The Cheadle Academy

16-19 Bursary

What is the 16 – 19 Bursary Fund?

The 16 -19 Bursary Fund is designed to provide support to help young people meet the costs of participating in education post 16.

The 16 -19 Bursary Fund has 2 elements:

  • Guaranteed Bursary for vulnerable young people: Young people in care (including unaccompanied asylum-seeking children); young care leavers; young people in receipt of Income Support or the equivalent Universal Credit (UC) in their own right; and young people in receipt of both Disability Living Allowance (or the new Personal Independence Payments) AND Employment Support Allowance (ESA) (or Universal Credit as a replacement for ESA) in their own right. These students will be eligible to receive a bursary of £1,200 per year.
  • Discretionary Bursary: These awards are targeted towards those young people who face financial barriers to participation in education, such as the costs of transport, meals, educational visits, books and equipment. The awards are aimed to fit the needs and circumstances of individual students and are at the discretion of the Leader if Sixth Form.

Am I eligible?

  • To be eligible to receive a 16 -19 Bursary in the 2020-2021 academic year, you must be aged 16 or over and under 19 on 31st August 2020. If you turn 19 during your programme of study, you will continue to be supported to the end of the academic year in which you turn 19, or to the end of your programme of study, whichever is soonest.

You must be eligible in one of the following categories:

Guaranteed Bursary

-young people in care, including unaccompanied asylum-seeking children

- young care leavers

- young people in receipt of Income Support or the equivalent Universal Credit (UC) in their own right

-young people in receipt of both Disability Living Allowance (or the new Personal Independence Payments) AND Employment Support Allowance (ESA) (or Universal Credit as a replacement for ESA) in their own right

 

The young person does not have to live independently of their parents: they can claim ESA or UC in their own right, although their parents will not be able to claim Child Benefit for them if the young person’s claim succeeds.

Discretionary Bursary

-Young people who are eligible to receive a free school meal

-Young people whose household income is below £25,000 per annum

-Young people with significant caring responsibilities at home and who are not in receipt of a Carer’s Allowance

-Young people who have been affected by a sudden, exceptional change in their circumstances

  • You must have been a resident of the UK or a national of any EU country for 3 years preceding the 1st day of the first academic year of your course or you must be recognised as a refugee by the UK government. If you have any queries regarding the residency criteria, please ask for help.

How much is the bursary payment/How will it be paid?

Students in the defined vulnerable groups will receive a payment of £1200 for the academic year, payable in regular instalments.

Students in receipt of a discretionary bursary will generally receive payments ‘in kind’, based on their needs, for example – provision of a bus pass, payment for exam resits, provision of equipment or books or contribution towards payments for educational visits. Dependent upon individual circumstances, the bursary fund will pay the full cost or only a proportion, with the balance being paid by the learner. For the academic year 2020-2021, we aim to provide a contribution towards a lunch time meal in the canteen for all students who are successful in their application. We also aim to provide a supply of stationery to assist students in their studies, together with the use of a locker.  Moreover, we will contribute towards the purchasing of the College dress code up to £30.

In some circumstances, payments may be made directly to students. These will be paid by BACS transfer into the learner’s bank account.

Are there any conditions?

All payments will be subject to meeting the attendance and behaviour requirements of the College.

  • Learners must fulfil their responsibilities and duties in all areas relating to effort, attendance and behaviour as set out by the College. Any infringement of this could impede access to the fund.
  • Any absence will be considered unauthorised unless there is a valid reason: the burden of proof that absences are authorised lies with the student – the College has an expectation of 95% attendance for all students.
  • The College monitors and tracks this through the issue of red slips (written) and the cause for concern system are filled in online by teachers. Therefore, if the learner receives a red slip, or a cause for concern for inappropriate behaviour, lack of effort or attitude towards their studies, this could impede access to the fund
  • Any infringement of exam rules and regulations will impede access to the fund
  • It will be the Leader of Sixth Form who will make the final decision as to whether or not payment is made on all these occasions, based on the evidence presented

 

Is there a deadline to apply for the bursary?

  • Vulnerable young people – there is no deadline. However, we will be able to offer assistance and arrange regular payments if you apply for the funding early in the year.
  • Discretionary Bursary – Again, there is no deadline. However, the discretionary bursary is a limited sum of money allocated to the College. Once our allocation has been spent, no further applications for support can be considered. We encourage learners to submit their applications at the start of the September term. All applications will be dealt with on a first-come, first-served basis. We will retain a proportion of the funding as a contingency for students who face financial barriers to their learning later in the year.

How do I apply?

If you believe you are eligible, please complete the 16-19 Bursary Fund Application Form. This can be obtained from the Finance Office in College. Alternatively, you can download the form here.

If you need help in completing the form, please contact the Finance Department or the Leader of Sixth Form. Once the form has been completed and signed, it must be sent (along with the supporting documentation, as shown on the application form) in a sealed envelope to the Finance Department, The Cheadle Academy & Sixth Form College Station Road, Cheadle Stoke on Trent, ST10 1LH. The application form can be submitted by post or in person.

A new application form must be submitted each year for consideration. There is no guarantee that funding will be available for future years, even if you are eligible for the current year. 

Do I need to provide evidence or supporting documents?

The supporting documents needed are outlined in the application form.

Do I need to sign a declaration?

At the end of the application form, learners and their parent/carer must sign a declaration. Learners and their families should be aware that if false or incomplete information is submitted, the matter may be referred to the Education Funding Agency and/or the police, with the possibility of facing prosecution.  The College will seek to recover any payments the learner is not eligible for. We must be notified in writing of any changes to the information provided, which may affect the eligibility of the bursary. If the learner leaves College or fails to abide by the College’s behaviour or attendance policy, we may ask for the award to be returned or withhold payments.

What will happen after the application form has been submitted?

The application form and supporting documents will be checked. They will be stored securely and will only be used for the purpose of assessing your eligibility for the Bursary Fund. We aim to notify all applicants of the award decision in writing (by email) within 10 working days. You should, however, expect a longer processing period if the application form is submitted outside of term time.  If your application has been successful, you will be asked to arrange a meeting with the Senior Teacher for 6th Form to discuss the support available to you.

Do I have the right to appeal?

If you are not satisfied with the outcome of your application, you have the right to appeal against the decision. You should submit an appeal in writing to the Leader of Sixth Form within 10 working days of receiving the decision, stating fully your reasons. Please note that additional evidence may be required to support your appeal. The appeal will be presented to the Appeals Panel, consisting of the Principal, Vice Principal and Business Manager.  You will be advised of the outcome of the appeal within 14 working days of the decision. The decision of the Appeals Panel is final and there is no further appeal beyond this point.

What should I do if my circumstances change?

If there are changes in circumstances which may affect the eligibility for the bursary, applicants or parents/carers must notify the College without delay. If false or incomplete information is given, you will have to repay the award.

How do I get further information?

If you need any help or advice, please contact the Finance Department or the Leader of Sixth Form  accounts@thecheadleacademy.co.uk or lallsopp@thecheadleacademy.co.uk phone: 01538 493900

The terms of this scheme are reviewed on an annual basis

Please note the information above may be subject to change following guidance from the Education Funding Agency.