Financial Support

Bringing Down the Cost of Further Education

There are several schemes, funds, bursaries and loans available to all of our students, depending on your individual circumstances. Some schemes are managed by the College and some are provided by external agencies. Below you will find information on each of the financial support schemes along with details about eligibility and how to apply.

16-18 Discretionary Bursary Fund

This fund is designed to help you with the additional costs involved in attending college and you can use it to help with the cost of; essential kits, course materials and equipment, personal protective equipment (PPE), trips that are essential for your course, college bus passes and/or the cost of travelling to college by train.

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

Aged 16, 17 or 18 at the start of your course
Studying a ‘funded’ course at Fareham College (students studying apprenticeships are not eligible)
UK resident or meet sufficient residency criteria
Living in a household where the income level is below £25,000 per year

How to apply: You’ll need to send us a completed application form and provide us with proof of your household income. Please note that we cannot assess your application if you do not provide income proof.

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16-18 Bursary Fund for Vulnerable Young People

This fund has been established by the Government to target students who it considers to be the most in need and to help address the additional financial pressure that vulnerable young people may face. This Bursary can pay you up to £1,200 over the College year and payments are dependent, in part, on satisfactory attendance to your course.

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 Income Support or Universal Credit in your own name
A young person who is ‘Looked After’ or in the Care of the Local Authority
A Young person who is a recent Care Leaver
A Young person who is in receipt of both Employment & Support Allowance and Disability Living Allowance / Personal Independence Payments

You can also apply to this fund for any help you may need with costs related to your course such as essential kits, course materials and equipment, personal protective equipment (PPE), trips that are essential for your course, college bus passes and / or the cost of travelling to college by train.

How to apply: You’ll need to send us a completed application form and provide us with proof that you meet one of the criteria listed above. Please note that we cannot assess your application if you do not provide this proof. The application form tells you the types of evidence that are acceptable.

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Free Meals in Further Education

If you received free meals at school and are now aged 16 – 18, or are aged 19 – 24 and have an Educational Health & Care plan (EHCP), you may be entitled to Free Meals at College as well. To check if you are eligible you will need to apply online via the Hampshire County Council Portal.

Eligibility

Your application for Free College Meals can only be made on this website and to be eligible to receive Free College Meals you, or your parent/guardian will need to be in receipt of one of the following benefits:

Universal Credit (provided you have an annual net earned income of no more than £7,400, as assessed by earnings from up to three of your most recent assessment periods)
Income Support
Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
The guarantee element of Pension Credit
Child Tax Credit (provided you’re not also entitled to Working Tax Credit) and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190
Working Tax Credit run-on – paid for four weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit

When you and/or your parent/guardian make your online application for Free College Meals please note that HCC will use the information you provide to contact other sources as allowed by law to verify your initial and on going entitlement.

How it works

Once you have received confirmation that you are eligible you do not need to do anything else. The College receives this confirmation too so you do not need to inform us in person. Within 24 hours of receiving your Free Meals Entitlement Confirmation, you will be able to access Free College Meals. The College uses a ‘cashless’ system which means that your Free College Meals allowance will be loaded onto your College ID card.

You will be able to buy food/drinks etc. using your College ID card in any of the College student cafes, including CEMAST, to the value of £2.50 for each day that you are timetabled to be at College. Your allowance is reset on a weekly basis. If you do not use it for any reason your weekly amount will be reset for the following week.

If you have any questions about Free College Meals during your time at College, please call into the Student Support Centre in or phone us on 01329 815139.

Free Meals Portal

Childcare Funding for Students Aged Under 20

If you are a young parent and will need help with the cost of childcare while you study then you will need to apply to the Care to Learn scheme for funding. This funding is not means tested and will pay for childcare with the provider of your choice as long as they are registered with Ofsted.

Applications for Care to Learn funding are made online. For more information on the scheme and for details of how to apply please visit their website.

Important

Please note that as part of the application process you will need to bring your child’s birth certificate or a child benefit letter into College. Your application cannot be finalised until you have provided this evidence to the College so please ensure that you do so when your application tells you to.

If you need help with funding appropriate childcare that suits your needs then please contact Hampshire Family Information Service, where you can search for different types of childcare and find lots of useful information. You can also contact them on tel: 0300 555 1384.

Apply Online

19+ Discretionary Learner Support Fund & Advanced Learner Loan Bursary Fund

This fund is designed to help you with the additional costs involved in attending College and you can use it to help with the cost of; essential kits, course materials and equipment, personal protective equipment (PPE), trips that are essential for your course, childcare while study (*if you are 20 or over at the start of your course) college bus passes and / or the cost of travelling to College by train.

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 Fareham College (students studying Apprenticeships are not eligible)
UK resident or meet sufficient residency criteria
Living in a household where the income level is below £25,000 per year

How to apply: You will need to send us a completed application form and provide us with proof of your household income. Please note that we cannot assess your application if you do not provide income proof.

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19+ Advanced Learner Loans

If you want to study for a qualification at Level 3 and are 19+ years, at the start of your course, you can apply for an Advanced learner Loan to cover the tuition cost of your study programme.

Repaying this loan is straightforward; you will not pay anything back until you earn over £27,295 per year. Once you reach this threshold, you will pay back only a small percentage of your loan a month, this will be automatically calculated from your monthly pay. If you are self-employed, HM Revenue and Customs will determine how much you pay from your tax return.

Contact our Careers Centre Advisors for support and guidance regarding your application.

Email: info@fareham.ac.uk

Phone: 01329 815229

Contact our Enrolments team for information regarding fees and funding for your further study.

Email: enrolments@fareham.ac.uk

Phone: 01329 815170

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Childcare Funding for Students Aged 20 and Over

If you will be aged 20 or over at the start of your course then you can apply to the College for assistance with the cost of childcare while you study. The assistance we can offer is based on a number of eligibility factors and is always only available for Ofsted registered care. Please note that informal care e.g. provided by a family member or friend, will not be funded unless they are formally registered with Ofsted as a childcare provider.

To find out if you are eligible for childcare funding you will initially need to apply to either the Discretionary Learner Support Fund or the Advanced Learner Loans Bursary Fund depending on your circumstances.

Please see the section on ‘Financial Support for Students Aged 19 and Over’ for more information and to download an application form. If you are assessed as eligible for funding then the College will forward you forms to complete specifically related to your childcare.

Please note that the College is only able to provide funding for childcare during term time and for days when students are timetabled to be at College. Please be aware of this when selecting a childcare provider and ensure you discuss this with them before entering into an agreement regarding your childcare needs.

If you need help with finding appropriate childcare that suits your needs then please contact Hampshire Family Information Service where you can search for different types of childcare and find lots of useful information. You can also contact them on tel: 0300 555 1384.

View Childcare Services