Financial Support

To be awarded a bursary you must:

• Have been a resident in the British Isles or European Union for the last three years or have your passport endorsed to show you have the right to live in the UK
• Have a ‘settled status’ in the UK
• Study a Further Education (full-time) funded course with us please note: If you are studying a two year course you will be able to apply for a 16 – 18 bursary for your second year, even if you have reached age 19 at the start of that academic year.

The bursary application process is online for Kingston Maurward Campus, once you have been offered a place on a course you will be emailed a bursary application link. All supporting evidence will need to be uploaded before an application can be considered, photographs of evidence will be accepted.

The bursary application form for Weymouth Campus can be accessed here: https://www.weymouth.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Bursary-Application-form-2025-2026-1.docx

All supporting evidence will need to be provided before an application can be considered, photographs of evidence will be accepted.

Your application will be processed by our team and you will be informed of the award decision via email. You will then need to accept the bursary offer for it to be applied by signing the bursary award notice and returning it to the bursary team, via email, post or in person at the earliest opportunity.

If your application is rejected, you will be notified of why it has been rejected along with guidance on how you can appeal if you disagree with the decision. Please note that receiving an award that is different to another person is not grounds for appeal.

Vulnerable Student Bursaries 

Vulnerable bursaries are available to students who have a financial need aged 16 to 18 if they are in one of the following vulnerable groups:

• Are in, or have recently left, local authority care.

• Financially independent and in receipt of Income Support or Universal Credit in their own name.

• Have a Disability Living Allowance (DLA) in your name and either an Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) or Universal Credit.
• Have a Personal Independence Payment (PIP) in your name and either an ESA or Universal Credit.
• We are required to state that there is a possibility of no award or a limited award of the vulnerable bursary.

Discretionary Bursaries

You can apply for a discretionary bursary if you are Aged 16 or over but under 19 on 31 August 2025 or aged up to 25 and in receipt of an EHCP and attending a full-time funded College course if your net household income (after tax etc. deductions, but including certain benefits) is £50,000 per annum or lower.

19+ Learner Support (Hardship Fund) 

There are funds to available to those whose studies may be affected by financial hardship.

This support can help those who have household incomes of up to £50,000 per year. If you are aged over 19, living in your family home or a shared household, and are financially supported by another person such as a relative or partner you will be required to declare and provide details of their income.

If you are over 19 and living away from home, or living in a shared household but not as a dependent, you will be assessed as an independent.

Advanced Learner Loan Bursary 

The Advanced Learner Loan bursary is available to learners that are in receipt of an Advanced Learner Loan, and is available to those who have household incomes of up to £50,000 per year

Free College Meals 

For eligible students, a free meal will be provided by the College each weekday. These will be available when you are timetabled to be at College, this includes any off-site trips, and work placements within term time.

To receive these, you must be in receipt of, or have parents/carers who have 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)

Transitional protections apply to those that were eligible for free school meals in the academic year prior to moving into further education meaning they will be eligible until the end of academic year 2026 for a free college meal. An application must still be made.

College Transport 

Depending on the bursary awarded, deductions will be made to the cost of College Transport.

Fuel Subsidy  

Please speak with our Student Engagement Team at the start of your course. The fuel refund contribution will be based on your home to College travel distance.

Refund payments to cover fuel will be issued on a half-termly basis on the presentation of relevant receipts, these can be emailed to collegebursaries@weymouth.ac.uk or if provided in person to the bursary team, please ensure that you write your name clearly on each receipt. Please note that your attendance will be checked for weeks when fuel costs are claimed.

Technology 

The College is able to provide loan laptops to eligible students, these must be returned at the end the course. A bursary funded laptop and is available to those with a combined net household income of £20,000 or less, if you would like to request this please tick the relevant box in your bursary application.

Kit and clothing support

Kit and clothing support is available to those with a household income up to £35,000. Refunds for kit and clothing will be awarded to the purchaser, up to the value of £150.00 at the college’s discretion, receipts must be provided, these can be emailed to collegebursaries@weymouth.ac.uk or if provided in person to the bursary team, please ensure that you write your name clearly on each receipt.  Students enrolled on a hair and beauty course will be eligible to receive a kit to the value of £450.00

Funds over and above the amount of £150.00 may be awarded depending on individual student needs, which will be assessed at the discretion of the College.

For those in receipt of a vulnerable bursary, kit and/or clothing may be ordered by and paid for directly by the college where required in response to learner need.

Please note, applications for refunds for kit, technology or clothing will require your teacher’s half-term report on your attendance and progress. These applications will be reviewed and payments made prior to the end of the calendar year.

20+ Childcare

This fund is part of the Discretionary Learner Support and Adult Learner Loan and is available to assist you with the costs of childcare while studying at college. Please note: the childcare provider must be OFSTED registered and term-time only, informal childcare, e.g. provided by family members is not viable for funding. Meals to be provided by the parent and cannot be claimed via the various bursary schemes. If you take holiday in term-time, you will need to pay for your own childcare place for that period. Attendance registers are routinely checked.

If you are applying for childcare and equipment, please be advised that we aim to help as many students as possible and therefore equipment refunds will not be refunded until a later date and only subject to availability of funds.

Under 20 years Childcare

If you are under 20 years of age, you could get help with your childcare payments through the Care to Learn scheme. Contact 0800 121 8989 or visit www.gov.uk/care-to-learn for more information.

Exclusions 

Bursaries cannot be used support exam fees, general clothing, non essential kit or non-essential College trips.