Financial Support
STUDENTS UNDER 19
Planning to come to college and need money to help you during your course, then the following items may apply to you:
EMA
Effective from 1 January 2011, no new applications will be processed, although students, already in receipt of EMA will continue to receive payments until the end of this academic year (July 2011).
CARE TO LEARN
• Do you want to enrol on a college course?
• Are you a parent under the age of 20?
• Do you need help with childcare and those costs?
If the answers to the questions are yes please read on
• Get up to £160 each week to help with childcare costs
1. childcare while you learn, are on placement, doing private study or travelling to/from your childcare provider
2. any registration fees (up to £80) and any deposit normally charged (up to £250)
3. a childcare taster and/or settling your child in before the learning starts
4. childcare fees you may need to pay during holidays
5. additional travel costs you may have to pay in order to take your child to the childcare provider
• payment is made direct to registered childcare providers
• transport costs paid to learning provider and passed onto learner
Need to speak with someone or want to know more ring Student Services on 01761 438539 or look at the Care to Learn website, where applications can be downloaded.
LEARNER SUPPORT FUND (LSF)
• Do you need help with essential course related equipment, matSerial or field trip costs?
• Is your household income under £20,000 per annum?
• Are you living independently and getting income support?
• Are you in the care of the local authority?
• Do you need help with equipment costs?
If the answers to some of the questions are yes please read on
• You can get monetary help with uniforms and equipment, applications are available from Student Services.
• The last page of the application form lists your eligibility to get help
• Evidence of income must be provided in the form of Tax Credit Award Notice for previous year, P60 for the last tax year or if parent is self employed, then a set of accountant's figures.
To gain further help or for a paper copy of the application form and any further help contact Student Services on 01761 433161, email student.services@nortcoll.ac.uk or visit the Financial Help for Adult Learners website.
The Residential Support Programme
• Have you checked there is no residential bursary for the course you want to study
• are you 16 or over, and 'ordinarily resident' in England.
• Is the course your want to study outside a 'reasonable daily travelling distance' from your home - and there cannot be similar courses available locally. Reasonable travel distance is a journey which is more than 15 miles, or a two-hour return journey
• Is this your first level 2 or level 3 qualification
• Does the course involve at least 15 hours' attendance a week, and be of at least 10 weeks' duration
• Is the course LSC-funded (if you're not sure, ask your college's student adviser)
If the answers to the questions are yes please read on
• If you qualify, the scheme will help pay for your term-time accommodation.
• You can claim up to £3,458 towards your costs each year, up to a maximum of three years.
• Awards are based on household income.
• Applications are available to download from www.direct.gov.uk/moneytolearn
• Further help and support is available at Student Services or the Learner Support Service helpline on 0800 121 8989
STUDENTS 19+
Planning to return to college and need financial help to support your education, then the following listed items may be of help to you
• Adult Learning Grant (ALG)
• Childcare Aged 20 And Over
• Learner Support Fund
• Career Development Loans
• Council Tax Reductions/Exemptions
Adult Learner Grant (ALG)
• Are you are 19 and over and enrolled as a full time student?
• Are you studying for your first full level 2 or level 3 qualification?
• Are you studying at least 12 hours each week?
• Are you in receipt of any out of work benefits?
• Are you earning under £19,513 if you're single or a combined income under £30,810 if you're living with a partner?
If the answers to the questions are yes please read on
• You could receive up to £30 each week, paid directly into your bank account during term time.
If you're single, how much you get will depend on your total income for the previous tax year.
| Your income | Weekly payment |
| Up to £11,810 | £30 |
| £11,811 - £15,405 | £20 |
| £15,406 - £19,513 | £10 |
| Over £19,513 | No payment |
If you live with a partner
| Combined income for you and your partner | Weekly payment |
| Up to £20,817 | £30 |
| £20,818 - £25,521 | £20 |
| £25,522 - £30,810 | £10 |
| Over £30,810 | No payment |
For further information and application details can be found at Student Support Services or the ALG website.
LEARNER SUPPORT FUND (LSF)
The Learner Support Fund is a grant to support learners aged 16 and above who would otherwise be unable to participate in further education.
- Are you in receipt of benefits?
- Is your household income under £20,000 per annum?
- Do you require financial help with costs relating to your chosen course?
- You can get monetary help, applications are available from Student Services
- The last page of the application form lists the eligibility criteria to get help
- Evidence of income must be provided in the form of Tax Credit Award Notice or P60 for the last tax year. If you are self employed, then a set of signed accountant's figures.
- Further information available at the Financial Help For Adult Leaners website
This is a bank loan designed to help you pay for work-related learning. You don't have to start paying your loan back until one month after you stop training. It can be used to fund a variety of courses, a list of which is available on the Career Development loan website.
CDLs are available through an arrangement between the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) and three high street banks. The key points about CDLs are:
- you can borrow anything between £300 and £8,000 to help you fund up to two years of learning (or up to three years if the course includes one year of relevant practical work experience)
- you can apply for CDLs with Barclays, The Co-operative Bank and The Royal Bank of Scotland
- the LSC pays the interest on your loan while you're learning and for one month after you've stopped training
- you repay the loan to the bank over an agreed period at a fixed rate of interest
A CDL is a personal loan between you and the bank, and you are responsible for repaying it to the bank. Before applying for a loan, check how much your monthly repayments will be, and that you feel confident that you will be able to make them. For any further help link or contact Student Services on 01761 433161 or email student.services@nortcoll.ac.uk
Council Tax Reductions/Exemptions If you are studying a full time course at college then you could be eligible to apply for exemption from paying council tax:
- Are you studying a course at university or college, lasting for at least one academic year - where you attend for at least 24 weeks out of the year and study for at least 21 hours per week during term time, or
- Are you under 20 and the course enrolled on will lead to a qualification up to (but not above) level 3 - as long as it lasts for more than three months and involves more than 12 hours of study per week
- Are you a full time student and living in your household there is only one adult, then an application for a reduction in council tax can be made.
For applications please contact Student Services 01761 433161 or email student.services@nortcoll.ac.uk, and for any further information please visit the associated government website.
Signposting to other agencies.
For further information on any of the above please contact Student Services on 01761 438539 or email at student.services@nortcoll.ac.uk or alternatively visit the government website www.direct.gov.uk.
E-Learning Portal (Moodle)
