Bursary funding is designed to help students overcome the financial barriers to attend and participate on their chosen course.
This might be help toward the cost of travel to college, free meals and additional course costs such as kit or uniform.
There is no bursary entitlement, each student is assessed on their individual circumstances, the costs of attending their chosen course and their actual financial need.
Some applicants may receive no bursary funds because there are no costs relating to attendance on their course.
There are different Bursary Funds depending on your age, circumstances, and level of course. We will automatically assess you for the correct fund when we receive your application.
All bursary funds are limited. The funds do not allow us to pay all the costs for every applicant.
Initially we will prioritise the cost of travel to college and a meal for the student (16 – 19 year fund only) for their timetabled days.
Students applying for Higher Education, University funding should apply here.
Who can apply?
We hold several types of bursary funds for students enrolling on eligible full-time and part-time courses.
Bursaries for students aged 16-19 (under 19 on 31st August 2023) or 19-24 with an Education Healthcare Plan (EHCP)
16-19 Discretionary Bursary
- Household income below £35,000 gross per year
Bursaries for young people in defined vulnerable groups.
- In Care
- Care Leavers
- In receipt of PIP/DLA and ESA/Universal Credit (both benefits to be in the name of the student, not the parent/guardian)
- Receiving Income Support or Universal Credit because you are financially supporting yourself or financially supporting themselves and someone who is dependent on them and living with them such as a child or partner.
Bursaries for adult students (aged 19 or over on 31st August 2023)
19+ Learner Support Fund
- 19+ and either fully funded or co-funded
- Household income below £35,000 gross per year
19+ Loans bursary
- 19+ paying for their course with an Advanced Learner Loan
- Household income below £35,000 gross per year
Residential Bursaries (Young People and Adults)
- Household income below £45,000 gross per year
- Enrolling on Specialist Provision:
- - Land-based
- - Animal Care
- - Agriculture
- - Equine
- - Motorsport (Chippenham)
- Staying in accommodation at Lackham
- Unable to access a similar course within a reasonable travelling distance from where you live.
How to apply
The college uses an online system called Pay My Student
You can apply using any device such as Smartphone, tablet, PC or laptop.
- Please click this link which will take you to Pay My Student.
- You will need to register and create an account.
- You will need your student number which you should find on correspondence you have received from the admissions team when you applied for your course or on your student ID card if you already have it.
- Once you have registered, a verification code will be sent to you via your email (this may go into your spam/junk box).
- When your account has been activated, you will then be taken back to the main portal page.
- You can now login using your details and password you created.
Free meals
If you were eligible for Free School Meals, you will not automatically get these when you start college. You will need to apply for a Bursary so that you can be assessed.
Students with the greatest financial need will be eligible for Free Meals in Further Education.
We offer all students aged 16-19 who are eligible for bursary funds the option to request a meal on the days they are in college.
Financial evidence
The college bursary funds are means-tested, this means that you will need to provide copies of documents that demonstrate your household’s gross annual income.
We need to see evidence for each named adult in the household as detailed below. All documents must be clear, readable and show the name and address of the person they relate to and be for the address you live.
Tax Credits
Tax Credits Award Notice 2023/24 In full - ALL 6 PAGES (or 4 pages if it is your review document)
We use the amount of your earned income (if applicable) plus the tax credit award amount to assess your annual gross income.
Universal Credit
3 most recent Universal Credit statements in full - ALL PAGES
Select print on your online statement and choose ‘save as a pdf’. Upload the pdf for each statement to your bursary application.
We use the take home pay plus the amount of Universal Credit awarded to assess your gross annual income.
Income Support, JSA, ESA or the guaranteed element of Pension Credit
Current DWP Notification letter and most recent 2 months bank statements
In employment and NOT claiming benefits
Most recent 3 months/12 weeks’ payslips. If self-employed; most recent audited accounts.
We use the gross amount on your payslips to calculate your annual income.
Self Employed and not claiming benefits
We will require one of the following:
- Personal tax calculation from HMRC
- Self-assessment tax return
- Statement of accounts
- Accountants letter
- Annual tax summary
We DO NOT accept bank statements as evidence of self-employed earnings.
We also will consider any income received from rental or other properties or private pension schemes.
How and when are bursaries paid?
Students will receive a notification detailing exactly what we will be able to pay for and how much we will pay when we have completed our assessment of your application.
We are unable to make payments before you have started your course and attended for the first 6 weeks.
Wherever possible, bursary funds will be paid directly to the college department to pay for items.
Free meals are accessed in the college catering outlets using your student ID card.
For Wiltshire Council bus passes, we pay directly to the council.
If we need to make any payments to a student, we must have the student’s bank account details. We are unable to pay into someone else’s account unless they can provide evidence that they are the official Financial Appointee for the student.
Depending on your financial circumstances, your costs relating to attending college and available funds you may be able to get help towards:
- Travel to and from college on the days you attend college if you live more than 3 miles from college (measured by the shortest walking distance on Google Maps)
- A meal on the days you attend college
- Kit/ tools/ equipment/ course materials
- IT equipment/ access
- Required clothing including uniform and protective clothing (PPE)
- Educational trips and visits
- Childcare for parents aged 20+ (parents under the age of 20 should apply to Care to Learn for childcare financial support)
- Accommodation at Lackham - Agriculture, Animal Care, Countryside, Equine, Horticulture, Motorsport (Chippenham) courses only
Decisions about the amount of support awarded to successful applicants will depend on your individual financial circumstances, an assessment of financial needs and the amount of bursary funds available.
Once we have received your application and financial evidence, we will make an assessment and then send you details of your bursary award.
Bursary funds are limited so priority will be given to students with the greatest financial need.
With the exception of travel and free college meals, no awards will be paid until after you start your course and have attended regularly for a minimum of 6 weeks.
You must inform us immediately of any changes in your household circumstances or changes to your timetabled hours at college.
The College has the right to reclaim any funding if the student is found to have provided incorrect information, is subject to any part of the college’s disciplinary process or attendance falls below the expected standards.
If you have any further queries, please email our Bursaries team at bursaries@wiltshire.ac.uk or call us on 01225 756405.
