Financial Support for Further and Higher Education

Education: Financial support to attend school, further education or training

If you are in Year 11 and get Pupil Premium, the best way to use this money will be talked about and agreed at your Personal Education Plan (PEP) meeting. This money can help buy things you need for school, like equipment or study aids. The money will go straight to your school or carer.

If you are aged 16 to 19 and go to a registered school, college, or training place, you can get a 16 to 19 bursary. This money can help pay for travel, equipment, books, and other learning materials.

If you cannot get a 16 to 19 bursary, the Council will look at your needs and agree what help you can have. This will be written in your Pathway Plan and sent to the right manager.

If you need to go on school trips or residential courses, the cost will be paid in full from the 16 to 19 bursary or Further Education College Access Funds.

If this is not possible, the Council will check and agree what help you can get. Any money will go straight to your school or college.

Higher Education

Student Finance

If you want to go to university, you must apply for money through the student finance system. You do not need to pay anything upfront to start your course.

You can get two types of loans:

• Tuition Fee Loan – pays for your course
• Maintenance Loan – helps with living costs, you only start paying these back when you earn over a certain amount

Some courses also offer grants or bursaries. Your Personal Adviser (PA) can help you find out about these.

How much money you get for living costs depends on family income. This is called means-tested.

If you are leaving care, you will usually be classed as independent. This means you can get the maximum financial help.

Careers advisers at your school or college can help you fill in the application and give advice about courses.

Your Foster Carer, Social Worker, PA or Outreach Adviser will also support you with your application.

Many universities have special support officers for care leavers. The Propel website has lots of useful information about going to university.

Additional bursaries and scholarships

In addition to the financial support provided by Student Finance England young people should apply for additional bursaries and scholarships. Most Higher Education Institutions will offer their own financial support.

This may take the form of a bursary or scholarship; or waiving of fees. The Higher Education Institutions will all have their own eligibility criteria and are often only available to a limited number of qualifying students. Each institution will decide how much support they offer and who they offer it to.

Care leavers are often a priority group for universities. Bursaries and scholarship payments do not have to be repaid. Personal Advisers can support young people to look into whether they would be eligible for any additional bursaries and help them apply.

Support from the Council

All young people applying for Higher Education will be subject to a financial assessment by Children’s Social Care which will take account of any benefits, capital owned or savings of the young person.

Young people who receive benefits will be expected to fund their accommodation and living expenses. Disabled and lone parents can claim certain benefits and assistance will be given by the Personal Adviser to access all eligible benefits available.

All young people entering University or higher education equivalent are entitled to receive a £2,000 HE Care Leavers bursary from the Council. This is usually paid in regular instalments although the timings of bursary payments can be agreed between the young person and the Council.

Accommodation and university life

If you attend university, reasonable accommodation costs will be paid year-round. You could choose to remain in your Staying Put placement, access Halls of Residence or a shared house.

If you only want to access term time Halls of Residence, the Council will pay for holiday accommodation with your previous carer, family member, or friend. These arrangements need to be discussed and agreed in advance through the Pathway Plan and Care Leavers Team Manager.

Qualifying young people who can access assistance under Section 24 of the Children Act will be provided with resources to ensure that they have the financial means to attend work, school, college or training.

The expectation will be that Education/ College Access Funds will be the primary source of finance for education purposes, with Children’s Social Care acting to meet any short fall.

The Council will help with finance for essential items of equipment required to successfully complete the course. Each request will be dealt with on its own merit. In the case of education/ training young people will be supported up to the age of 25. This request needs to be agreed with the relevant team manager.

Financial Assistance to young people on a Special Guardianship Order

Young people deemed ‘qualifying’ as a result of being looked after immediately prior to becoming subject to a special guardian order will be provided with advice and assistance to access the means to be able to attend work, school, college, Higher Education or training.

Periodic payments paid to Special Guardians for the maintenance of the young person, under a Special Guardianship Order Support plan, may continue while a young person is in full-time education and training post 18, which should cover the ongoing accommodation and maintenance costs.

However, the payments cease if the young person ceases to have a home with the special guardian, or the young person enters full time employment or claims benefits in their own right or they are 18 years or over and not in full time education or training.

Therefore, the responsible team will assess the needs of individual young people based on what other financial support may be available. Consideration will be given to providing financial support at the same rates as Former Relevant young people, including that provided to Former Relevant young people entering Higher Education.