pack) but in general it couldbe for:

• A course at your local college or learning provider
• An additional degree (if you're already a graduate)
• A professional qualification
• Technical or management training
• A postgraduate course, like a masters

Courses NOT eligible for a PCD Loan:

• A one year pre degree Foundation course or Access course used as a step towards a degree course (a stand-alone foundation course leading to employment in its own right is eligible)
• Careers advice/help with job hunting
• The costs of running/starting up a business

For more information on these, visit www.direct.gov.uk/pcdl

Student Loan
Tuition loans, grants and bursaries are available to all eligible students living in England.As our Foundation degrees total 120 credits per year, they are classed as "full time" and, therefore, you will be able to apply to the Student Loans Company for funding.

As our Diploma in Teaching (Dttls)/PGCE total 60 credits per year, they are classed as "part time" and, therefore, you will be able to apply to the Student Loans Company for funding.

For accurate and up to date information on the student finance packages, visit www.direct.gov.uk/studentfinance