Financial Support - FAQs

Before applying, it's important to check that you meet the eligibility criteria. Please refer to the priority groups listed on our financial support pages. 

If you believe you may qualify, we encourage you to submit your application as early as possible. All applications will be dealt with on a first come, first served basis. 

You will need to complete, sign and submit an application form online.  Please ensure that all sections are completed in full and that all required evidence is uploaded. Photographs or electronic scanned copies of supporting documents are accepted.

If your application is incomplete, it will either be returned to you, or any missing information will be requested via email.  Providing incorrect or insufficient evidence will cause a delay in the processing of your application.

Once all available funding has been allocated, any further applicants will be added to a waiting list.  If additional funds become available to the College, we will contact you.

Yes, you should complete your application form via your learner portal and upload all required supporting evidence.

The College will accept the following documents as evidence of benefits received or income from employment:

• Housing Benefit
• Council Tax Reduction
• Universal Credit award statements for the three most recent assessment periods, showing earnings for each period, or electronic screenshots confirming your Universal Credit entitlement
• A Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) letter confirming the guaranteed element of State Pension Credit
• A P60 End of Year Certificate for the previous tax year, plus the last three consecutive months’ payslips, or a formal written statement of earnings from an employer for any household member aged 18 or over who is currently in paid employment
• An SA302 Self‑Assessment Tax Calculation or a copy of Annual Accounts, accompanied by a letter from an accountant confirming income for the previous tax year, for any household member aged 18 or over who is currently self‑employed

Please note - All evidence must be dated within 3 calendar months of the application date. Additional evidence may be requested for applications submitted under exceptional circumstances.

The College can not accept the following documents as evidence of benefits or income:

• Bank statements
• Provisional Tax Credit Award Notices
• Letters confirming eligibility for non-means tested benefits, including:

1. Attendance Allowance
2. Bereavement Allowance
3. Carers Allowance
4. Child Benefit
5. Constant Attendance Allowance
6. Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
7. Guardian Allowance
8. Incapacity Benefit
9. Industrial Injuries Disablement benefit
10. Invalidity benefit
11. Jobseekers Allowance (NI based)
12. Job Grant
13. Local Housing Allowance
14. Personal Independence Payments (PIP)
15. Training Premium
16. Travel to Interview Scheme
17. War Widows/Widowers Pension
18. Widowed Parent’s Allowance
19. Widow’s Pension

No. Eligibility does not guarantee support as funds are limited and all awards are made on an individual needs basis and allocated on a first‑come, first‑served basis.

Awards are made on a strictly first come first served basis and are subject to the availability of funds. 

If your application is successful you will receive an award notification to your personal email address that is held on our central record system. This will confirm the support awarded to you. 

We aim to assess applications and make awards within 10 - 15 working days from the date of application acceptance during peak enrolment (August, September and October) thereafter within 3-5 working days from the date of application acceptance.

* The date of ‘Application Acceptance’ is the point in time at which the application has been received and is complete (no further queries).  This differs from the ‘Application Received’ date which is the date the application was received by the Financial Support Team.

If your application is unsuccessful, due to you not meeting the eligibility requirements, a notification will be sent to your College email. 

Where practicable, the College will buy and provide items directly to you or make payment in kind. Where payment to you is necessary it will be made by BACS directly in to your bank account, usually on a Monday. If Monday is a bank holiday, the payment will be made on the next working day.

You must have your own bank account to receive payments. We cannot make payments to parents or any other third parties.

If you are experiencing genuine financial difficulty but don't meet the standard eligibility criteria, you can still apply for support. You will need to write a short statement explaining your exceptional circumstances and provide any relevant evidence.

Applications made under exceptional circumstances are reviewed individually on a case by case basis at the discretion of the Financial Support Coordinator. These decisions do not set a precedent for future awards.

If you're unsure or need guidance, speak to a member of our Financial Support Team for more information. 

Yes. All funding is dependent on you maintaining an average attendance rate of at least 75% and adhering to the College’s learner policies and Respect Agreement.

In the event that your average attendance rate falls below 75%, we would expect strategies for improving your attendance to be discussed and agreed with your Progress Coach, and goals to improve attendance set.  Should you fail to achieve any agreed goals within the specified time period, we reserve the right to suspend any further support due to you until which time the goals have been met and your attendance level improves to an acceptable level.

We reserve the right to suspend your support payments and adjust your award accordingly to reflect your total period of absence and remove your entitlement to any outstanding accumulated payments. 

We also reserve the right to suspend or cancel your support, should you:

• Fail to attend College for 4 consecutive weeks
• Fail to keep up to date with course work
• Be subject to disciplinary action including suspension
• Withdraw or be withdrawn from College

If you withdraw or are withdrawn from your course, your support will be stopped immediately and you may have to pay back all or some of the monies paid. You will also be liable for any outstanding debts to the College or third parties. 

Any kit, uniform and/or equipment provided should be returned to your Progress Coach within 5 to 10 working days of your last date of attendance.

To view the College's Learner Bursaries and Financial Support Policy, download it from our Student Policies page.

You have the right to appeal if:

• You believe your application has been assessed incorrectly
• You are not happy with the level of support awarded
• You were found to be not eligible for an award

If you wish to appeal, you must email your appeal to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. within 10 working days of receiving the notification that you are not eligible for support.

The Learner Services Manager will review your appeal and either confirm or change the initial decision.  You will then be informed of the outcome and any action to be taken in writing within 10 working days. The decision made by the Learner Services Manager will be final.