Student Finance

2023-24 FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS

We realise that Further Education may involve some extra expenses and that you may need to reach out for financial support. The College holds Bursary funds for students, who meet the eligibility criteria, to provide financial support towards the costs related to attending college.

Students returning to the college must re-apply for a bursary each year, this application can be found HERE.

Bursary funds are limited, so priority is given to students with greatest financial needs.

The funding available to you depends upon various factors such as age, course, household income and other government funding you are currently in receipt of.

If you are applying for one of the following bursaries; 16-18 Discretionary Bursary, Vulnerable Bursary, 19+ Discretionary Learner Support Fund or Advanced Learner Loan Bursary, then you might like to use our eligibility calculator below to find out what you may be eligible for, depending upon the evidence you are able to provide.

STUDENT FINANCE ELIGIBILITY CALCULATOR

Student Finance Eligibility Calculator

Is the student between 16 and 18 years old on 31 August 2023?

We also offer multiple bursaries for particular groups of students, coming to the College.

You will be able to choose the relevant option when applying online.

For 16-18 year old students

If the student is still living at home and the parents/guardians receive one of the recognised benefits with an income of less than £20K, they may meet the criteria for the Discretionary Bursary.

  • If the student is currently in the care of the Local Authority or has recently left their care;
  • If the student is receiving Universal Credit or Income Support as well as PIP or DLA in their own right;
  • If the student themselves are receiving Universal Credit because they are financially supporting either a partner or child.

Then they may meet the criteria for the Vulnerable Bursary.

For students over the age of 19

If the student is studying a L1 or L2 qualification then they may be eligible for the 19+ Discretionary Learner Support Fund and Aspire Grant.

If the student is studying a L3 qualification, and is not eligible for a fee waiver, then they may be eligible for the Advanced Learner Loan bursary.

Details of the criteria for each of the bursaries can be found on the relevant application form, together with the evidence which needs to be provided.  Please note that failure to provide all pages of the evidence will result in a delay in processing your application for student finance.

What can be covered by the Bursary?

Dependent upon the student’s age and the level of their studies, we may be able to help with a contribution towards the cost of travelling to The College, course equipment and course costs and so help students achieve their goals and successfully complete their course.

If you are unsure and would like some assistance, then please contact the Student Finance team by emailing studentfinance@bpc.ac.uk and they will be happy to answer any queries you may have.

Application Form, Policies and Guidance

You can apply for one of the following bursaries, through the online application HERE

  • 16-18 Discretionary Bursary
  • 16-18 Vulnerable Bursary
  • 19+ Discretionary Learner Support Fund
  • Advanced Learner Loan Bursary
  • HE Bursary
  • Apprenticeship Travel
  • LAC Apprenticeship Bursary

FE Student Finance Policy 2023-24

Adult Course Fee Concessions

Course Fees Assessment

If you are 19 years or older as of August 31st 2023 you may be eligible for a Course Fees Assessment. For more information on fee waivers please contact the enrolment team on 01202 205611

Flexible Payment Options

If you are not eligible for our financial support or you still have further fees to pay, you can opt to pay your course fees in full at the time of enrolment or, if you prefer, you can choose to pay in instalments.  In this event you would set up a Recurring Card Payment (RCP) Plan when you enrol (subject to conditions), which will allow you to pay equal monthly payments. 

For more information or to set up your RCP please contact the enrolment team on 01202 205611. Alternatively, you can visit Pay The College once you have enrolled to set up your payment plan. 

Dorset Community Foundation Bursary

If a student is unsuccessful due to their household income being above the threshold and live in Dorset they may be eligible to apply for funding.

Two bursary funds managed by local charity the Dorset Community Foundation supports you people aged between 16- 25 who are looking to start or continue their professional and technical (job-related) courses.

The Superior STEM Bursary Fund (for Science, Technology, Engineering or maths courses) and the Dorset Community Foundation Bursary scheme focuses on supporting particularly disadvantaged young people.

Applicants will have to evidence financial need. More information is available by following the links below:

Advanced Learning Loan

If you are aged between 19-23 and undertaking your second Level 3 qualification or are 24+ and undertaking a Level 3 course, you can apply for the Advanced Learner Loan.

This loan will pay for your tuition fees, and you will not start paying it back until your income is over a certain amount (the ‘threshold amount), please visit the gov.uk website: Advanced Learner Loan If you take out the Advanced Learner Loan and you are studying an Access to HE courses, the loan repayments will be void if you go on to successfully complete a University degree.

For more information on eligibility and how to apply, please visit the gov.uk website. If you are unsure and would like some assistance, then please contact the Student Finance team by emailing studentfinance@bpc.ac.uk and they will be happy to answer any queries you may have.

Childcare

Help with childcare costs: If you are under the age of 20 at the start of your course, please refer to Care2Learn.

For students over the age of 20, please see section on the online application form. To be eligible for childcare, you must have already met the criteria for the bursary.