Learner Support Funds

What can I claim Learner Support Funds for?

The Learner Support Fund can help with:

• Personal hardship and emergencies.
  
  
• Child care costs.
  
  
• Student living arrangements, where students have to stay away from home.
  
  
• Transport.
  
  
• Tuition, registration and exam fees, including dance and drama course fees.
  
  
• Essential course related equipment and materials. Some large items of equipment may need to be returned at the end of the course.
  
  
• Essential course related field trips.
  
  
• University interview travel costs.
  
  
• Disability related costs.

You can't claim Learner Support Funds for:

• Relatives looking after children or childcare which is not registered with Ofsted. The only exceptions are for childcare of up to 2 hours a day, where no registered childcare is available, or for incldental costs incurred when a child is looked after by a relative.

Other criteria may be set by individual schools or colleges.

How much could I get?

Some funds, including childcare and residential funds, have maximum amounts. Schools and colleges set their own criteria for the hardship or emergency funds. They manage their own procedures within the national framework and are allocated differing amounts of funds, depending on a variety of criteria.

This means that the amounts of funds available to individuals and any priority systems for allocating money may differ between each school and college. You will be expected to provide proof of income and expenditure with your claim.

Each scheme will make information about the scheme widely available to students, including appeals procedures.

Other grants you may be claiming

You can claim from the Learner Support Fund (LSF) if you also receive:

• Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA).
  
  
• Adult Learning Grant (ALG).
  
  
• Career Development Loan (CDL).
  
  
• New Deal for Lone Parents.
  
  
• Disability Living Allowance, which is ignored when assessing income.
  
  

But it should be to meet special needs and circumstances, which can't reasonably be met by these other grants.

If you receive Education Maintenance Allowance, you may be expected to spend some of your EMA, e.g. one third, on transport costs, but if you have particular financial needs or face hardship, the college or school will take this into account.

Am I eligible for the Learner Support Fund?

Full-time & part-time students 16+, including those in school sixth forms & adults, including those over the age of retirement, who:

• have been ordinarily resident in the UK & Islands for 3 years before the course begins;
  
  
• are ordinarily resident in England or Wales;
  
  
• are settled in the UK under the terms of the Immigration Act 1971;
  
  
• have Refugee Status, remained ordinarily resident in the UK & Islands or is a spouse, child (under 18) or step-child of a refugee;
  
  
• are asylum seekers who have been has been granted, since 1 April 2003, Humanitarian Protection (HP) or Discretionary Leave (DL), or, prior to 1 April 2003, were granted exceptional leave to enter or remain (ELE/R) by the UK Government, & who have remained ordinarily resident in the UK & Islands, since so recognised, or are the spouse or child (under 18) of such a person.
  
  
• are an EEA or Swiss migrant worker, their spouse, child (under 18) or step-child, who are exempt from the residency requirement.
  
  
• a student in an independent (private) school, City Technology College, City Academy, non-maintained special school, Pupil Referral Unit & other institutions maintained by the LEA if you are resident in the LEA area & demonstrate special circumstances that give rise to your particular need for support.
  
  
• a student on some higher education access courses or in preparation for a professional exam. Ask the advice of the student services advisors or registrars.
  
  
• a student on a full-time course of 10 weeks or more in one of the 51 designated colleges if you are applying for a residential bursary.

Priority Groups for the Learner Support Fund

These groups are considered to be priorities when funding is allocated:

• students economically or socially disadvantaged, disabled, medically ill, have learning difficulties who need support with transport, childcare or other associated learning costs.
  
  
• 19+ without a level 2 qualification.
  
  
• students who have been in care, on probation, young parents, or others considered "at risk".
  
  
• students on adult basic education or ESOL courses.
  
  
• lone parents.
  
  
• students with hearing impairments wanting to lip read or use sign language & students with visual impairments.
  
  
• unemployed people receiving Jobseekers allowance (JSA).
  
  
• students eligible for fee remission, because they are receiving a means-tested benefit or Tax Credits or a dependent of someone who receives these, especially at age 19, where benefits are reduced.
  
  
• students on low incomes or from low income families;
  
  
• unwaged dependents of those listed above

You can't claim if you are:

• under 16.
  
  
• an overseas or EU student who is eligible for tuition fee support.
  
  
• on a New Deal programme, except for students on the New Deal for Lone Parents.
  
  
• on a Learndirect course.
  
  
• on an Adult & Community Learning course;
  
  
• on a Work Based Learning course, except for child care support through Care to Learn for new students under 19 & child care support for students 19+.
  
  
• on other programmes wholly funded through other sources, e.g. Higher Education, Foundation & Advanced Modern Apprenticeships.

Payment of Learner Support Funds:

Support may be provided in cash direct to the student or to a third party, through the provision of items or services & may be in the form of a grant or a repayable loan.

Some colleges may provide bursaries or grants to students, although some colleges may not have the funds available to do this. Some local authority & schools schemes operate in this way.

Contact your local education authority, school or college for details of your local scheme.

If you need emergency funds or you are in serious debt, you should contact the student welfare or student services sections in your school or college, as soon as possible, for advice & guidance. The Learner Support Fund, even if agreed, may not meet all of your needs and there may be other financial & other support available to you.

For more information for students under 19, see the information provided by the DfES: Financial help for students aged under 19