There are several funds, bursaries and loans available to our learners depending on individual circumstances.

16-18 Discretionary Bursary Fund

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

You may be eligible to apply to this fund if you meet the following criteria:

• Be aged 16 or over and under 19 on 31^st August 2022

• Studying a ‘funded’ course at Eastleigh College (students studying apprenticeships are not eligible)

• UK resident or meet sufficient residency criteria

• Living in a household where the income level is below £40,000 per year

How to apply: Please complete an application using pay my student via the following link here.

Proof of income will be required. Acceptable forms of proof can be found in the Financial Support for Learners Bursary fund Procedure (matrix appendix 1) here.

16-18 Bursary Fund for Vulnerable Young People

This fund has been established by the Government to help learners who it considers to be the most in need and to help address the additional financial pressure that vulnerable young people may face. The college will support learners with a fully funded travel pass, essential course costs and Further Education Free meals. 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

How to apply: Please complete an application using pay my student via the following link here.

Proof of income will be required. Acceptable forms of proof can be found in the Financial Support for Learners Bursary fund Procedure (matrix appendix 1) here.

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 here.

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. The College uses a ‘cashless’ system which means that your Free College Meals allowance will be loaded onto your College ID card. The college allowance is £8.00 per day that you are timetabled to attend college.

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 here.

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 0300 555 1384.

19+ Discretionary Learner Support Fund

The Discretionary Learner Support Fund provided by the Education & Skills Funding Agency is an award for learners over 19 years old on 31^st August 2022 (or aged 19-24 with an Education Health Care Plan) if they are:

• Studying a ‘funded’ course at the College (apprenticeships are not eligible)

• Not in receipt of an Advanced Learner Loan

• They cannot obtain support elsewhere. For example, if you receive benefits (Universal Credit), they must contact their Job Coach to check if they are eligible for support with travel or childcare before applying to us.

• A UK resident or meet sufficient residency criteria.

Households with an income up to £25,000 or in receipt of an income assessed benefit may be eligible for this support.

Full time learners who are awarded this financial support will receive £500 paid termly to help with the cost of attending College (£1500 per annum).

Part-time learners who are awarded this financial support will receive £250 paid termly to help with the cost of attending College (£750 per annum).

Childcare Support - support is awarded for 50% of costs (paid directly to childcare provider) to cover timetabled hours (meals are not included and any missed days for the child/ren will be at the cost of the parent) An Ofsted childcare registered provider must be used.

If you are aged 19 or over you may be eligible if you are continuing on a study programme you began aged 16 to 18 (19+ continuers) or you have an Education Health and Care Plan. (Eligibility for this award is provided in Appendix 1).

How to apply: Please complete an application using pay my student via the following link here.

Proof of income will be required. Acceptable forms of proof can be found in the Financial Support for Learners Bursary fund Procedure (matrix appendix 1) here.

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 the Discretionary Learner Support Fund or depending on your circumstances.

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 0300 555 1384.

How to apply: Please complete an application using pay my student via the following link here.

Proof of income will be required. Acceptable forms of proof can be found in the Financial Support for Learners Bursary fund Procedure (matrix appendix 1) here.

Advanced Learner Loan

If you have applied and have been accepted for an Advance Learner Loan and studying a full or part time course (minimum of 150 guided learning hours per year) then you may be entitled to financial support. If your household income is £25,000 or less per year, then please apply.

Advanced Learner Loan Form

Level 3 Funding Information

FlexPay

If you are unable to pay for the full amount of your course in advance of its start date then the College is delighted to offer you the chance to spread your fees into instalments over the length of the course. This service is administered by a third-party company called Oriel Collections Limited, who trade as FlexPay. In order to secure a place on your desired course you would first need to pay an initial amount to the College of £50 and the balance of the fees can then be paid by any number of monthly instalments that you wish as long as the final instalment is 31 days before the end of your course. The additional cost of using this service is £6 (£5 plus VAT) per instalment which is due at the time of your first instalment.  

Please note that FlexPay is only available to courses that are more than £200. Also, if you do choose to pay in this way then in order for the process to commence your contact details will be forwarded to FlexPay in order for your instalment plan to be created. This would not occur until after your payment of £50 and your agreement that your course is to be funded using this service.

Further information can be found here or get in touch with our Learner Recruitment team by emailing or calling us on 023 8091 1000.