Financial Support

South Hampshire College Group (SHCG) is committed to ensuring education is accessible and affordable for all. No matter what you’re studying, we are here to help you find out what financial support you’re entitled to.

The information below on the financial support available is correct for the academic year 2024/25.

16-19 Discretionary Student Support Fund

This fund is designed to provide financial support for full and part time students who are experiencing financial difficulty. All applications are considered individually and will only be granted where a genuine need for financial assistance has been demonstrated and criteria has been met. The Discretionary fund is specifically designed to meet certain priority groups such as:

Young parent
Young carer for adult or child relative
Young people that have suffered parental bereavement
Students that have a significant diagnosed mental health condition

This funding may also be available when the household annual income is under £29,000 and there is a proven need for financial assistance or when students experience sudden changes in circumstances such as; redundancy in the family home.

SHCG cannot offer cash payments but may be able to support with the costs of college related items such as travel, essential equipment, books and/or uniform.

To be eligible to apply to this fund you must be:

Aged 16, 17 or 18 at the start of your course (Students aged 19 or over are only eligible to receive a discretionary bursary if they are continuing on a study programme they began aged 16 to 18 or have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).
Studying a ‘funded’ course at one of the SHCG campuses (students studying apprenticeships are not eligible)
UK resident or meet sufficient residency criteria

Applications will open on the 1^st August 2024 via the Pay my Student Portal on the SHCG website.

Please note:

We cannot assess your application if you do not provide income proof.
Discretionary financial assistance cannot be guaranteed in cases of over demand and can only be allocated whilst funding lasts.
In cases of travel, distance of travel will be considered and a financial contribution may be required. Support is limited to term time/time tabled days only. (See Student Financial Support Policy)

16-19 Vulnerable Student Support Fund

This fund has been established by the Government to support any student whose financial situation acts as a barrier to participation. The Vulnerable Bursary may provide funding for transport, essential kits/uniform, course material and equipment. Students are awarded the amount of support they need to participate, payments are conditional and dependant on attendance, behaviours and attitudes.

To be eligible to apply to this fund you must meet at least one of the following criteria, you must be:

A young person claiming Universal Credit in your own name because you are financially supporting yourself or financially supporting yourself and someone is dependent on you and living with you
A young person who is a recent Care Leaver or in care (Local Authority confirmation will be required)
A young person who is in receipt of both Universal Credit and Disability Living Allowance / Personal Independence Payments in your own rights

*This funding is not guaranteed. Students who may be eligible are not automatically entitled to a bursary if they do not have educational financial needs and/or their educational financial needs are covered from other sources.

Where a student is eligible for the Vulnerable Bursary and is participating on a study programme that lasts for 30 weeks or more they can be awarded up to £1,200 per year. This figure will be determined by what is required to ensure participation. Students on study programmes of less than 30 weeks or if a student is starting later than the planned start date will be paid a pro-rata amount, as appropriate, based on an assessment of their actual needs.

Please note:

We cannot assess your application if you do not provide income proof
Discretionary financial assistance cannot be guaranteed in cases of over demand and can only be allocated whilst funding lasts
In cases of travel, distance of travel will be considered and a financial contribution may be required. Support is limited to term time/time tabled days only. (See Student Financial Support Policy)

Applications will open on the 1^st August 2024 via the Pay my Student Portal on the SHCG website.

Free Student Meals

Free Student Meals are available for all eligible students for each day the student is timetabled and expected to attend their study programme (as appropriate).

To be eligible for Free Student Meals as per current guidance you must be:

Aged 16 to 18 but under 19 on the 31st August 2024
Aged 19 or over continuing on a study programme you began aged 16 to 18 or have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP)

Support may only be offered once a successful application has been made.

Eligibility Criteria

Free meals in further education may be provided where students are in receipt of, or have parents who are in receipt of, one or more of the following benefits:

Income Support
Income-based Jobseekers Allowance
Income-related 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 Credit (provided they are not entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190, as assessed by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC))
Working Tax Credit run-on – paid for 4 weeks after someone stops qualifying for Working Tax Credit
Universal Credit (UC) with net earnings not exceeding the equivalent of £7,400 for each year (after tax and not including any benefits they get)

County Councils have an online service to check eligibility for Free Student Meals. Please follow the links below for the area in which you reside.

Southampton – Free school meals (southampton.gov.uk)

Hampshire – Online FSM Application (cloudforedu.org.uk)

19 + Discretionary Student Support Fund and Advanced Learning Loans Bursary (ALLB))

19+ Discretionary Student Support Fund

The Discretionary Student Support Fund for 19+ students is a financial assistance fund comprising of post-19 discretionary and post-20 childcare funds provided by the Education & Skills Funding Agency (ESFA). The fund is intended to be used for students facing financial hardship to help with essential course related costs such as travel, essential equipment, books and/or uniform, professional body membership fees and the cost of childcare while studying (for students aged 20 and over). Funds may be used for a wide variety of purposes to meet individual needs.

All applications are considered individually and will only be granted where a genuine need for financial assistance has been demonstrated and criteria has been met. Discretionary funding may be available when the household annual income is under £29,000; a higher income threshold may be considered for childcare support

To be eligible to apply to this fund you must be:

Aged 19 or over at the start of your course
Studying a ‘funded’ FE course at one of our SHCG Campuses (students studying Apprenticeships are not eligible)
UK resident or meet sufficient residency criteria

Please note:

We cannot assess your application if you do not provide income proof
Discretionary financial assistance cannot be guaranteed in cases of over demand and can only be allocated whilst funding lasts
In cases of travel, distance of travel will be considered and a financial contribution may be required. Support is limited to term time/time tabled days only. (See Student Financial Support Policy)

19+ Advanced Learning Loans Bursary (ALLB)

Students who wish to study for a qualification at Level 3 and are 19+ years, at the start of their course, can apply for an Advanced Learner Loan to cover the tuition cost of their study programme. The Bursary is designed to support students aged 19+ who have taken out an Advanced Learner Loan and face financial barriers to participation.

This fund can help pay for support such as accommodation (if a student needs to live away from home for their course), travel, course materials/equipment, childcare and/or classroom assistance for a disability or learning difficulty.

To be eligible to apply to this fund you must be:

Aged 19 or over at the start of your course
Studying a Level 3 or 4 course at one of our SHCG Campuses
Have had a 19 + Advanced Learning Loan approved by the Student Loans Company
And in receipt of at least one of the benefits below;
- Job Seekers Allowance (where there is an income-based payment)
- Housing Benefit
- Working Tax Credit (not solely Tax credit)
- Employment and Support Allowance
- Universal Credit (not solely child tax element and total household income must not exceed £29,000 per annum which must include any universal credit payments, wages and benefits received)

Free Student Meals

Students aged 19 or over are only eligible to receive a free meal if they are continuing on a study programme they began aged 16 or have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).

These two groups of aged 19 plus students can receive a free meal while they continue to attend education (in the case of a 19+ continuer, this must be the same programme they started before they turned 19), as long as their eligibility continues.

Free Student Meals are only available for each day the student is timetabled and expected to attend their study programme (as appropriate).

Childcare Support

Young parents under 20 at the start of the course may be entitled for help with childcare whilst studying. The childcare provider must be Ofsted registered. You may also get help with the additional travel costs you have to pay so you can take your child from home to the childcare provider.

Find out more about Care to Learn at: www.gov.uk/care-to-learn

For students who are aged 20 or over at the start of their course can apply to the College for assistance with the cost of childcare while they study. The assistance offered is based on a number of eligibility factors and is always only available for Ofsted registered care.

Financial Support