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19+ Advanced Learner Loan Bursary

Key facts
Overview
Eligibility
Application process
Terms and conditions

Key facts

Start dates

September 2024

Available to home or international students?

Home

Study level

Undergraduate

Eligible course awards

Foundation Diploma

Number of awards

Variable, depending on funding and eligible applications

Application deadline

24 May 2024

Apply now

Terms and Conditions

Overview

Help for vulnerable and disadvantaged loan-funded students, to overcome costs associated with study which may prevent them from taking part in or continuing in learning.

The 19+ Advanced Learner Loan Bursary Fund is provided by the Government, via the Education & Skills Funding Agency (ESFA). Applications can be considered under the following categories:

Hardship support

This provides assistance for specific costs that you incur during your studies including:

  • Materials fees (£220)
  • Travel costs (students have to provide evidence of one weekly travel card purchase)
  • Support with domestic and one-off emergency such as e.g. redundancy, bereavement, debt management

20+ Childcare

This provides a contribution to Ofsted-registered childcare costs for students aged 20 or more.

Eligibility

Eligibility criteria

To be eligible, all of the following must apply. You must be:

  • In receipt of an Advanced Learner Loan
  • Studying on the Foundation Diploma in Art and Design course at Oxford Brookes
  • Aged 19 or over on the first day of the course
  • Living in the UK on the first day of your course
  • A UK national or have ‘settled status’ (this means there are no restrictions on how long you can stay)
  • Living in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man for 3 years before starting your course.

This funding is available to students studying on the following courses:

Undergraduate

Application process

  • Applicants will receive a decision by email within 4 working weeks of receiving completed applications and supporting documents.
  • For students applying for childcare, we will provide the form which needs to be completed by your childcare provider.
  • Applications can only be considered where household income is less than £35,000 per year and evidence of financial hardship can be demonstrated.
  • Supporting evidence is needed to fully assess the application and to determine the level of support available.
  • Applications will be considered by the University’s Financial Aid Committee.
  • Applications will be accepted until 24 May 2024.
  • Read the Advanced Learner Loans Art and Design Bursary Fund Policy for more information.

Apply now

Terms and conditions

Purpose of the Bursary Fund

The Advanced Learner Loans Bursary Fund is a scheme to help support students who are eligible for an Advanced Learner Loan and need additional financial support. This financial support is in addition to the loan amount received.

Introduction

  1. This policy sets out the financial support available through, and eligibility for, bursary funding for students aged over 19 who are in receipt of an Advanced Learner Loan (ALL) and attending the Foundation Diploma Art & Design course.
  2. The Advanced Learner Loan Bursary Fund (ALLBF) is targeted towards those learners facing the greatest financial barriers to continuing education after the age of 19.
  3. This Policy sets out how the University will allocate ALLBF and should be read in conjunction with the ESFA Advanced Learner Loans funding rules.
  4. The level of bursary funding available is limited. The allocated budget to Oxford Brookes University for the academic year 2023-24 is £ £1,538 in total. All unspent funds will be recovered by ESFA.
  5. The ALLBF is a discretionary fund and due to the limited budget, meeting the criteriadoes not guarantee funding. High cost support such as childcare is limited.
  6. Applications for Bursary Fund awards are income assessed and operated on a first-come, first-served basis, taking into account the students’ needs and available funds.

Context

  1. A bursary award may be provided where a disadvantaged student who is funding their learning with an ALL has demonstrated a financial barrier which impacts on their learning.
  2. The ALLBF may be used to fund Learner Support: hardship, childcare and residential support, but not tuition fees. Hardship support can include course related costs (such as books, equipment, trips) and travel and accommodation.
  3. It can also fund Learning Support: activity for ‘in-learning’ support such as support for teaching assistants or reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act 2010.
  4. Students aged 19+ are normally assessed as independent students and household income is assessed on their own income, together with that of their spouse/partner if applicable. However, if a student has no income, household income will be based on the income of the person(s) on whom the student is dependent.

Learner support

Eligibility

  1. Students must have applied and have been approved for an ALL for tuition fees.
  2. In most cases, all of the following must apply. The student must be:
    • Studying on the Foundation Diploma in Art and Design course at Oxford Brookes
    • Aged 19 or over on the first day of the course
    • Living in the UK on the first day of your course
    • A UK national or have ‘settled status’ (this means there are no restrictions on how long you can stay)
    • Living in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man for 3 years before starting your course. Find out about full eligibility criteria.
  3. A bursary may be available to students who meet the following criteria:
    • Annual household income which does not exceed £35,000 (parental income will not be taken into account, but the income of any spouse or co-habiting partner will be taken into account).
  4. The amount of bursary awarded will depend on individual circumstances and may be subject to change due to the availability of funds.

Conditions and procedures

  1. Students who apply for the Advanced Learner Loan Bursary will be required to supply evidence of household income and information about their actual need for support. This should be in the form of benefit or other official documents or verification from statutory or other agencies.
  2. Applications should be made using the form available on the website, and only fully completed forms accompanied with the required evidence will be assessed.
  3. Applications can be accepted, and awards agreed provisionally prior to the start of the academic year. No payments, however, will be made until the student has commenced study on the course
  4. Applicants will be notified in writing how much has been awarded and how payment will be made.
  5. The University reserves the right to suspend, delay or reduce payments where a student’s attendance or conduct is giving cause for concern
  6. All payments will be made by BACS into the students own bank account.
  7. Payments are subject to satisfactory attendance (90%), conduct and progress on the course
  8. Payments are only backdated to the start of the Semester that the application is received
  9. In all cases the application will be judged on its individual needs as outlined in the ESFA guidelines. The amount awarded will be specific to each application
  10. If a student is unhappy with their award decision, the procedure for appeal is outlined in the letter informing them that the application has been unsuccessful
  11. For Learner Support actual payments made will need to be recorded in the ILR.

Assessment

  1. Assessments will be undertaken by the Financial Aid Manager or the Financial Aid Advisor.

Hardship awards

  1. Awards are assessed on household income (including income from certain benefits) with priority given to students whose household income is below £21,000 or who are in receipt of benefits as defined in the regulations:
  2. Awards can be given to assist with the following:
    • Course costs - equipment packs, local day visits and field trips
    • Daily travel expenses to and from University:
    • (The student is expected to take advantage of any subsidised travel, travel cards; Payments for travel by car will only be permitted in exceptional circumstances. Students must keep evidence of their travel costs as they will be asked to provide them.)
    • Childcare where childcare is provided by an Ofsted registered provider e.g. nursery, child-minder or after school club. Due to the limited nature of the allocation, any award for childcare can only be a contribution towards these costs.
    • If your circumstances change during the year please contact your University Financial Aid Advisor.
  3. wards are made as follows. However, should the number of applications be greater or lesser than anticipated, the amounts awarded may be amended accordingly

Income less than £21,000 or in receipt of benefits:

  • Course costs: we will pay for equipment packs and local day visits
  • Field Trip costs: where applicable we will pay for the UK trip
  • Travel costs: we will pay travel costs up to a maximum of £700

Income between £21,000 and £35,000:

  • Course costs: we will pay for equipment packs and local day visits
  • Field Trip: where applicable we will pay for the UK trip
  • Travel costs: we will pay travel costs up to a maximum of £350

Payments

  1. All payments are made subject to an attendance rate of at least 90%. Awards are not guaranteed to cover all costs.
  2. Course costs awards (e.g. equipment packs, study trips and local visits) will be paid directly by the University where practical, otherwise paid via the Access Expenses System
  3. Travel awards will be paid directly to the student through a BACS transfer to a bank account in their name only. Awards are generally paid termly in advance. Students are required to submit their travel receipts at the end of each term in order for next term's payment to be made.
  4. Childcare awards will be paid termly in advance and are generally paid directly to the provider e.g. child minder. Payments to third parties will require a signed authority from the student.

Appeals

  1. If a student wishes to appeal they are required to appeal in writing within 14 days from the date of the decision letter; enclosing any additional supporting evidence.
  2. Appeals should be sent to Charlie Williams, Head of Financial Services (HFS), Finance & Legal Services (cawilliams@brookes.ac.uk)
  3. The appeal will be considered within 14 days of receipt, and the decision of the HFS will be final.

Learning Support

  1. Eligibility
    • Where Learning Support is required, students must also have been assessed by the University.
    • Learning Support must be reported using rate 2 (£150 per month) in the Learning and Delivery Funding and Monitoring field of the ILR
  2. Learning support is NOT paid to the student.

General Data Protection Regulations

  1. As part of the application and assessment process for bursary support, students and any adults supporting the application will be asked to consent to the collection and processing of all personal data submitted as part of this process.

Further details