Financial support for school leavers

Do you need financial support?

If you are 16-18 your course will be fully funded, but you may be eligible for additional support.

*Please note, all support is subject to eligibility.

If you are eligible for travel support, you will receive a monthly allowance to pay for your travel, based on the cheapest mode of transport, up to a £60 maximum monthly payment.

To qualify for support with travel, students aged 16-18 must meet one of the following criteria:

    • Your household income is less than £30,000 and you live more than 1 mile from your campus of study
    • Your household income is between £30,000 and £50,000 and you live more than 3 miles from your campus of study

Public transport

Public transport support is based on the Get around for £1 scheme and will be calculated as follows:

Cost of bus times Number of days in college. This is then divided across 10 months of term time.

Students who qualify for Bursary will now be offered travel support in the form of a Stagecoach Annual Pass or GNE Monthly Tickets. If you drive, we pay 30p per mile. Mileage is capped at £60 per month.

Private transport

We pay £0.30 per mile to and from campus.

Travelling for a placement

Students can receive travel support for work placements even if they are not usually eligible for travel support (e.g. living less than 1 mile from campus).

Free meals in further education defines disadvantage as students being in receipt of, or having parents who are in receipt of, one or more of the following benefits:

  • Income Support
  • Income-based Jobseekers Allowance
  • Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
  • Support under part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
  • The guarantee element of State Pension Credit
  • Child Tax Credit (provided they are not entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190, as assessed by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC))
  • Working Tax Credit run-on – paid for 4 weeks after someone stops qualifying for Working Tax Credit
  • Universal Credit (UC) with net earnings not exceeding the equivalent of £7,400 for each year (after tax and not including any benefits they get)

If you require support with childcare costs and you are aged under 20 at the start of your course, you should apply through Care to Learn. Click here for more information about Care to Learn.

Students can apply for assistance with the cost of purchasing course related items that are not mandatory for completing their qualification, such as: 

  • Kit and equipment
  • Uniform
  • UCAS fees
  • Essential trips and visits

If you're struggling due to your financial circumstances or have any questions about what support you may be eligible for, please speak to a member of the Finance Support team by emailing welfare@educationpartnershipne.ac.uk.

When kit or equipment is essential to the course, support will be provided to cover costs for students with a household income under £30,000.

Devices such as laptops and headphones for study are available to borrow from our Future Ready Hubs to use for studying.

For more information, click here.

Those in receipt of certain benefits, in their own right, may also be eligible for a £1,200 a year, Vulnerable bursary.

Up to the age of 18, a student who is care experienced or looked after, or is receiving income support/Universal Credit as they are financially supporting themselves, they are entitled to £1,200 from Care to Learn to use across the academic year.

If student is in significant financial hardship, they can complete a Hardship Request form for anything that is causing a barrier to learning. These are based on household income and looked at individually.

Complete your financial support application

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