Financial Support

The 16-19 Bursary and Free Meals

Please read through the following guidelines to see if you are eligible to apply for the Free Meals or 16-19 Bursary and what support you may be able to receive.

If you think you may be eligible, please download the application form, print and fill it in and bring to enrolment, along with all the evidence required as detailed on the form. You can apply after enrolling, but please note that the closing date is Friday 15 September 2017.

Click on the link below and download the application forms:

Bursary & Free Meal Application form 16-19 (2017-18)

Travel Bursary Application form 16-19 (2017-18)

What is the 16-19 Bursary Fund?
The 16 -19 Bursary Fund is money that has been given directly to The Cheadle and Marple College Network by the Government to assist 16-19 year old students who face financial barriers to continuing in full time education.

There are two types of Bursary, the Guaranteed Bursary and the Discretionary Bursary.

The Guaranteed Bursary:
If you are eligible for this type of Bursary you can receive at least £1200 per year. To be eligible you need to meet one of the following criteria:

You are a young person in receipt of Income Support or Universal Credit
You are in care or are a care leaver
You are a disabled young person receiving both Employment Support Allowance and Disability Living Allowance/Personal Independence Allowance

Evidence will need to be supplied e.g. letters from the Local Authority, Social Worker, Income Support documents etc.

The Discretionary Bursary:
The C & M College Network Discretionary Bursary is means tested and the awards can be used to help with transport costs (if you live more than 2 miles from college), books and equipment, and other related course costs. Transport costs will be a priority with the majority of those eligible receiving travel passes or the equivalent.

Students must be over 16 and under 19 on 31 August 2017
Students must meet the residency requirements.
Students must be on a course funded by the Educational Funding Agency.

Students on waged Apprenticeships or any learning or training undertaken while a wage is being drawn are not eligible for a Discretionary Bursary.

The Travel Bursary
The Travel Bursary is for students who live a long distance from the College and have high travel costs. To be eligible, students must have necessary transport costs from home to College of greater than £20 each week.

Will the Bursary be Income Assessed?
Yes, the Discretionary Bursary will be assessed on household income of a student’s parent(s)/carers(s) financially responsible for the student and with whom they live. If the student lives independently or claims Income Support in their own right-only the student’s income will be assessed.

What is the Income Threshold?
To be eligible to apply for The C&M College Network Discretionary Bursary the total household income must be below £26,000.

What income will be taken into account?
All taxable earnings, income and benefits will be taken into account. These are detailed on the Bursary Application Form.

Evidence of Income:
Current evidence will need to be provided of all income i.e. Tax credits (all pages), P60, wage slips etc.

Applications will not be considered without valid evidence.

Availability of Funding:
In order to target financial help where it is most needed, The C&M College Network will prioritise the funding it receives and the type and amount of help given to individual students.

The C&M College Network will aim to help as many students as possible and is recommending that all students who have identified that they are eligible to apply, should do so. Please apply as soon as possible but no later than Friday 15 September 2017. Where a student’s circumstances change ‘in year’ an application will be considered after this date.

How do I apply for a Bursary
Application Forms are available on the College web site www.camsfc.ac.uk or from Admissions or Reception.

Are there any conditions to receiving support?
Students who are awarded a Bursary will be expected to meet certain conditions relating to attendance, behaviour and meeting learning goals. The Guaranteed Bursary payment will be based on 100% attendance including authorised absences. Students receiving the Discretionary Bursary will be expected to attain at least 93% attendance in college; if this is not met the awards will be withdrawn unless there are extenuating circumstances.

Free Meals:
Free meals are available for eligible students attending colleges. The value of the meal will be £2.41 each day with ‘meal deals’ from our refectory.

Am I eligible for Free Meals?

To be eligible the student must be aged between 16 and 18 on 31 August 2017 or if aged between 19 and 25 must be subject to a Learning Difficulty Assessment (LDA) or Education Health Care Plan (EHC Plan).
Parents / Carers or the student must be in receipt of one or more of the following benefits:
Income Support/Universal Credit
Income Based Job seekers/Employment and Support Allowance
Support under part V1 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
The guaranteed element of the State Pension Credit
Child Tax Credit (provided 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
Working Tax Credit ‘run on’ paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit

You can apply using the Bursary and Free Meals Application Form, please provide current evidence of one of more of the above benefits.

What should I do if I am not happy with the outcome of my application?

Students can appeal against a decision that has been made in relation to their application by writing to:

Associate Director MIS and Admin Services,
The C&M College Network,
Cheadle Road, Cheadle,
Cheshire. SK8 5HA

Equality and Diversity:
The C&M College Network will:

Take positive action to ensure that all students can apply for financial support thus widening participation and providing learning opportunities for underrepresented groups.
Ensure that no applicant to the Bursary Fund receives less favourable treatment which cannot be justified in relation to financial/personal circumstances.
Ensure that all Bursary Fund literature, marketing and publicity material are free from stereotypes, discriminatory assumptions, images and language.
Monitor and review the effectiveness of the support on a regular basis.
Ensure that all literature regarding the fund is available in all formats if required.

Confidentiality:
Applications and evidence of income are only seen by staff involved in the delivery of the Student Bursary Scheme.

Data Protection:
Any data supplied will be protected by the Data Protection Act 1998 and The C&M College Network Data Protection Policy and Procedures.

Click on the link below and download the application forms: