Financial Support

The Newcastle Sixth Form College Bursary provides eligible students with up to £2,500 per year to support travel and study programme related costs, depending on household income and the distance travelled from home to college.

To qualify for the college bursary, students must:

1. Be living in a household with an income of £38,500 or below.
2. Students do not require a bank account unless they receive train allowance. In this case, they must have a bank account in their own name that can accept BACS payments.
   Payments cannot be made to family or friends' accounts.
3. Maintain a 95% or above attendance rate for all aspects of their study programme, including personal development and enrichment lessons.

The Newcastle Sixth Form College Bursary is available from September 2025 for eligible students on a first-come, first-served basis.

Travel Support Criteria:

• Students living in a household with an income of up to £25,000 will receive travel support if they live 1 mile or more away from college.
• Students living in a household with an income between £25,001 and £38,500 will receive travel support if they live 2 miles or more away from college.

A bursary of up to £1,200 is available to young people in one of the following defined groups:

• Young people in care.
• Care leavers.
• Young people claiming a means-tested benefit in their own name (e.g. Universal Credit).
• Young people who receive either Employment Support Allowance or Universal Credit along with either Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payments in their own name.

Government-funded 16-19 bursary payments are subject to students achieving an attendance rate of 95% or above for all aspects of their study programme at college.

Free College Meals is a government-funded initiative with a value of £2.61 per day. All full-time students aged 16-18 who meet the eligibility criteria will be entitled to a free meal allowance. NSFC will enhance the government’s contribution by an extra £2.39, providing students with a daily allowance of £5.

To be eligible for government-funded Free College Meals (FCM), students must be in receipt of, or have parent(s) / guardian(s) who are in receipt of, one or more of the following benefits:

• Universal Credit with an annual income of £7,400 or less
• Child Tax Credit with an annual income of £16,190 or less, as stated on the CTC award
• Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• Guaranteed element of State Pension Credit
• Income Support
• Income Based Jobseeker’s Allowance
• Working Tax Credit Run-On
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance

Students who are not eligible for government-funded meal support will still be entitled to a free meal allowance, fully supported by the NSFC bursary fund, of £5 each day they are timetabled in college.

Free college meal allowances will be accessed through the college's cashless system.

When you apply for any type of financial support at Newcastle Sixth Form College, our Bursary Team will identify which support fund you are eligible to receive and provide the necessary advice and assistance.

All applicants to join us in September 2025 will be contacted by the Bursary Team to complete a preliminary assessment. Learners wishing to apply from September will apply using our online Bursary Portal.

Eligibility for bursary funds will be assessed using your completed bursary application along with the household evidence you supply. 

Please note that any missing evidence will result in a delay in processing your application.

Students opting for travel by Stagecoach, Go North East, Arriva or Metro will receive a travel pass to be used during term-time only.
Any rail travel payments will be made directly into the student’s bank account, fortnightly. Payments are dependent on meeting a 95% attendance rate.

Please be prepared for this process to take up to four weeks after the start of your study program.

You must notify us of any changes in your circumstances, such as:

• Switching to another college
• Changes in your family’s financial circumstances
• Leaving college before your course is completed
• Changing your address
• Changing your bank account

We will also advise students on how to access their Free College Meals allowance.

If you require any further information, advice, or guidance, please contact the NSFC Bursary Team.

You will need to upload documentary evidence of any earned income and/or benefits, investment income, etc. that the household you live in receives as part of your online assessment.