Further Education Financial Support for Full-time and Part-time Students aged 19+

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1 Further Education Financial Support for Full-time and Part-time Students aged For more information or one to one support, contact the Support Funds Team T: or E:

2 At Gateshead College there is a range of financial support available to students over 19 years old: The Gateshead College Foundation We have set up a dedicated charity to help more people to be able to afford to study and come to Gateshead College. The Foundation is in addition to any bursaries and grants that are provided by the Government. The 19+ Discretionary Learner Support Fund (DLS) 24+ Advanced Learning Loan Bursary Fund Assessment Criteria Support is available from Gateshead College to help students who are experiencing financial hardship with course related costs. Funds are limited and we advise applying quickly. Your application will be assessed on the following criteria: You must be personally eligible i.e. home student status. Your household income must be below a certain level, however we can use direction in exceptional circumstances. Your course must be eligible for support (see the table opposite). You must be confirmed as attending your course. Your attendance must meet the requirements (this is currently 92% however we do take personal circumstances into consideration for example caring responsibilities or disabilities). If you are applying for travel costs, you need to ensure you can fund at least the first two weeks travel to College. You may also want to purchase your own equipment/kit/uniform before starting the course as funds will not be processed until you are confirmed as attending your course. The income assessment and the application form is the same for all funds with the exception of fees support. You cannot apply to the 24+ Advanced Learning Loan Bursary Fund if you are eligible for the 24+ Advanced Learning Loan and have chosen not to apply. This is a Government fund to help students who are experiencing hardship with course related costs. If this fund is depleted we may refer your application to the Gateshead College Foundation. You will not be asked to complete any additional forms. This is a new fund set up by Government to help students who have taken out the 24+ Advanced Learning Loan. This fund may also pay for any additional learning support for students with learning difficulties or disabilities. Which courses are eligible? If you are over 19 and studying up to and including a Level 2 course you can apply to the Gateshead College Foundation and the 19+ Discretionary Learner Support Fund. There are no funds available if you are: studying on a course where fee remission is not available over 24 studying a self funded Level 3 or 4 course an International student You can only apply to one fund for support. If you are over 24 and studying a Level 3 or 4 course and are receiving a 24+ Advanced Learning Loan you can apply to the 24+ Advanced Learning Loan Bursary Fund.

3 Which fund do I apply for? AWARDS Income Assessment 19+ Discretionary Learner Support Gateshead College Foundation 24+ Advanced Learning Loan Bursary Fund Childcare Yes No Yes Course Grants Yes Yes Yes Travel Costs Yes Yes Yes Fees Yes Yes No Field Trips Yes TBC No 19+ Bursary Yes No No Additional learning support No No Yes The income assessment applies to all funds. Awards are means tested which means the amount of household income is taken into account, and are subject to funds being available. If you (or your partner if you have one and you are part of that claim), receive one of the following benefits you will be considered for support. Income based jobseekers allowance Income related employment & support allowance Guaranteed pension credit Income support If you or your household are not in receipt of any of the above benefits we apply the following income assessment. This is based on gross annual current income. STATUS INCOME STATUS INCOME Single/Lone Parent 17,000 Couple 24, ,000 for one child or + 3,000 for 2 or more children Awards for Fees If you are in receipt of either Jobseeker s Allowance or Employment and Support Allowance (work related activity group only) you may be entitled to fee remission depending on the level of your course. For more information call start@gateshead.ac.uk. If you are not eligible for fee remission, you can apply to the fund on the grounds of low income. We will support up to and including Level 3 courses only (unless you are eligible for the 24+ Advanced Learning Loan). If successful, you will be informed in writing. You can only enrol onto your course when you have received written confirmation that you have received support and you must show your notification when enrolling. We will support 75% of the costs up to a maximum of 800 and you will need to make arrangements to pay the balance. There is a separate from to complete for help towards fees. If you want to secure your place, you can pay for your course either by direct debit or full price and apply for a refund. No payments will be made until you have attended at least four sessions of your course. Awards for Travel If you live over 3 miles from your main college campus and your travel costs are over 5 per week you may receive money towards your travel costs. This can be a contribution towards travel costs if you use private transport. Awards may be split throughout the year and you must attend your course to continue to receive support. Payments can be made by BACS direct into your bank account or by voucher. You will need to ensure you can fund your own travel costs for at least the first two weeks of your course until the funds are administered. We may issue a travel pass giving you unlimited free travel throughout Tyne & Wear on the bus and metro system. You can use this to travel any time of day or night, during the week and on the weekends. If you lose your pass, we won t be able to re-issue it. You may want to speak to the Travel Shop about insurance. This pass is worth up to 200 each term. If you cannot use public transport due to a disability/learning difficulty please state this on your application form and we will contact you to assess your requirements. Your award notification will include information about how it has been calculated and you can request a review of any award.

4 Childcare, aged 20+ You may qualify for help towards childcare costs if you do not have a partner who can care for your child(ren). All awards are paid direct to your provider. You are liable for any fees incurred prior to an award being agreed. If you choose to use a provider whose charges are in excess of our maximum award you will be liable for these fees. The maximum award is 160 per week for one child, 275 per week for 2 or more for a full time course. For part time courses, amounts are pro rata. Awards are calculated on your timetable and when you are due to attend your course only. If you use childcare outside of these hours you will be liable for the fees. You need to apply for childcare at the earliest opportunity as these funds quickly becomes depleted. Course grants This category is for help with any costs for materials or equipment relating to your course. This grant may not cover the full cost it may be a contribution towards it. Awards will not be released until you have been confirmed as attending your course and you meet the attendance requirements. Not all courses attract this category of support. 19+ Bursary Additional support may be available if you are aged and are studying 15 or more hours per week on a level 2 or level 3 course. The maximum support could be up to 100 per month for 9 months. This category of support is to assist with the costs relating to study and contribute towards loss of income or benefits for living costs - not to replace them. You must not be eligible for, or in receipt of welfare benefits in your own right, as this bursary would be taken into account as income by the DWP for benefit purposes. You will not be considered if you are living at home and qualify for child benefit/child tax credit or if you have a partner and are part of a claim for benefit. The 19+ bursary cannot support housing costs, general living expenses, dependent partners or children. You may be required to attend an interview to discuss your application. Field Trips You will be expected to contribute 25% of the costs of the trip to a maximum of 100. Payment will usually be made to the trip organiser and full details of the event are required before an award can be considered. How long will it take? We want you to receive your award as quickly as possible so we will endeavour to process correctly completed applications within 10 working days, however, this may vary at busy times. How do I apply? support.funds@gateshead.ac.uk and clearly state Fees support and/or 19+ Discretionary support. If you have a student account you can access the forms in Moodle in the Student Advice and Finance area. Forms and guides will also be available at all reception points. How do I get more information? Full terms and conditions are with the application form. If successful, you will be given a statement showing how your award has been calculated. If I am refused, what can I do? All eligible students have the right to request a review of the initial assessment. If funds are depleted, or the individual or the course is not eligible for support, there are no grounds for a review or appeal. Details will be in your notification letter. I am 19 - can my family claim child benefit/child tax credit? If you returned to, or have continued in full time education before reaching the age of 19, child benefit and child tax credit can still be paid until you reach 20 or you complete your course - whichever is the soonest. I am claiming jobseekers allowance - will this stop if I study full time? It is always recommended to seek advice when claiming welfare benefits and studying on a full time basis. For jobseekers allowance you need to study OVER 16 hours per week to be classed as a full time student. A lot of our courses are below this. If Jobcentre Plus require confirmation regarding your hours, contact the Support Funds Team or the Students Advice Service. The same rules apply for housing benefit and Employment and Support Allowance. As a full time student can I claim council tax exemption? To qualify for student discount your course must be at least 21 hours per week (including assignments and timetabled hours). Usually only Level 3 courses would qualify. You can complete an information request form at Student Services for an exemption certificate or contact the Support Funds Team or Students Advice Service. If you are claiming welfare benefits as a part-time student, you cannot also qualify for exemption as a full-time student.

5 USEFUL CONTACTS Transport Tickets and discounts Concessionary travel within Tyne & Wear Taxi card taxicard How to claim child benefit You can complete a form online at or call the helpline on How to claim child tax credit You can apply for tax credits by completing a claim form, ref TC600. This form is available online from HM Revenue and Customs at There is only one form for both working tax credit and child tax credit. Welfare Benefits and Universal Credit To find your nearest Citizens Advice and for more information about welfare benefits, debt, housing and more visit If you want to see how Universal Credit will affect Tax Credits visit uk/taxcredits/universal-credit. For general information about welfare benefits visit For forms and information about student funding & support contact the Support Funds Team: T: E: support.funds@gateshead.ac.uk For information about any other aspect of welfare/finance contact the Students Advice Service: T: E: student.advice@gateshead.ac.uk Moodle: Student Advice & Finance Every effort has been made to ensure that this information is correct at the time of writing however details may be subject to change. This book is for information only and not an authoritative statement of the law. Printed July 2013