The 16-19 Bursary is a government allocated sum of money given to schools to help support sixth formers and their families who may be in financial hardship with the costs of attending full time post-16 education; these could include travel, enrolment contributions, equipment, subject visits etc. Eligibility is based on the total annual household income in the previous financial year, April 2025 – March 2026.
Details of the levels of bursaries, along with the eligibility criteria, are detailed in the application and financial assessment pack which can be accessed below. The deadline for the application to be returned is return is 5pm on Monday 19 October 2026. Please note we cannot accept late applications.
This bursary is awarded annually so applications need to be resubmitted annually.
Eligible students must attend school fully (including scheduled mentoring appointments, one fortnightly Personal Development lesson, complete independent guided learning hours and subject lessons) to receive the full half termly award. Students who fail to do this will lose a proportion of their bursary in line with their attendance rate i.e., if a student’s lesson attendance drops to 90% they will only receive 90% of their bursary for that half term.
All bursaries are paid directly to the student and can only be made to an account in their name. The bursary funds awarded must be used to support their learning directly and therefore at times evidence of spending will be requested.
The bursary is intended to provide a contribution towards the costs of attending our Sixth Form provision. Any award is expected to be used to fund expenditure such as travel to school, enrolment costs, educational visits during the year, exam re-sits, visiting university open days or enrichment activities that are offered to enhance the core curriculum.
Eligibility is assessed using the following criteria:
Bursary 1: High Priority award for Vulnerable Students
| Eligibility | Supporting Evidence |
| Young people in care or care leavers | Current letter the from host borough with responsibility for on-going care arrangements or documentation confirming leaving care arrangements |
| Young people receiving Income Support or Universal Credit |
Documentation from the Benefits Agency dated between 01/04/25 – 31/03/26 Plus Current benefits letter dated within the last three months |
| Young people receiving needs-based benefits such as Personal Independence Payment, Employment Support Allowance, Disability Living Allowance etc. |
Documentation from the Benefits Agency dated between 01/04/25 – 31/03/26 Plus Current benefits letter dated within the last three months |
| Students who live in a household whose total annual household income below £ 25,000 | See supporting evidence requirements in the financial assessment pages |
Bursary 2: Medium priority award
| Eligibility | Supporting Evidence |
| Students who live in a household whose total annual income is between £ 25,000 - £ 35,000 | See supporting evidence requirements in the financial assessment pages |
| Students who are in receipt of Free School Meals | Evidence held by the school for current eligibility |
Bursary 3: Low priority award
| Eligibility | Supporting Evidence |
| Students who live in a household whose total annual income is between £ 35,001 - £ 42,737 | See supporting evidence requirements in the financial assessment pages |
If your household income is more than £ 42,737 you will not be eligible for the bursary
Bursary 4: Head of Sixth Form discretionary bursary payment
| Students experiencing financial hardship can apply for a one-off bursary payment towards specific costs that contribute to their educational outcomes or support them to overcome short term issues that would otherwise negatively impact on their learning. These payments are awarded at the discretion of the Head of Sixth Form in consultation with the School Business Manager and are subject to the availability of bursary funds. |