Application for
Financial Support
2016/2017
For students aged 19 and
older on 31st August 2016
Application for Financial Support 2016/2017
For students aged 19 years old and older on 31st August 2016 applying for financial support from
Discretionary Learner Support Fund, 24+ Advanced Learning Loans Bursary and Free Meals Fund.
The college operates a Learner Support Fund, which can help students whose financial circumstances make it difficult for them to meet the costs associated with study. All awards are based on your financial needs and take into account the amount of funds available. Funding varies depending on your age, the course you are studying and household income.Discretionary Learner Support Fund
If you are aged 19 or older (excludes students aged 19+ taking a level 3 or 4 course – see next section) and your
household income is under £25,000 (parental income will not be taken into consideration but the income of any spouse or co-habiting partner will) you may be able to get some help towards the costs of:
• Travel to college • Books and equipment • Course fees
• DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) check • Childcare costs
• Accommodation costs - available if you need accommodation close to the college because your daily journey would otherwise be in excess of 2.5 hours daily (one way)
Advanced Learning Loans Bursary
If your household income is less than £25,000 (parental income will not be taken into consideration but the income of any spouse or co-habiting partner will) and you have been approved for an Advanced Learning Loan you may be able to get some help towards the costs of:
• Travel to college • Childcare costs
• Accommodation costs - available if you need accommodation close to the college because your daily journey would otherwise be in excess of 2.5 hours daily (one way)
Free Meals Fund
You may be eligible for a free meal during the days that you attend college if you are aged 19-24 and have a Learning Difficulty Assessment or an Education, Health & Care Plan.
Childcare costs
If you are under 20 at the start of your course the government’s Care to Learn scheme can help towards childcare costs. Please contact one of our Student Advisors for further information.
How do I apply to the Learner Support Fund?
Complete the attached application form for financial support and return to the address below. It is important that you fully complete this form and provide evidence of your (and any partner/spouse living with you) income/benefit so we can accurately make an assessment. We are not able to process your application without this evidence and your award will be delayed.
When should I apply for funding?
We recommend that you apply for financial support as soon as possible. All funds are limited and awards are made on a first come first served basis.
How are awards assessed?
All awards are based on your financial needs and take into account the amount of funds available. Funding varies depending on your age, the course you are studying and household income.
What will happen next?
Your application form will be assessed and we will contact you in writing with confirmation of any award you have been allocated.
How are awards paid to me?
Details of how awards are paid will be sent to you with your award letter. Cash payments are made directly to you (the student) by electronic bank transfer (BACS), so you will need your own bank account. If you do not have a bank account you will need to open one. Please do not delay your application while you open an account as you can still apply for funding. However we will not be able to make payments until we have received your details.
PLEASE REMEMBER YOUR AWARD FOR FINANCIAL SUPPORT WILL BE DELAYED IF YOU DO NOT COMPLETE YOUR APPLICATION FORM IN FULL AND SEND EVIDENCE OF YOUR (AND ANY PARTNER/SPOUSE LIVING WITH YOU) INCOME/BENEFIT
HELP WITH COMPLETING THE APPLICATION FORM
Please read the guidance notes on the next page and if you have any questions or need help completing your application form contact Student Services at your chosen campus:
Application guidance notes
It is important that you complete the attached application form in full and send it to us with adequate evidence of your (and any partner/spouse living with you) income/benefit so we can complete a full assessment of your needs. Without this information your application will be delayed. Please read the information below to help you.
Please remember when completing your application form the information you provide relates to the student.
Section 1 - Personal Details and Section 2 – Course Details
These sections are about you and the course that you will be studying in 2016/17. We need this information so we can assess your need for funding and the support you require. Please complete all questions in full.
Section 3 - Household Income/Personal Circumstance
This section is about your personal circumstances, who you live with and their income. It is important that you answer all questions in this section so we can assess whether you are eligible for funding and what support you need. Please complete all questions in full.
When assessing your application we require evidence of your income/benefit. If you live with your partner we will also need evidence of their income/benefit. It is important that you send this evidence as we will not be able to assess your application without it. Details about what evidence to send are below:
Are you (and any partner/spouse living with you): Evidence required
in receipt of one of the following benefits:
· Universal Credit
· Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance · Housing Benefit
· Income Support
· Income-related Employment and Support Allowance · The guarantee element of State Pension Credit
Provide a copy of your benefit award letter from the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP). This must be in your/your partner’s name and dated within the last 6 months.
in receipt of Working Tax Credit or Child Tax Credit Provide a copy of your/your partner’s most recent tax credit award notice from HMRC.
employed Provide a copy of your/your partner’s wage slips for three
months. or
Provide a copy of your/your partner’s P60 for the last tax year.
self-employed Provide a copy of your/your partner’s SA302 form
confirming their latest tax calculation. This is available from HMRC.
living with your parent(s), unemployed and not in receipt of
any benefits Tick ‘yes’ to the relevant question on the application
Remember – if you live with your partner we will need proof of income/benefit from both of you
Section 4 – Financial Support
This section is about the kind of financial support you will need while at college. Please tick all costs you will need help with.
Section 5 – Free Meals Fund
This section is to apply for a free meal during the days you are at college. To qualify for this fund you must be aged 19-24 and have a Learning Difficulty Assessment or an Education, Health & Care Plan and indicate that you would like to apply for a free meal by ticking the box.
Section 6 – How We Use Your Personal Information
Please read this section carefully as it explains how we use the information you give us.
Section 7 – Funding Agreement
Section 8 – Bank Details
Cash payments are made directly to you (the student) by electronic bank transfer (BACS), so you will need your own bank account that accepts BACS payments. If you do not have a bank account, please do not delay your application for funding while you open one. You can still apply for funding but we will not be able to make payments until we have received your bank details.
You can open a bank account at any bank or building society. For information about opening a bank account please see: www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk/en/articles/basic-bank-accounts
BEFORE SENDING YOUR APPLICATION TO US PLEASE CHECK THAT YOU HAVE COMPLETED THE FOLLOWING SO YOUR APPLICATION IS NOT DELAYED:
· Make sure you have completed all sections of the application form
· Make sure you have signed and dated the funding agreement in section 7 · Make sure you have included adequate evidence with your application form.
HELP WITH COMPLETING THE APPLICATION FORM
If you have any questions or need help with your application form contact Student Services at your chosen campus: Cambridge: 01223 860701 Wisbech: 01945 582561 King’s Lynn: 01553 815271
Application for Financial Support 2016/2017
For students aged 19 years old and older on 31st August 2016 applying for financial support from
Discretionary Learner Support Fund, Advanced Learning Loans Bursary and Free Meals Fund.
All questions on this form relate to the student.
Forename:
Nationality:
Age on 31/8/16:
Postcode:
Mobile tel:
Section 1 - Personal Details
Surname:
Middle name:
Date of birth:
Permanent address:
Home tel:
E-mail address:
Section 2 - Course Details
Course name:
Campus:
Will you be studying:
q
Full-time
q
1st year (level 3 only)
q Part-time
q 2nd year (level 3 only)
All correspondence will be sent to your email address; please tick this box if you would prefer to receive this by post q
Section 3 - Household Income/Personal Circumstances
(please remember this section relates to the student)For the purpose of funding, household income includes your partner’s income if you are living together but does not include your parents’ income. Please complete the relevant questions below and provide us with the evidence needed.
Please remember to enclose the relevant evidence with your application to prevent your award/payments being delayed.
Do you live with your partner?
q Yes
q No
Do you/your partner receive any of these benefits?
(please tick all that apply)q Universal credit
q
Child tax credits
q
Income-based Jobseekers Allowance
q Working tax credits
q Housing benefit
q Income support
q Income-related Employment & Support Allowance q the guarantee element of State Pension Credit
Please enclose a copy of your/your partner’s benefit award letter(s) with your application form
If you/your partner are employed, what is your joint income?
£_________
Please enclose proof of income with your application form (e.g. P60 or 3 months of wage slips)
If you are unemployed and not in receipt of any benefits, does the statement:
“I have no earnings of my own and am living with my parent(s) who support me
financially. Without financial support I could not afford to continue in education”
apply
to
you?
q Yes
q No
Section 4 - Financial Support
Please tick all costs that you need help with:
q Transport costs
Funding may be available to contribute towards the cost of travel; you must live more than 3 miles from your campus of study
q Course-related costs
Funding may be available to contribute towards costs associated with your cost, e.g. equipment/uniform, DBS checks, resource fees
q Accommodation costs
Funding may be available to contribute towards the course of local rented accommodation for students that would otherwise have to travel more than 2.5 hours (one way) daily - please note the maximum award is £3458 per annum
q Childcare costs
This fund can only offer financial support for childcare to parents aged 20 or older. However, there is funding available for childcare under a different scheme; if you are under 20 and tick this section, we will contact you with more information
Section 5 - Free Meals Fund
You may be eligible for a free meal during the days that you attend college if you aged 19-24 and have a Learning Difficulty Assessment or Education, Health & Care Plan.
Do you have a Learning Difficulty Assessment or Education, Health & Care Plan?
q Yes
q No
Section 6 - How we use your personal information
The information you provide on this form will be used for the purpose of processing your application. The information and any decisions we make will be recorded and stored securely on a database and in paper format. The college is required to retain these records for a number of years for government audit purposes. The information you provide will not be shared with any third party apart from government funding bodies or in compliance with a legal duty towards the prevention or detection of fraud. By completing and submitting this application, you are consenting to this processing.
Section 7 - Funding agreement/declaration
Please read the agreement/declaration below carefully and sign to confirm you have read and understood it. I confirm the information on this form is complete and accurate to the best of my knowledge
I understand that awards are made annually and I must reapply for assistance towards costs in subsequent years I understand that full details of my award and how to claim it will be sent to me in writing
I understand that payment of my award is dependent on me being actively enrolled on my course & maintaining 80%+ attendance I understand that payment of my award will be withheld if I have any outstanding fees owing to the college
I understand that payment will be made by BACS to my bank/building society account and authorise the college to credit this account with any payments
I understand all awards are made on a loan basis and if I successfully complete my course the loan will be converted to a non-repayable grant
I understand that I must notify the college if I am receiving help with childcare and/or travel costs from Jobcentre Plus or a Work Programme provider in connection with pre-employment training
I understand that I must inform the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) about any support I receive as this may affect my eligibility for some benefits
Signed:
Date:
Section 8 - Bank/Building Society Details
Payments will be made to you by electronic bank transfer (BACS) to your bank/building society account. Please check with your bank/building society that your account can receive BACS payments and complete the details below.
It is important that you let us know if you change your bank details.
Bank/building society name:
Bank/building society address:
Account number: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Sort code: _ _ _ _ _ _
Account holder’s name:
We are only able to make payments into the student’s account
