Each year, The Ursuline Academy Ilford administers the 16-19 bursary for those students studying in the sixth form.  Whilst there are different types of bursary, the overall aim of the scheme is to provide financial assistance to students from low-income backgrounds in order to help them attend school and access the post 16 curriculum that they are studying towards.  This document sets out how the 16-19 bursary will be administered by the school in order to achieve this aim.

Who is eligible?

There are two types of bursary with their own eligibility criteria.  These are as follows:

Level 1 Bursary

The defined vulnerable groups eligible for Level 1 Bursary are students who are:

• in care
• care leavers
• receiving Income Support (IS), or Universal Credit (UC) because they are financially supporting themselves or financially supporting themselves and someone who is dependent on them and living with them such as a child or partner
• receiving Disability Living Allowance (DLA) or Personal Independence Payments (PIP) in their own right as well as Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) or UC in their own right

 

Level 2 Bursary

This is a discretionary bursary for students who do not meet the level 1 bursary criteria but do still face financial hardship or difficulty.  The award is based on an evaluation of household income as well as specific needs (e.g. a student who lives further from school may have a greater need for help with travel expenses).  Whilst each case is assessed on its own merit, a good guide to eligibility is whether the family is in receipt of Universal Credit or a similar form of income support.  Students who have previously received Free School Meals will often qualify for the bursary.

What is the Bursary?

Level 1 Bursary:

This is a maximum of £1200 for the academic year and will be paid based on an assessment of student financial needs.  This may be in the form of payments to the student (e.g. to pay for fares); payment in kind (e.g. buying equipment for the student to use) or putting money in the student’s school account (e.g. for the purchase of food in the canteen).  The school is only permitted to award the bursary to meet student needs and the amount paid may, therefore, be less than £1200.

Level 2 Bursary:

The monetary value of this bursary is dependent on need as well as the available funds.  The precise needs and level of support will be decided based on the needs assessment section of the application form.  This support may be in the form of payments to the student (e.g. to pay for fares); payment in kind (e.g. buying equipment for the student to use) or putting money in the student’s school account (e.g. for the purchase of food in the canteen).  As payments are based on financial need, not all students receiving the bursary will receive the same amount.

Administration

Application

Students will be made aware of the bursary through assemblies and information at the start of term.  All who think they are entitled will be encouraged to apply.  All applications will be treated as confidential.  Students should complete the school application form and submit to the sixth form administrator as soon as possible.  For level 1 bursary applications, students will need to provide appropriate evidence for how they meet the criteria.  For level 2 bursary applications, students should attach a recent benefit statement or similar from their parent or carer that shows household income.  All applicants must carefully fill out the application form to state what their needs are and the nature of why they require the bursary.

Assessment

The bursary awards panel will review all applications during the first half-term.  Once this has taken place, all students will be informed whether their application was successful or not.  For those whose applications are successful, they will then complete further paperwork to assess their financial needs so that appropriate support can be provided.

Payments

Where students receive money as part of the bursary support, this will be done via bank transfer into the student’s bank account.  In addition, the school may purchase equipment for students or provide credit for use in the school canteen and café.