What Financial Support is available?

There are several financial support packages available to help you come to college, based on your age, personal financial circumstances and level and type of course you are studying.

We want you to make the most of your time here and achieve your full potential. The Welfare Team can help you with:

• Travel pass(es)
• Free college meals (if you qualify)
• Essential kit and equipment (if there is sufficient funding)
• Childcare support

If you would like to discuss or need further information on financial support please contact the Student Services Team via welfare@bcot.ac.uk or telephone 01256 306393/306608

Julie Paige (Senior Welfare Advisor)

julie.paige@bcot.ac.uk

Tel: 01256 306393

Linda Wake (Welfare advisor)

linda.wake@bcot.ac.uk
Tel: 01256 306608

How do I apply for Financial Support?

You can apply online by clicking the link APPLY HERE or if you are unable to do an online application please contact the Welfare Office where we can help you with your application.

We recommend you apply early as funds are limited and we may not be able to process applications if sufficient funding is not available.

You will need to register for an account and you must have a student reference number, you can also apply using your college Google account (student reference number@student.bcot.ac.uk)

All applications will be assessed on an individual basis. Assessments will be made on a first-come, first-served basis.

N.B. Bursary awards do not carry any monetary value and are not paid directly to the nominated bank account.  We purchase the items on your behalf and deduct the cost from the bursary allocation.

PLEASE NOTE:  Continuing and progressing learners need to reapply each academic year for financial assistance- There is NO automatic carry forward of any award given.

NOTE: Please download and read the Essential Information Guide here before you apply.

Childcare eligibility:

• Be enrolled on a course at BCoT studying for a Level 1 or 2 Course
• Be enrolled on a course at BCoT studying for your first Level 3 course (19-23 students only)
• Be a parent or main carer
• Lived in the UK for 3 years or more
• Household income of less than £25,000 p.a.

What funding applies to you?

If you are a parent under 20 years old and are in receipt of Child Benefit you can apply for Childcare Funding through the Care to Learn online application portal.

Care to Learn

The Government operates the Care 2 Learn scheme for those learners who are aged under 20 years (as of 31 August on the start of your course), have a child and are claiming child benefit.

Care 2 Learn will fund up to £160 per child per week to a Registered Childcare Provider.

All applications must be completed online via www.gov.uk/care-to-learn early application is recommended, care to learn will not back date payments if the form is received by them 30 days after the course has started.

Please be aware that if there is a shortfall in your weekly childcare fees then you will be liable to pay the shortfall.  It is recommended that you contact Julie Paige on 01256 306393 to advise her that you are applying for childcare so that she is aware of you when Care to Learn contacts her for confirmation of your status.

Childcare for students older than 20 years of age

If studying for a Level 1 or 2 course or are aged 19-23 and are studying for your first level 3 course, or you are aged over 20 and you have an advanced learner loan in place, you may be eligible for help with your childcare costs through the 19+ bursaries.

NOTE: Please contact Julie Paige 01256 306393  julie.paige@bcot.ac.uk to confirm you are applying or thinking of applying for Childcare as funding is always limited and is allocated on a first come first served basis.  If your Childcare funding has not been approved before the start of your course then the costs for Childcare are the responsibility of the parent.

The Discretionary Bursary is a financially assessed award, to support students facing financial hardship during their studies. The award is dependent on you fulfilling the bursary eligibility criteria as shown below.

• You must have been resident in the UK for 3 years prior to the start of your studies.
• You must be aged 16 and over but under 19 on 31 August 2023
• You must be registered for a full-time study programme as of 31 August 2023
• Your household income must be below £25,000 gross for the tax year ending April 2023

Your bursary award may include one or all of the following:

• Travel support for students living over 2.5 miles from the college
• Free School meals (if you qualify)
• Kit and equipment (if sufficient funds are available)
• Childcare provision–please contact Julie Paige 01256 306393 to discuss childcare needs as we have limited funding

The Advanced Learner Loan is available to learners aged 19 years and over, wanting to study a Level 3 or 4 qualification, Access to Higher Education course, Vocational Diploma or Vocational Certificates.

For more information please contact Student Records StudentRecords@bcot.ac.uk

Discretionary Bursary Funding

To be eligible for the 19+ Advanced Learner Loan Discretionary Bursary:

• • Learners family income is below £25,000
  • Learners over 19 whose families are in receipt of
  • Income Support
  • Income-based Jobseekers Allowance
  • Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
  • Support under part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
  • Guaranteed element of the State Pension Credit
  • Child Tax (provided they are not in receipt of Working Tax Credit) and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190 p.a., as assessed by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs
  • Universal Credit with an annual gross income of no more than £7,400 p.a.

Your Bursary award may include one or more of the following:

• Travel support for students living over 2.5 miles from the college
• Essential kit and equipment for your course (if sufficient funds are available and your income is below £25,000, the equipment is considered on loan to you and will need to be returned after the completion of your course)
• Childcare provision –please contact Julie Paige 01256 306393 to discuss Childcare needs as we have limited funding

The 19 + Discretionary Learner Support Funds are available to students from families on a low income. 

To be eligible for Learner Support Funds :

• You are 19 years old or over on the 31 August 2023
• You must be registered on a full-time Study Programme on 31 August 2023
• You must have been resident in the UK for 3 years or more at the start of your studies
• Your household income must be below £25,000 gross for the tax year ending April 2023

NOTE: Students who are 19+ who are living with parents but are employed and earning money in their own right need only supply evidence of their income (not household income including parents).

Students who are not earning or claiming benefits in their own right will need to supply evidence of household income from parents.

Your Bursary award may include one or all of the following:

• Travel support for students living over 2.5 miles from the college
• Essential kit and equipment for your course (if sufficient funds are available and your income is below £25,000 this will be considered as on loan to you and will need to be returned to the college at the end of your course)
• Childcare provision–please contact Julie Paige 01256 306393 to discuss Childcare needs as we have limited funding

You must apply for a bursary to access the Free College Meal entitlement.

To be eligible for Free College Meals your parents must be in receipt of:

• • 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 and have an annual gross income of no more than £16190 but must NOT be in receipt of Working Tax Credit
  • In receipt of Universal Credits with net earnings of up to and including £7,400

The Free College Meal entitlement is not a monetary payment paid directly into a bank account, it is loaded onto the student's ID Badge and the badge is swiped at the cafeteria for payment of food up to the value of £3.50.

The Discretionary Bursary may be able to help fund Kit and Equipment for courses, if it is considered essential by the course director and your household income is below £25,000 and there is sufficient funding available.  The equipment is considered on loan and will need to be returned at the end of your course of study.

We allocate the funding to the faculty after the October Half Term holiday, they will then order the kit for bursary students.  We realise that this may mean that students have to wait however this ensures that the funding is not lost due to equipment no longer being required due to students switching courses.

We cannot refund any cost of Equipment and Kit already bought by the student.

We will monitor attendance throughout and may delay releasing funding for kit and equipment if the attendance falls below 90% during that first half term. It is important to note that the allocation of any bursary funding is dependent on the attendance rate being maintained at 90% or more throughout the academic year unless there is a justified reason for non-attendance.

The bursary allocation is based on available funding and we reserve the right to withhold funding for kit or equipment if insufficient funds are available

If you are a full-time student, then you will be able to benefit from one of the college’s travel deals, these are available regardless of age or income.  Please complete the attached application form on the link(s) below.

Bus passes:

The college can only offer Stagecoach season tickets, if you need to use other bus operators then we cannot offer ticket options for those operators.

The Bus tickets are Smart cards and can be ordered directly from the Stagecoach uni rider website here. 

The College offers a 25% discount to the advertised price on the Stagecoach webpage for the StudentRider GOLD ticket ONLY, we do not offer further discounts for the local Basingstoke zone tickets.

If you are interested in obtaining a 25% discount then please complete the attached application form and return it to the welfare office along with your payment for the first term. We will then order your bus pass on your behalf and apply the discount at the time of purchase.

Please complete the attached application form and return it to the welfare office.

Note: Due to the Government’s national travel campaign, which has capped the price of single bus fares to £2.  We are not offering the 7 monthly installment plans for the Student Unirider Gold tickets this year.   Please check if the season tickets are your cheapest option before ordering.

Train passes:

The College can offer a 40% Discount on Scholarly Season SWR season tickets.

We have an approved list of stations that the college use, if your nearest home station is NOT listed then please select the closest one.  BCoT cannot support additional funding towards the costs of any unapproved station ticket costs.

The tickets are scholarly tickets so are only available from Monday to Friday TERM TIME ONLY between the approved station and Basingstoke

You will need to purchase a passport sized photo (printed not electronic) so that it can be attached to the required SWR photocard, we cannot issue the season ticket without this photocard so any delay in providing the photo may result in the college not releasing the pass.

Please complete the attached application form and return it to the welfare office along with your payment for the first term.  We can offer 7 monthly installment plans for the tickets if this is preferred.

Alternatively, you can consider purchasing a 16-17 Saver Card from SWR which costs £30 per annum and you can claim 50% off your rail tickets – NOTE: but this cannot be used in conjunction with the 40% discount the college offers.

This may be a better option especially if you are only in college a few days a week.

There is a 16-25 railcard that can be purchased from SWR which costs £30 per year and entitles you to 1/3^rd off the price of an adult ticket – This railcard is also available for mature students over 25 in full-time study.

NOTE: but this cannot be used in conjunction with the 40% discount the college offers

www.southwesternrailway.com/train-tickets/railcards-and-discounts

Students who meet one of the following criteria who have a financial need can apply for a bursary for vulnerable groups of up to £1,200 per year if registered on a programme of study that lasts for 30 weeks or more; or a pro rata amount if the course is less than 30 weeks.

The bursary is released by the Government to 16-18 year olds who meet certain criteria. A Financial needs assessment is carried out to confirm the actual financial need and the amount of support required. No student should automatically receive £1200. The money is to enable a young learner to remain in education without facing financial difficulty.

Eligibility criteria for the vulnerable bursary are that you are:

• In Care
• A Care Leaver
• Receiving Income Support, Universal Credit because you are financially supporting yourself as a young person and or financially supporting someone who is dependent on you and living with you such as a child or partner.
• Receiving Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payments in your own right as well as Employment and Support Allowance or Universal Credit.

Aged 16 to 18

You won’t need to pay any tuition or registration fees. There may be costs for equipment for your course, if so you will be advised of this at enrolment.

Aged 19 and over

If you are between 19 and 23 and are studying for your first eligible Level 2 or 3 course then your fees may be waived. If you are studying for an eligible Level 3 or 4 course you may qualify for an Advanced Learner Loan. Otherwise tuition and exam fees may be payable – concessions are available for those on means tested benefits.

If you are unable to pay any of the fees you may be eligible to receive financial assistance from the Government Bursary Fund.

You may also be eligible also claim financial assistance towards childcare, travel, trips, equipment and materials, fees and exam costs. For more information call our Welfare team on 01256 306393.

Higher Education Loans may be available for our HNC, HND and Foundation Degree courses. Visit gov.uk/student-finance for more details.

An Advanced Learner Loan is a great way of covering the cost of your course. It’s not dependent on your income and you won’t need credit checks to apply. You can also apply for more than one loan if you are studying more than one course.* Repayment of your loan will not begin until you’ve completed or withdrawn from your course and once your income is over the threshold amount for your repayment plan.  Please find further information here.

You can apply for an Advanced Learner Loan if you are:

• Aged 19 or over on the first day of the course.
• Studying an eligible course at Level 3 to Level 6.
• A resident of the UK and have been for the past three years.

*Please note you can only apply once for an Access to Higher Education course.

Higher Education Loans may be available for our HNC, HND and Foundation Degree courses. Visit gov.uk/student-finance for more details.

If you have not achieved any Level 2 or 3 qualifications previously, you may be eligible for a government subsidy.

If you are receiving state benefits or your annual gross salary is less than £20,319, you may be entitled to reduced fees for your course.

Our GCSE English and Maths courses are free unless you already hold a Grade C/4 in English or Maths and wish to improve your grade. A fee of £400 will be payable.