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Financial Support
We understand that the costs of college may be daunting but we are here to support you.
We understand that the cost of studying can be a concern for students and their families. Our bursary funds are designed to help eligible learners with essential education-related costs, ensuring that financial circumstances are not a barrier to success.
Bursaries
Our bursary funds can provide financial assistance to eligible students with the following costs:
- Transport – public transport or the College bus*
- Free College Meals (16–18 students, eligible continuing students aged 19+ who are in the 2nd year of a 2-year course, or eligible 19–24-year-olds with an EHCP)
- Equipment essential for your course, including books, materials and print credits
- Educational trips and visits that are essential to your programme of study
- DBS checks required as part of your course
Exam resit (for at least 1 exam) - T-Level Industry Placement support, including travel and meal costs
- Work Experience Placement support, including travel and meal costs
- UCAS application fees covered
- Digital services and loaned devices may be available where these are essential for participation in a programme of study. Subject to assessment of need and the availability of College resources.
* Where a learner's disability or medical condition prevents them from using public transport or the College bus, support towards essential car travel may be considered following an assessment of need.
Discretionary Bursary Support
Students aged 16–18 on 31 August 2026, students aged 19–24 with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), and eligible continuing students aged 19+ who started their study programme when aged 16–18 (2nd Year of a 2-year course), may apply for discretionary bursary support.
Applications are assessed based on household income, individual circumstances, financial need, and the availability of funding. Applicants will be required to provide evidence of household income and any other information requested by the College to support the assessment process.
The College operates a two-tier support model:
| Household Income* | Support Available |
| Up to £35,000 | Priority consideration for the full range of bursary support, including transport, meals (where eligible), equipment essential for your course, educational trips, DBS checks, and T-Level or Work Experience Placement Support. |
| £35,001 – £45,000 | Up to 60% contribution towards approved public transport or College transport costs only. (Including T-Level or Work Experience Placement travel support) |
*Household income excludes disability-related benefits and Carer's Allowance.
Support awarded will depend on an assessment of need and the availability of bursary funding. Continued support may be subject to satisfactory attendance, engagement and compliance with College expectations.
Students Eligible Under Vulnerable Bursary Criteria
The following students may qualify for support under the Government's defined vulnerable bursary criteria:
- Students who are currently in care.
- Care leavers (Including those who left care though a Special Guardianship Order), defined as previously being in care for at least 13 consecutive weeks after the age of 14.
- Students receiving Universal Credit in their own name AND living independently from their parents or carers.
- Students receiving Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) OR Universal Credit in their own name AND Disability Living Allowance (DLA) OR Personal Independence Payment (PIP) in their own name.
Students aged 19 and over are not eligible for the vulnerable bursary.
Students who meet the vulnerable bursary criteria should contact the Bursary Team for guidance on the support available and the evidence required.
Free College Meals (FCM)
From the start of the 2026/27 academic year all students from households in receipt of Universal Credit or Part VI support under the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 will be eligible for Free College meals. This means even if you are above the threshold for discretionary bursary, you may still be entitled to Free College meals.
Students must be aged between 16-18 on 31st August 2026, students aged 19 and over are only eligible if they are in receipt of the above-mentioned benefits and they are either:
- A continuing student aged 19+ who started their study programme when aged 16–18 (2nd Year of a 2-year course)
- Are 19-24 and have an EHCP
If you were in receipt of Free School Meals or Free College Meals last year (2025/26), you may not be eligible this year, as transitional protections have ended. If your household is no longer in receipt of Universal Credit you will not be eligible for Free College Meals, but you may be eligible for meal support as part of the discretionary bursary if you are below the set threshold.
Adult Learner Support (19+)
Adult learners who are government-funded (Adult Skills Funded) for their course or receiving an Advanced Learner Loan may be eligible for support through the College's Adult Learner Support Funds, subject to eligibility criteria and available funding.
Support may be available towards:
- Travel costs
- Essential course equipment and materials
- Childcare costs for learners aged 20+ using Ofsted-registered childcare providers*
- Other essential course-related expenses
* Must be the main carer and be in receipt of child benefit for the child they are claiming C2L for
Adult learners who are paying their own course fees may still be considered for assistance in exceptional circumstances. Please contact the Bursary Team for advice.
Care to Learn (C2L)
Care to Learn is a fund set up by the government to help young parents (Under 20 at the start of their study programme) to continue education after the birth of a child. The fund provides funding for childcare whilst the parent is studying, it can also help with additional travel costs involved with taking the child to the childcare provider.
Young Parent Eligibility:
- Under 20 on the first day of their study programme If you turn 20 during a 2-year course but were under 20 at the start you will still be eligible for support during your 2nd year.
- Must be the main carer and be in receipt of child benefit for the child they are claiming C2L for
- The mother or father of the child can claim C2L as long as:
- The other parent is unable to provide childcare
- The other parent is not claiming childcare through any other source, (government funded places or Childcare Tax Credits)
Care to Learn (C2L) will only pay for childcare providers that are registered with Ofsted. The childcare providers unique reference number must be provided before we can approve any award.
A maximum of £180 per week, per child can be awarded for both childcare and travel costs. Travel costs will only be awarded when there is an additional cost of traveling between your childcare provider and college campus.
If your residential address is within London the maximum increases for £195 per week, per child.
Payments for childcare will be made directly to the childcare provider. Travel payments will be paid directly to the young parent.
Evidence Requirements
To assess your application for bursary in line with the College’s criteria we will need evidence of your annual household income. You will be asked to upload evidence on the bursary portal as part of your application.
All evidence provided need to be clear to read and the full documents. We will not accept evidence that have missing pages.
The below forms of evidence can be accepted.
Universal Credit
If you are in receipt of Universal Credit, please:
- Provide 3 award statements from the three most recent months before your application.
- The statements must be uploaded in PDF format and include all sections:
- Entitlement
- Deductions (“what we take off” section, including take home pay)
- Total after deductions.
- Please follow this guide on how to download a PDF document from the Universal Credit portal https://ukmoneyman.com/download-ucs/
Universal Credit statements have replaced the following benefits
- Child Tax Credit
- Tax Credit
- Housing Benefit (except for temporary or supported housing)
- Income Support
- Jobseekers Allowance (JSA) – Not including “New Style” JSA
- Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) – Not including “New Style” ESA
- Working Tax Credit.
Payslips or P60
If you are working or in receipt of a private pension, please:
- Provide 3 payslips from the three most recent months before your application (or payslips totalling 3 months if paid weekly or 2 weekly)
- Or provide a full P60 2025/2026
Self-Assessment Form (SA302) - HMRC
If you are self-employed, please provide your most recent Self-Assessment Form from the tax year 2025/26.
State Pension or Pension Credit
If you are in receipt of State Pension or Pension Credits, please:
- Provide a recent benefit entitlement letter, must be the full letter
- Please provide copies of all pages of the notice
Any other sources of income/benefits
If you are receiving income from another source or benefit, please provide evidence of this.
How to Apply
All new applicants and continuing students will receive an invitation to apply for Bursary support when the portal opens.
Please note that the bursary portal will open on Friday 10 July 2026 for the 2026/27 academic year and can be accessed here - https://usp.paymystudent.com/portal/
Should you experience any difficulties, please visit the LRC at Palmer’s, Cloud 9 at Seevic or email bursary@uspcollege.ac.uk. Please include your student reference number in your email.
Exceptional Hardship
Students whose household income exceeds the standard eligibility thresholds may still be considered for support where exceptional hardship or significant financial barriers would otherwise prevent them from participating fully in education.
Any exceptional hardship application will be assessed on an individual basis and support cannot be guaranteed.
Important Information
- Students must meet the residency eligibility requirements for 16–19 funding in England.
- Applicants will be required to provide evidence of household income and financial circumstances.
- The College reserves the right to prioritise applications and adjust support levels where demand exceeds available funding.
- All bursary awards are subject to eligibility checks, satisfactory attendance, engagement and compliance with College expectations.
- Support may be reviewed, suspended or withdrawn where College expectations are not met.
Any bursary payments made directly to students must be paid into a bank account in the student's name.
The only exception is where a parent or carer has legal appointeeship. In these circumstances, an appointee letter must be provided as part of the application process.
Applications may be delayed if the required evidence is not supplied.
Higher Education
There are a number of financial support options which can help to pay for a Higher Education qualification.
They are:
- Tuition Fee Loan to cover the cost of your course (full and part-time students)
- Maintenance Loan to help with living costs (full-time students only)
- Special Support Grant instead of a Maintenance Grant if you qualify for Income Support or Housing Benefit (full-time students only)
- Extra help may also be available if you are on a low income, have children or dependent adults, or are disabled.
You need to pay back Tuition Fee Loans and Maintenance Loans once your income is over current government thresholds, but not other student finance, for example, grants and bursaries. You still have to repay your student loan if you leave your course early.
To access further support, please email HEsupport@uspcollege.ac.uk.
