Bursary Factsheet

What is the 16-19 Bursary Fund?

The 16-19 Bursary fund is available for learners if they require financial support associated with costs whilst in Post 16 Education.

Are you eligible?

There are two types of bursaries available to learners, which you may be eligible to apply for. Please see below for details.

Vulnerable Bursary

Financial Support may be available to the following vulnerable groups of learners aged 16-18. The defined vulnerable groups are students who are:

• In care.
• Care leavers.
• Receiving Income Support, or Universal Credit because they are financially supporting themselves or financially supporting themselves and someone who is dependent on them and living with them such as a child or partner.
• Receiving Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payments in their own right as well as Employment and Support Allowance or Universal Credit in their own right.

Funds will be provided on a pro-rata basis and the funding amount will be determined by the Learning Support Service and funds being made available to CTS Training.

Institutions may decide that although a young person may be eligible for a bursary because they are in one or more of the defined vulnerable groups, they do not have any actual financial need. This might be because their financial needs are already met and/or because they have no relevant costs. Institutions can refuse a student’s application on this basis.

Discretionary Bursary

CTS Training’s 16-19 Discretionary Bursary fund helps learners who are in financial hardship to overcome financial barriers, enabling them to continue with and successfully complete their education.

You may be eligible for help with the basic costs of undertaking a Study Programme at CTS Training, including getting to and from your place of study, having the correct/essential books and equipment for each course, and free meals.

These payments will be paid ‘in kind’ where applicable and deducted from the overall bursary allocation.

Where payments are made, they will be paid directly into the young person’s bank account and funds must be spent on the support that has been identified as necessary for them to participate in education e.g., travel costs or a meal during the day.

Eligibility is determined by the current annual net household earned income of the learner and partner or parents/guardians living at the same address. All applications are considered individually, but if the annual household earned income is above £35,000 per year awards will only be made in exceptional circumstances.

In order to determine household income and financial need we require evidence in the form of 3 most recent Universal Credit Award statements or 3 months most recent wage slips. If the young person or household is not yet in receipt of UC then other benefits might be considered to determine income and financial need.

• Income Support
• Income-Based Jobseekers Allowance
• Income-Related Employment Support Allowance
• Pension Credit
• Support under part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• Housing Benefit
• Council Tax Benefit
• Child or Working Tax Credits

If household income is below £35,000 then the young person might receive support with travel to and from CTS Training (if they live more than 1 mile away) and also support with essential equipment e.g. books.

To be eligible for support with the costs of travel from home to CTS Training or placement, a student must live one mile or more from their designated site or placement.

The amount for this bursary will depend on your individual circumstances and will be determined by CTS Training.

Free Meals

• Income Support
• Income-Based Jobseekers Allowance
• Income-Related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
• Support under part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• The guaranteed 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 with net earnings not exceeding the equivalent of £7,400 pa (after tax and not including any benefits you get)

How do I apply?

This will be discussed at your Enrolment Interview and a Bursary application form will be provided to you.

If you are already on programme and you feel that you are facing financial hardship or your circumstances have changed, please ask your Tutor or a Learning Mentor for more information and an application form. If you require help in completing this, please ask for support.

Please note that you will have to provide us with evidence to support your claim, for example, Universal Credit Statement, or a letter from the Local Authority confirming your status.

The processing of your claim for support from the 16-19 Bursary Fund will depend on how quickly your application form with required evidence is returned to your Tutor or Learning Mentor.

What can I apply for financial support with?

• Travel Costs
• PPE/Interview Clothes
• Placement Costs (i.e., DBS Checks)
• Lunch

Once you have applied and your application has been received and processed, you will be informed of the outcome of your application by letter.

Due to the high volume of applications received, it can sometimes take several weeks to receive a decision, however, applications will be backdated, and any payments will be made to you as soon as possible once an application is approved.

Payments will either be paid in kind or be made weekly, directly into your bank account. If you do not have a bank account, you will need to look at setting up a free basic bank account that will accept BAC’s payments. CTS Training will support you to do this.

Payments can be withheld if you:

• Do not meet the expected levels of attendance.
• Breach the conditions set out in CTS’s Positive Engagement and Behaviour Policy.

Further Information

Please speak to Nicola and Alix for further information. All allocations of Bursary to Young People are subject to funds being made available to CTS Training.