16-19 Bursary Fund
What are bursaries?
A bursary is money that the school will allocate to you to help you with your education-related costs such as books, equipment, essential trips, and travel costs. Wherever possible, the school will purchase the items on your behalf. If this is not possible, you will be asked to provide receipts and the school will reimburse you by BACS payment into your bank account.
There are two categories of 16-19 bursary available:
Vulnerable Bursary
Students who are in the following groups may be entitled to a bursary of up to £1,200 depending on their circumstances and benefits:
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Students in Local Authority care or who have recently left Local Authority care
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Students claiming Income Support or Universal Credit because they are financially supporting themselves and/or someone who is dependent on them and living with them, such as a child or partner
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Students who receive Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payments in their own right as well as Employment Support Allowance or Universal Credit in their own right
Discretionary Bursary
The school can also award discretionary bursaries to other students who are facing genuine financial difficulties. We will base all decisions on each individual’s circumstances, the costs they need help with, and the funding available. The criteria we will consider includes the following:
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Students living in a low-income household (where total income including benefits is less than £35,000)
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Students who are from a single-parent family or have one or more dependent siblings in their family
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Students who have additional responsibilities, such as being a young carer or parent
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Students who have high travel costs
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The level of educational costs the student needs help with e.g. the cost of equipment/clothing required by their course(s)
Applications from households with a net income exceeding £35,000 are not normally considered. However, if any student is facing financial hardship due to exceptional circumstances that will impact their ability to participate in education, they should submit an application together with a supporting statement, evidence of household income, and any evidence of the serious financial difficulties being experienced.
Further information
If you think you may be eligible to apply for a bursary, please read the 16-19 Bursary Fund Statement which can be downloaded below. This gives full details about the eligibility criteria and the evidence needed to support your application.
To apply for a 16-19 bursary you will need to complete the application form (link below) and submit the supporting evidence to the finance team. Where supporting evidence is required, you will need to submit this separately to the Trust Finance Team. All applications and supporting evidence should be submitted by Wednesday 16th September 2026. This will enable us to assess the overall demand and distribute discretionary awards correctly and fairly. However, we do understand that needs may arise throughout the academic year, and we will still consider applications after this date where appropriate.
All applications will be dealt with in confidence.
If you have any questions, please email the Mrs Willett - j.willett.scs@osborne.coop
