Understanding Fees and Finance at Kidderminster College: Education for All

Support

Who can apply for the 16-18 Bursary?

If you fall into one of the following categories, you will be eligible to apply for support from the 16-18 Bursary:

Household income less than £37,300
A young person:

living independently and in receipt of Income Support or Universal Credit because you are financially supporting yourself, or financially supporting yourself and someone who is dependent on you and living with you, such as a child or partner or:
in receipt of Employment Support Allowance or Universal Credit AND Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payment (PIP) in your own right or:
in care or leaving care.

If you are eligible, what will you receive?

The support that you will be offered is specific to your household income.

If you have a household income of up to £25,000, you could receive the following support:

FREE travel support (if you live 1 mile away from campus)
FREE meal entitlement (£4.50 per timetabled day)
FREE equipment and trips (equipment will need to be returned on completion of your course)
Laptop loan

If you have a household income of between £25,001 - £37,300, you could receive the following support:

FREE travel support (if you live 2 miles away from campus)
FREE meal entitlement
FREE equipment and trips

Who can apply for the 19+ Bursary?

If you fall into one of the following categories, you will be eligible to apply for support from the 19+ Bursary:

Joint household or household with dependants - income less than £32,300
Single household – an income of between £7,800 - £21,530

Please note, if your fees are not funded via the Adult Skills Fund or Advanced Learner Loan, you are not eligible to apply

If you are eligible, what will you receive?

The support that you will be offered is specific to your household income.

If you have a household income of up to £25,000, you could receive the following support:

FREE travel support (if you live 1 mile away from campus)
FREE meal entitlement
FREE equipment and trips
FREE childcare support
Laptop loan

If you have a household income of between £25,001 - £32,300, you could receive the following support:

FREE travel support (if you live 2 miles away from campus)
FREE meal entitlement
FREE equipment and trips
FREE childcare support

How to apply

How to apply for 16-18 or 19+ Bursary

To apply for a bursary at Kidderminster College, please complete ALL of the following steps:

Step 1: Make sure you are fully enrolled onto your course - i.e. you have signed your learning agreement and have been given a lanyard and student ID card

Step 2: Wait 24 hours following enrolment, and then complete the Multi-Factor Authentication process. You can find instructions on how to do this in our Multi-Factor Authentication Process document.

Step 3: Register for a portal account using your college student ID number and correct date of birth.

Step 4: Activate your account by clicking on the activation link sent to your student email account.

Step 5: Log in to your portal account and complete the application that is relevant to your year of study.

The walkthrough video below shows you exactly how to create an account and submit an application. Please note that the walkthrough will show the portal of a sample college, but you will see the same screens and follow the same instructions for Kidderminster College.

You can apply here: Apply Now

Free Travel Pass (16-18)

This support can be worth up to £1,500 and you may be eligible for a travel pass if you live more than 1/2 miles (household income criteria dependent) away from campus.

On application, you will be assessed for the most appropriate travel pass and, in some circumstances, it may be deemed more suitable for you to receive a cash entitlement. This decision will be made by Kidderminster College and is non-negotiable.

You may be eligible to receive travel support through your local authority. Please enquire directly with your local authority to see if you are eligible for travel support, prior to applying for Learner Support Funds.

If you are travelling to Kidderminster College using your own vehicle, you will not be able to apply for alternative support, nor will Kidderminster College be able to reimburse fuel costs. You are still eligible to apply for a travel pass if you wish. Please be informed that your application may take up to four weeks to be processed, as we require sufficient verification of attendance from college registers. You will be responsible for any travel costs until your support is in place.

Travel Contribution (19+ Discretionary Learner Support Fund and Advanced Learner Loan Students)

This support is available to students who live more than 1/2 miles (households income criteria dependent) from their campuses. The travel support can be worth up to 36 per day. Please be aware, if you have been mandated to attend your course, we cannot provide a travel contribution.

Free Meal Entitlement

You will be able to receive a £4.50 entitlement on our cashless system to purchase a meal on the days that you are timetabled to attend college. If you are attending a placement or studying at a site without a cashless system, it may be deemed more suitable for you to receive a cash entitlement. This decision will be made by Kidderminster College and is non-negotiable.

Free Equipment and Trips

Course leaders have identified items which may be useful to you whilst studying on your course. Some courses may also have trips designed to enhance your learning experience. You may have access to funding to attend these trips.

Free Childcare Support

If you are aged 20+, you may be able to receive childcare costs to cover your timetable, so that you are able to fully participate on your course. The childcare costs will be paid directly to the childcare provider. Please note, the childcare provider must have an Ofsted Report and be graded as ‘Outstanding’ or ‘Good’.

If you are aged 16-19 and require childcare support, you are advised to apply for childcare support through the Care to Learn scheme.