Financial support

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Financial Support

College can be financially challenging for some young people.  At St John Rigby College we want all of our students to enjoy their College experience without this worry.  If you or your family would like to discuss any financial concern please contact us by email bursary@sjr.ac.uk or telephone 01942 214797.

Each year the Government provide College with an allocation of funds to help students who face financial barriers to continue in full-time education.  St John Rigby College ensures that this money is awarded to those students who are in most financial need.

 

Financial Support can assist with food and refreshments, essential trips and visits, travelling to College, stationery, print credits, uniform and other associated costs related to attending a programme of study.

Types of Financial support

Below is a summary of the financial support available in 2024 to 2025. 

 

There are three types of financial support available:

  1. Enhanced Bursary for young people in the following defined groups:

 

  • Students who are in care (including a young person placed with a foster carer by the local authority and unaccompanied asylum seeker)
  • Care leavers
  • Students who receive Income Support (IS), or Universal Credit (UC) because they are financially supporting themselves and live independently OR financially supporting themselves and someone living with them such as a child or partner
  • Students who receive Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) or Universal Credit (UC) in their own right AND Personal Independence Payments (PIP) or Disability Living Allowance (DLA).

 

  1. Income Assessed Bursary is available to any student who does not meet the criteria for the Enhanced Bursary, and lives in a household where the total household income (including earnings, benefits, pensions, lettings and other sources) is beneath a set amount per year. When assessing whether a student is eligible for financial support from the Income Assessed Bursary, St John Rigby College will take into consideration:
 
  • the number of dependents within the household
  • distance needed to travel to College and
  • costs associated with the student’s programme of study.
 

The table below shows the household income bandings that are currently used to assess the Income Assessed Bursary. Please note, that the below figures are based on one dependent living in the household, if an application is received from a household with more than one dependent, then their household income will have £5,000 deducted for each additional dependent.  For example, if a household has three dependents and the household income has been calculated to be £33,500, then £10,000 will be deducted from this total for the two extra dependents.

Band

Household Income Total

A

£10,000 – £25,000

B

£25,001 – £30,000

C

£30,001 – £35,000

D

£35,001 – £40,000

E

£40,001 – £45,000

The amount, and type, of financial support provided will be confirmed if your Enhanced or Income Assessed Bursary application is successful.  Therefore, any bursary provided will be based on an assessment of circumstances and actual financial need.

  1. Free College Meals – students can apply for Free College Meals as a standalone entitlement (when they are not eligible for the Enhanced or Income Assessed Bursary).
 

A student will be eligible for Free College Meals (FCM) if they are aged between 16-18 on 31st August 2024 and if they, or their parents/carers, are in receipt of at least one of the following benefits (students who turn 19 during the academic year are still eligible for that year):

  • Income Support
  • Income-based Job Seeker’s Allowance (JSA)
  • 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 (provided they are not entitled to Working Tax Credit) and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190 as assessed by HMRC. Assessment will be based on the most recent award letter to be eligible.
  • Working Tax Credit run-on – paid for 4 weeks after stopping qualifying for Working Tax Credit.
  • Universal Credit with net earnings not exceeding the equivalent of £7,400 per annum. This will be assessed on the three most recent Universal Credit Statements to be eligible.
 

N.B. If the student/household is no longer in receipt of one of these benefits, and the student received Free School Meals in Year 11, they will still be able to receive Free College Meals.  St John Rigby College will require a copy of a letter/email from the relevant High School confirming that the student received free school meals in Year 11.

 

FAQs

         You can apply for the Enhanced, Income Assessed Bursary and Free College Meals from 12th July 2024.  However, you will only be told if you have been approved, or otherwise, after you have enrolled at the college.

There is only one application form for all types of financial support available – this is available on our website (see links below) and at enrolment.  Alternatively, if you cannot obtain a form from either of these two sources, please contact bursary@sjr.ac.uk.

If you are a student and live totally independently then you will need to complete the form yourself. Otherwise, the form should be jointly completed by the student and their parents/carer or partner.

We have made the form as straightforward as possible but if you are unsure of anything please do not hesitate to contact bursary@sjr.ac.uk. Remember that we want you to apply and will help you as much as we can.

We will aim to let you know if your application has been approved within 10 working days of receiving your application (and all the required evidence). However, during busy periods, for example at the start of the academic year, this may take a little longer.  If the application is approved, the approval date will always be backdated to the date we received your application and all required evidence.


Yes definitely !

We have had many students who initially did not believe that they would be eligible for financial support, but when they did apply they were approved.  If you are not sure if you should apply then please contact bursary@sjr.ac.uk and someone will contact you to discuss this further.

All financial support will be targeted towards those young people who face the greatest financial barriers to participation.  Conditions for receiving any financial award will be subject to the student having satisfactory attendance, behaviour and engagement with their studies.

To view the Bursary Policy, Student Bursary Guidelines or Application Form please click the links below:

Student Bursary and Free College Meals Policy

Application Form

Student Bursary and Free College Meals Information

If you have any other questions relating to the financial support on offer at St John Rigby College, please contact bursary@sjr.ac.uk – we want to do everything we can to ensure that you are financially supported whilst at College and are more than happy to answer any questions.

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