Our flexible grants allow you to shape the support you receive to meet your individual needs.
The following grants are available:
- Travel
- Kit/Uniform
- Trips/Visits
- AAT Membership/Books
- Exam Tuition
- Childcare
Learners travelling by public transport, car, moped or motorcycle will receive a maximum contribution of £390 in the Staffordshire area and £495 for any other area.
Eligibility
Awards will be made on a case by case basis, and do not set a precedent for other awards. To be eligible to apply for our support grants, you must be:
- Aged 19 years of age or over on the 31st August
- Enrolled on a full or part time Government funded course of Further Education
- Not funding their studies using an Advanced Learner Loan (See Advanced Learner Loans)
- Have ‘home’ student status or have been granted full ‘refugee’ or asylum seeker’ status (British Citizens normally have ‘home student’ status)
- Have been ‘ordinarily resident’ in the UK, EU or EEA continuously for the last 3 years before the start of your course, with ‘settled status’ which means having indefinite leave to enter or remain (ILE/ILR)
In addition, you should meet one of the following eligibility criteria:
- Living independently and in receipt of one or more of the following benefits in your own right, or are living with a partner or spouse who is in receipt of one or more of the following benefits, with an identified financial need:
- Income Support or Universal Credit
- Jobseekers Allowance (JSA)
- 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 Credits with an annual gross income of no more than £16,190 (for one dependent) or £19,999 (for two or more dependents) as assessed by Her Majesty’s - Revenue and Customs (including Working Tax Credits).
- Working Tax Credit run-on which is paid for 4 weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
- Living independently or with a partner or spouse, claiming no benefits, with a gross household income of less than £16,190 and an identified financial need.
- Currently living with parents or carers but is expected to be financially independent, with a personal gross income of less than £10,000 and an identified financial need
Don’t meet the eligibility criteria but still need help?
Don’t worry, if you have a genuine financial need but do not meet the eligibility criteria, you may still apply for support. You will be required to write and submit a short statement detailing your exceptional circumstances and provide any appropriate supporting evidence. Awards under exceptional circumstances are made on a case by case basis, at the discretion of the Learner Services and Support Manager, and do not set a precedent for other awards. Speak to a member of our Financial Support Team for further information.
Contact us
For more information and advice about the Advanced Learner Loan, please call our Financial Support Team on 01283 494757/4472 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
