The 16-19 Bursary Fund helps 16- to 19-year-olds with education-related costs to enable them to continue in education.

The different types of additional support available to young people aged 16-19 who commence their training in the year 2026/2027 include:

• Vulnerable Bursary - Bursaries of £1,200 per year to the most vulnerable young people
• Discretionary Bursary - A discretionary fund if you need financial help but do not qualify for a bursary for students in vulnerable groups

Students can apply for one or other of the bursaries according to their financial circumstances.

To be eligible to receive a bursary in the 2026/27 academic year, a student must be aged 16 to 18 at the start of the academic year in which they start a programme of study, i.e. 31st August 2026. If they turn 19 during the course of the programme students can continue to be supported until the end of the academic year, or to the end of the programme of study, whichever is sooner.

To be eligible for a Vulnerable Bursary of up to £1,200, students meet one of the following categories and provide the following evidence:

• Students in receipt of Income Support or Universal Credit in their own name and disabled young people in receipt of both Employment Support Allowance and Disability Living Allowance (or Personal Independent payments) - A current letter setting out the benefit to which the student is entitled to.
• For those students who are in care, looked after in care or care leavers - written confirmation of the students current or previous looked after status from the local authority which looks after the student or provides their leaving care services. (this must be an official document from the local authority – i.e. an email or letter that is current).

Other students may be eligible for a Discretionary bursary; we will endeavour to target our bursary awards towards students facing financial barriers to continuing with their education. The amount that will be paid will be based on a financial assessment of each individual application and will be dependent on the number of applications and the size of the bursary fund received from the government. Parents / Carers will be requested to supply current documentation evidencing their financial situation for the previous year as proof of income and / or earnings. Students who are in receipt of, or whose parents are in receipt of, Universal Credit will be eligible for Free Meals. All supporting documentation must be current or dated within the last year. 

To continue to receive a bursary all students must satisfy the following conditions:

• The student must meet the condition of standards of attendance and behaviour as detailed in the Brighter Futures Training Agreement and Code of Conduct and discussed in induction
• The student must show the required commitment to their studies at all times