Understanding Fees and Finance at Kidderminster College: Education for All

16-18 Support

Is your household income less than £32,300? Then you may qualify for the following:

Free travel support
Free meal entitlements
Free equipment and trips

Our free travel passes cover bus and metro services and is dependent on your journey to college.

You may also be eligible for a Vulnerable Bursary if you are:

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.
A young person in receipt or Employment Support Allowance or Universal Credit AND Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payment (PIP) in your own right.
A young person in care or leaving care.

19+ Support

Is your household income less than £32,300? The you may qualify for the following:

Free travel support
Free meal entitlement
Free equipment and trips
Free childcare support

You may also be eligible for an Advanced Learner Loan Bursary if:

If you’re aged 19 or over and choose to study a course at Level 3 or 4, you may be entitled to apply for an Advanced Learner Loan; this is a national scheme that aims to help with the costs of studying.
The loan is only repayable once you start earning over £32,300 per year and are taking steps to invest in your future career earnings and development.
For more information, you can:
- Contact the National Careers Service on 0800 100 900 to help you make an informed decision.
- Contact Student Services at KC for more information or advice in person, via email at studentservices@kidderminster.ac.uk or by calling 01562 512004
You can apply for your Advanced Learner Loan on the www.gov.uk website or contact Student Services for supporting help with completing your application.

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 2/3 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 2/3 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.