16-19 Bursary Information
The Bursary fund aims to help and support Sixth Form students who face barriers to learning, so they can take full advantage of the 16-19 curriculum.
What is the 16-19 Bursary Fund?
The Government’s Education & Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) provides a limited amount of money to schools and academies to pass on to students aged 16 to 19 in full–time education so that financial barriers to education can be reduced or removed. Bursary awards are typically allocated to fund course-related costs such as books, educational equipment, and personal protective equipment (PPE), but can also be allocated to assist with transport costs, catering, field trips, university open days and UCAS fees.
Are you eligible?
To be eligible for the Bursary in 2026/27, you must be aged 16 or over but under 19 on 31 August 2026. You must also be taking part in full-time or part-time further education or training. You must also meet the residency criteria.
There are two categories of Bursary payments:
CATEGORY ‘A’ – Vulnerable Group
To qualify for the Vulnerable Group Bursary, you must be aged 16-19 and in one of the following groups:
- In care
- A care leaver
- In receipt of Income Support (IS) or Universal Credit (UC)
- Disabled and in receipt of Disability Allowance or Personal Independence Payments (PIP).
You will receive a guaranteed bursary of up to £1,200 per year, allocated in two parts.
CATEGORY ‘B’ – Discretionary
To qualify for the Discretionary Bursary, you must be aged 16-19 and have a total household income below £35,000, inclusive of any DWP Benefits.
The total annual amount available in any given year for discretionary bursaries depends on student numbers and demand for financial support, and so payments may be subject to change.
Students who meet the criteria for the Bursary are also entitled to apply for Free School Meals, and can do so on the Kirklees website.
What can the Bursary help pay for?
Subject to your attendance and learning agreement conditions, you can claim financial assistance to meet the cost of the following:
Transport
The cost of a monthly travel pass (current cost £44.80) will be met by HGS for eligible students.
Catering
You can apply for financial assistance towards meals during term time.
Educational equipment
Essential educational equipment will be provided for you by HGS. This may include a laptop, scientific calculator, or design technology or art materials. Speak to your subject teacher if you think you need help with paying for educational equipment.
Books (including revision guides)
Essential books or other learning materials can be provided for you by HGS depending on your course. Please speak to your subject teacher about this.
Personal Protective Clothing and Equipment (PPE)
If your course requires it, PPE will be provided by HGS.
UCAS fees
Once your eligibility for the 16-19 Bursary has been determined, HGS will pay your UCAS fee.
Field trips
HGS will meet a maximum of 50% of the cost of any essential field trips that form part of your courses.
University open days
HGS will meet up to 50% of any reasonable travel costs incurred for up to three university open days. This is subject to approval by the Head or Assistant Head of Sixth Form. We will need confirmation of the travel dates, location and travel costs to facilitate the refund.
If you do claim for any of the costs detailed above, please retain all your receipts as these will be required for any reimbursement requests.
How does attendance affect the Bursary?
Eligibility for all bursary payments will be withdrawn if your attendance falls below 90% without the appropriate authorisation.
How can you apply for the 16-19 Bursary?
- Year 13 students who previously received the bursary in Year 12 need to complete and sign the ‘Declaration of Circumstances Form’ and return it to the Bursary Team. Check with the Bursary Team when the deadline is – it is usually in early September.
- Year 12 students need to complete the online application form in full and email all the relevant supporting documentation (three months Universal credit statements or wage slips/P60s/SA302 Tax forms) to [email protected] as per the policy deadlines.
- We can only accept applications from the student’s school email account. We cannot accept paper copies of any documentation; we will decline any applications without the appropriate supporting documentation.
- We will confirm the decision regarding your application to the student’s school; all further correspondence will be via the student’s school email.
- We will review appeals via the Bursary Appeals.
- The initial closing date for Discretionary Bursary applications will be confirmed later in the year.
- Further applications for the Discretionary Bursary will be accepted throughout the year.
- Payments or reimbursement will be made into the student’s own bank account – please ensure your correct bank details are provided on the application form.
- Please email all supporting documentation and any queries to [email protected].
Any queries with your application will be followed up by email. Please ensure you check your emails as the application will not be considered further if we do not receive a response.
How are Bursary decisions made?
Each application will be reviewed on its own merits. In extenuating circumstances, we reserve the right to make awards to individual students who do not necessarily meet all of the listed criteria, as long as they meet the base criteria set by the ESFA. Bursaries will be granted based on the information provided. Funds will only be granted where a genuine need for assistance has been demonstrated. Not all applications will be successful. The funding available is limited, and with the exception of the guaranteed bursaries, awards will not be guaranteed. Students who apply later in the year after the budget has been allocated may not be granted an award, unless they are classed as category A.
How do I appeal against or make a complaint about the Bursary?
An appeals process exists so that if you or your parent/carer wishes to appeal against a decision regarding support from The Fund, you are treated equally and given the right to appeal. The matter will be referred initially to the Finance Director. Our procedure is designed to ensure that you have a full opportunity to raise, individually or collectively, matters of concern, without fear of disadvantage and in the knowledge that privacy and confidentiality will be respected. Decisions will be confirmed via email.
Bursary Appeal Application Form
How does payment happen?
We will try and ensure that the first payments of the academic year are made in October, although this depends on the number of applications that require assessment. Whilst awards will be backdated, you may need to allow for a delay with the first payment.
Once the Bursary application has been approved, payments are made on or around the last Friday of each month, subject to any supporting evidence, i.e. proof of purchase, being provided by the middle of the month.
Please note it is not the responsibility of the school to place orders for any resources on your behalf. You are required to purchase these up-front and provide proof of purchase to facilitate reimbursement. If you wish to check whether items are eligible for reimbursement, please contact your Head of Year, or email [email protected].
Bursary payments may be reduced if you have several instances of negative behaviour recorded on the student behaviour records system.
You must notify us of any changes in your circumstances throughout the year. You will not normally be expected to repay an award, but your entitlement to further payments may be affected. You are not allowed to have debts with HGS. Vulnerable and Discretionary Bursary awards will be reduced by the amount of any outstanding debts.
Are applications handled confidentially?
We will ensure that applications are handled confidentially. For audit purposes, however, hard copies of all documentation for Bursary funding will be kept for a period of six years. The information will be made available for audit purposes. Some records may be computerised but these will be held securely and in compliance with the Data Protection Act.
As per the Equality Act 2010, no applicant will receive less favourable treatment on the grounds of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.
Need some help?
If you would like help completing the application form or have any queries, please contact your Head of Year or email [email protected].