Arden Sixth Form Bursary Fund
The Department for Education has allocated an amount of money to Arden to allow the school to grant bursaries to students on low incomes to contribute towards the costs of studying at Arden. If you were eligible last year, you will still need to re-apply for this academic year.
Eligibility
To be eligible to receive bursary payments, you must be a full time student at Arden Sixth Form and be aged under 19 on 31st August in the academic year in which you begin your programme. Students must also adhere to the sixth form agreement at all times.
The qualifying criteria is one of the following:
- Level 1: Students who are or have recently left local authority care or are in receipt of Universal Credit in their own right.
- Level 2: Students who are in receipt of free school meals.
- Level 3: Students facing financial hardship where the total household income is less than £28,000 per year (appropriate evidence confirming income will be required).
What the funds can be used for
Bursary funds are available for eligible students to help with the costs of transport to school (if not already funded by the Local Authority), books and equipment, field trips and other educational visits, attending industry placements, UCAS applications and attending open days. A contribution for the purchase of the Sixth Form uniform/dress code may also apply.
Bursary payments are dependent on individual student’s educational and financial needs.
Requests for funding are to be made to the Head of Sixth Form prior to the expenditure as failure to do so may result in incurred costs that are not reimbursed by the school.
The school may choose to procure any items required by students, directly and to 'loan' them to students for the duration of their course of study. In such instances, the items will remain the property of the school and should be returned to the school at the end of the course for use by future students. Such purchases will be considered to form part of the bursary award.
How the funds will be paid
Those eligible for the bursary will submit claim forms available online. Receipts for all expenses/purchases may be emailed to sixthform@arden.solihull.sch.uk. Once these are verified, payment will be made as soon as possible, normally within 2 weeks of receipt of claim. Receipts may be submitted at any time throughout the academic year (not just at the end of term). Funds can only be paid into student’s own bank account provided on the google application form (link highlighted below).
The Process you should follow
If you are eligible for a bursary on any one of the criteria mentioned above, you should apply as soon as possible.
Applications will be considered by the Head of Sixth Form and a member of the School Finance Team.
Appropriate evidence will be required to support your application. These requirements are specified on the application form (link highlighted below) and may include proof of free meal entitlement, P60, income support notification, etc.
Application form: https://forms.gle/aHxnNpQRk81JQ9BX7
For more details of the scheme, please visit the following web site: https://www.gov.uk/1619-bursary-fund
Appeals
All students have the right to appeal against any decision made in respect of a bursary award or non-award. Appeals must be made in writing and submitted within 10 working days of the decision.
Appeals regarding applications should be sent to the Associate Headteacher who will act as the first point of appeal. Should an applicant wish to appeal against the Associate Headteacher’s decision, it will be considered in line with the Arden MAT complaints policy.