Discretionary Cash Bursary
This bursary is paid monthly, but the amount varies each year dependent on the number of students that successfully apply for this bursary each year.
Students who reside in a household whose parent/guardian are in receipt of any of the following will be eligible for this bursary:
- Income Support;
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA);
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA);
- Support under Part VI of the immigration and Asylum Act 1999;
- The guaranteed element of State Pension Credit;
- Child Tax Credit, provided they are not entitled to Working Tax Credit and have annual income (as assess by HMRC) that does not exceed £16,190.
- Universal Credit, provided that your annual household income is less than £7,400.
As the eligibility criteria is the same for free school meals, free school meal eligibility is checked to confirm eligibility for this bursary. If unsure of eligibility, please apply for free school meals prior to applying for the bursary to speed up the process. If students are not eligible for the discretionary cash bursary, then they can apply for the discretionary hardship or exceptional hardship bursary (provided they meet the criteria for those bursaries) for specific items such as books and help with interview costs when they arise.
Please apply for free school meals here: https://www.cloudforedu.org.uk/ofsm/sims . If eligible for free school meals, students will also receive a free school meal at school, in addition to the bursary.
All students are asked to apply for the discretionary cash bursary by the end of September in order to start receiving their payments by the end of October (applications will not be accepted prior to the start of the academic year). Students may however apply during the academic year (up to the end of March) but if successful payments will start from the following month and will not be backdated to the start of the academic year or term.
Please note that because of the information required as part of the application process, the form below should be completed by the student’s parent or guardian, and not by the student.