16-19 Bursary Fund

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Introduction

The Government has set aside some money for schools, colleges, training providers and local authorities to allocate to young people who need financial support to stay on in further education or training. This is called the 16-19 Bursary Fund.

The 16-19 Bursary Fund is designed to help support those young people who face the greatest barriers to continuing in education or training post-16 and can be used to pay for things such as:

  • clothing
  • books and other equipment for your course
  • transport and lunch on days you study or train

Eligibility

You could get a bursary to help with education related costs if you are aged 16 to 19 and:

  • studying at school or college (not university) in England
  • on a training course, including unpaid work experience

There are two types of 16 to 19 bursary:

Vulnerable student bursary

You could get up to £1,200 if at least one of the following applies:

  • you’re in or have recently left local authority care
  • you get Income Support or Universal Credit in your name
  • you get Disability Living Allowance (DLA) in your name and either Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) or Universal Credit
  • you get Personal Independence Payment (PIP) in your name and either ESA or Universal Credit

Discretionary bursary

Education and training providers set their own criteria for discretionary bursaries, e.g. they might look at family income. Please ask student services about their criteria and any evidence you’ll need.

How to apply

You can apply via your school, college or training provider. Please ask student services or your tutor to explain what you need to do.

When to apply

Apply once you know where you’ll be studying or training, so you can get your bursary as soon as possible.

You might need to reapply for a bursary for each year of your course so check with your provider.

Further information