Financial Support at Newcastle Sixth Form College

The Newcastle Sixth Form College Bursary provides eligible students with up to £1,200 per year to support travel and study programme related costs, dependent on household income and miles travelled from home to college. 

To qualify for the college bursary, students must:

• Be living at home with a household income of £25,000 and below.
• The student must have a bank account in their own name which can accept BACS payments. Payments cannot be made to family or friends accounts.
• College bursary payments are subject to students achieving an attendance figure of 95% and above for all aspects of their study programme at college, including all tutorial and enrichment sessions.

The Newcastle Sixth Form College Bursary is available from September 2019 for eligible students on a first come, first served basis. As we have limited funds students living in a household with income of £22,000 or less will be assessed as priority, closely followed by students living in a household with income of between £22,001 and £25,000. 

A bursary of up to £1,200 is available to young people in one of the following defined groups, which includes:

• Young people in care.
• Care leavers.
• Young people claiming income support in their own name.
• Disabled young people who receive both Employment Support Allowance and Disability Living Allowance in their own name.

16-19 bursary payments are subject to students achieving an attendance figure of 95% and above for all aspects of their study programme at college.

Free College Meals is a government funded initiative to the value of £2.41 per day. All full-time students aged 16-18, who meet the eligibility criteria will be entitled to have a free meal of their choice. NSFC will enhance the government’s contribution by an extra £1.09 giving the students a daily total value of £3.50.

In order to be eligible, students must be in receipt of, or have parent(s)/guardian(s) who are in receipt of one or more of the following benefits:

• 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 guarantee element of State Pension Credit.
• Child Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190.
• Universal Credit.
• Working Tax Credit run-on – paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit.

PLEASE NOTE WORKING TAX CREDIT OTHER THAN WTC RUN-ON, DOES NOT QUALIFY FOR FREE COLLEGE MEALS.

You will need to bring documentary evidence of any earned income and/or benefits, investment income etc. that the household you live in receives.

Documentary evidence includes:

• Benefit letters for you and/or your parent(s)/guardian(s). Benefit letters should be dated within the last 3 months (benefits we accept are listed below), plus a MOST RECENT bank statement OR
• MOST RECENT Tax Credit Award Notice – ALL PAGES REQUIRED, plus a MOST RECENT bank statement OR
• Employment payslips, either, 3 months if paid monthly, or 4 weeks if paid weekly, plus a MOST RECENT bank statement
• Evidence of students bank account, sort code and account number.

PLEASE NOTE

MOST RECENT bank statement requirements are as follows;
Bank statements provided must be in the name of the person(s) who is the named beneficiary on any benefit letters or payslips.

Bank statements should be dated no earlier than the month prior to the assessment of the bursary (e.g. if you apply in September the bank statement provided should be dated no earlier than August).

Benefits accepted for bursary applications

• Income Support.
• Income-based Jobseekers Allowance.
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).
• The guarantee element of State Pension Credit.
• Child Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190.
• Working Tax Credit.
• Council Tax.
• Housing Tax.
• Support under part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.

• Application forms will be given to each student at summer enrolment. Students can not apply for the NSFC Bursary Fund until they have enrolled as a student with us (i.e. once they have received their GCSE results and have attended summer enrolment).
• You can apply for any student support on a single application form.
• Students will be notified when and where they can hand in their application forms with supporting documents, or seek advice and guidance, or support with completing their application.
• You will be notified in writing of the outcome of the assessment.

Payments will begin as soon as we have confirmation from college registers that you have taken up your place and attendance is at the required 95% to receive payments. This may be approximately four weeks into your study programme, but payments will be backdated to your start date.

You must notify us of any change in your circumstances such as:

• Switching to another course.
• Increasing or decreasing the number of days you attend college.
• Changes in your family’s financial circumstances.
• Leaving college before your course is completed.
• Changing your address.
• Changing your bank account. 

Following assessment of your application, you will receive by post, notification of the outcome, and if appropriate, your payment schedule.

Payments will be made directly into the student’s bank account, weekly. Payments are dependent on meeting 95% attendance

We will advise students who are eligible for Free College Meals on how to access these. Please contact NSFC Admissions Team if you require any further information, advice or guidance.