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Fees and Finances

Financial Support for Young People Starting College in September 2012

Enrolment info for parents

Please note: the below information is applicable to the academic year 2012/13. For the next year these details may change.

Financial Help for Students Aged 16 to 18

We know that coming to college can place a strain on your finances and we don’t want this to become a barrier to you attending and achieving your dreams and ambitions. To help, City and Islington College offer financial support through a bursary scheme that is available to young people studying at the College. Bursary payments range from £300.00 to £1,500.00 per year and are intended to be used for college related costs such as travel and course-related books, materials, trips and visits. Bursaries do not need to be repaid as long as you remain enrolled at the College and maintain an average attendance rate of at least 90%.‌

Do you qualify for help?

There are three types of bursary; a Mandatory Bursary; a Discretionary Bursary and the Islington Bursary. To be eligible for one or more of these bursaries you have to meet some simple criteria that help us to decide the level of support we can provide. This information below will guide you through the criteria we apply to our bursar y schemes:

‌If you are aged 16, 17 or 18 on the 31st of August 2012 and are enrolling on a full time course at City and Islington College starting in September 2012 you are eligible to apply for a bursary. You must also maintain an average attendance rate of at least 90% throughout the year to continue to receive bursary payments.

If you are aged 19 or over on the 31st of August 2012, you may be eligible for the College’s adult financial support scheme, speak to your Student Advisor or visit www.candi.ac.uk/adults/fees-and-finances for advice.

If you need help with the childcare costs while you learn, request a Care to Learn application pack by visiting www.direct.gov.uk/caretolearn or telephone 0800 121 8989.

Mandatory Bursary:

You may be eligible for a Mandatory Bursar y up to the value of £1,200.00 per year if one of the following applies to you:

You are currently in the care of a local authority
You have recently left the care of a local authority
You (not another family member) are in receipt of income support
You are a disabled young person and in receipt of both the Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and the Disability Living Allowance (DLA)

If you think you are eligible for a Mandatory Bursary you should apply using the attached application form. If you are not eligible for a Mandatory Bursary, you may still be able to get help through our Discretionary Bursaries.

Mandatory Bursaries are not available to students on Apprenticeship programmes.

Discretionary Bursary:

If you are not eligible for a Mandatory Bursary you may still be able to apply for a Discretionary Bursar y up to the value of £300.00. You must be able to provide evidence that at least one of your parents, a guardian or a carer is in receipt of one of the following benefits:

Income Support
Job Seekers Allowance (JSA)
Work Related Employment Support Allowance (ESA)
The guarantee element of State Pension Credit

Or: That you are in receipt of either Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) or Disability Living Allowance (DLA).

Discretionary Bursaries are not available to students on Apprenticeship programmes.

Please be aware that there is a limit of 1,500 Discretionary Bursaries available this year. These are granted on a first come, first served basis to eligible students.

Islington Bursary:

Supported by Islington In addition to the Mandatory and Discretionary Bursaries, a new scheme, known as the Islington Bursary is available to young people living and learning in Islington. The Islington Bursary is funded by the Islington Council and provides a one-off, annual payment of £300.00. If you are eligible for the Islington Bursary, you can also apply for the Mandatory or Discretionary Bursary scheme.
To qualify for the Islington Bursary you must meet these criteria:

You are a resident of Islington
You attended a secondary school or alternative provider within Islington in year 11 of your education
You were in receipt of free school meals in year 11
You progress immediately to post 16 education and training – i.e. you move straight in to year 12 without taking a break

The scheme is open to anyone progressing to any form of education and training (as long as the criteria listed above are met) and this includes apprenticeships. There is no application process as you will be notified by the College and Council of your entitlement.

How and when should you apply?

Financial Help To start your application process for the Mandatory and Discretionary bursaries you should complete the application form that is provided with this information sheet.

Download: Financial Support Application Form [PDF]

You will also need to provide evidence to support your application. If you are applying for the Mandatory Bursary and you are currently under the care or have recently left the care of a local authority, you should provide a letter from that local authority confirming this.

If you are applying for either a Mandatory or Discretionary Bursary because either you or a parent, guardian or carer is in receipt of one of the benefits listed in the criteria, you should provide original evidence that is no more than 6 months old.

You should then bring your application form and your evidence with you when you enrol at City and Islington College.

You do not need to apply for the Islington Bursary as you will be notified by the College or Borough of your entitlement.

How and when are the bursaries paid?

Bursary payments are normally paid direct in to your bank account. In some circumstances we will issue a cheque as payment, but we do not make cash payments. If you do not have your own bank account, we can provide advice and information that will help you to set one up.

Mandatory Bursaries are paid in twelve £100.00 payments each, one being paid to your bank account every three weeks.

Discretionary Bursaries are paid in three instalments. You will receive separate payments of £100.00 with the first instalment being paid on the 1st of November 2012, the second on the 15th of February 2013 and the third instalment paid on the 1st of May 2013.

The Islington Bursary is paid in one instalment in the spring term.

Discretionary Bursary payments will only be paid if your average attendance rate at college is at 90% or higher.

Other financial help

If you find yourself in difficult financial circumstances, please speak to one of our Student Advisors who can offer advice and guidance on the range of financial support that is available.

The College also has an emergency fund for students who are in the greatest need. Further details are available on request from a Student Advisor.