Warren School has produced this brief synopsis for the benefit of pupils, parents and carers. If you would like the full Bursary Fund Guide, please follow this link to the Government website: 16 to 19 Bursary Fund guide 2022 to 2023 academic year - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

The purpose of the 16 to 19 Bursary Fund is to provide financial support to help students overcome specific barriers to participation, so they can remain in education.

There are 2 types of 16 to 19 bursaries:

A Vulnerable Person’s Bursary of up to £1,200 each year, for young people in one of the defined vulnerable groups.

A Discretionary Bursary which institutions award to meet individual needs, for example, to help with the cost of transport, meals, books and equipment.

To be eligible for the Vulnerable Person’s Bursary, students must be in one of the following defined vulnerable groups:

• In care (including a young person placed with a foster carer by the local authority)
• Care leavers
• In receipt of Income Support, or Universal Credit in place of Income Support, in their own right
• In receipt of Employment and Support Allowance or Universal Credit and Disability Living or Personal Independence Payments, in their own right

To be eligible for Discretionary Bursary, the following must apply:

• There must be a total household income of less than £30,000 a year and provide evidence of certain criteria set out on the application form.
• You must be continuing a course you started aged 16 to 18 (known as being a ‘19+ continuer’)
• Or you have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP)

Age:

To be eligible to receive a bursary in the 2023 to 2024 academic year the student must be aged over 16 and under 19 on 31 August 2023. If a student turns 19 during their programme of study, they can continue to receive the bursary until the end of the academic year in which they turn 19, or to the end of the programme of study, whichever is sooner.

The impact of bursaries on DWP benefits:

We wish to highlight to students and parents that any receipt of the 16 to 19 Bursary Funds will not affect their entitlement to DWP income-related benefits.

If the student is in receipt of Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payments, and Employment Support Allowance, or in receipt of Universal Credit, parents may no longer receive certain household/family benefits for that child, such as child benefit.

Bursaries cannot be made as regular payments towards living costs.

Warren School will follow the guidelines of good practice set out by the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) to pay in-kind bursaries wherever possible, rather than cash. This helps ensure that the bursaries are spent for the reason it was awarded and helps students to participate. There are restrictions on what in-kind payments can be however, they may include support for travel, vouchers, credits for meals, books and equipment. Again, following ESFA guidelines, Warren School specifies that students must return books and equipment at the end of their study programme, to be used again by other students where appropriate.

If IT equipment is required and the student cannot complete the study programme without it, it can be bought with bursary funds and returned to school at the end of their course.

How to Apply:

Warren School will apply directly for the 16 – 19 Vulnerable Person’s Bursary for our students currently in care, through the Student Bursary Support Service (SBSS), upon receiving the completed application form.

All requests for funding will need to be made by completing the 16-19 Bursary application form provided on the school website.  Please submit the application as soon as possible – the earlier this application is submitted within the academic year, the better.