Sixth Form 16 – 19 Bursary Fund
The Bursary Fund provides financial support to help students overcome specific barriers to participation so that they can remain in education.
The 16-19 Bursary Fund provides financial support for sixth form students and is administered by the school. The amount of funding available for each school to distribute through the bursary funding has been determined by the government.
The purpose of the Bursary Fund is to provide financial support to help students overcome specific barriers to participation so that they can remain in education.
MGGS is therefore committed to distributing the Bursary Fund to those students with the greatest need.
Eligibility for the Bursary Fund
To be eligible to receive a bursary a student:
- must be under 19 on the 31st August in the academic year in which she/he starts the programme of study
- must satisfy Young People’s Learning Agency residency criteria.
To continue to receive a bursary a student must satisfy the following conditions:
- The student must maintain good attendance and punctuality throughout the year
- The student must adhere to the terms of the Sixth Form contract.
Bursaries will be paid in kind wherever possible. Students must request the use of funds via a Google form which will be shared with them by the Assistant Headteacher of Key Stage 5. The bursary can be used to support students to attend school trips and will cover the cost up to a maximum of £500 per annum or 25% of the trip total, whichever is higher. Please note that funds must be requested before purchases are made or before trips take place. It is not guaranteed that the bursary will cover all financial requests. At the end of each term a review will be made of how the bursary has been spent, how effectively it has helped to overcome potential barriers and how well the above conditions have been met. At this time, adjustments may be made to the next allocation.
Bursaries can be reduced or withdrawn if students do not meet requirements of the Sixth Form contract. This could include unauthorised/unexplained absences and/or lateness to lessons/school; each student will be dealt with on an individual basis. Students and parents will be informed if a student’s bursary is to be withdrawn. Improvement could result in the reinstatement of their bursary.
Applications, together with all supporting documentation must be returned as early as possible in Term 1. Please note that if you intend to apply for a 16+ Travelcard and wish the cost to be covered by bursary, then your bursary application must be submitted to Maidstone Grammar School for Girls at the same time as your Travelcard form and payment is posted to KCC.
If your bursary application is successful then your Travelcard costs will be reimbursed by Maidstone Grammar School for Girls. Reimbursements are generally made very early in Term 1.
Level One
These are fixed at £1,200 per year and are designed to support the young people in most need. These have been identified by the government as:
- young people in or recently left authority care
- young people in receipt of income support or in receipt of Universal Credit
- young people in receipt of Employment Support Allowance (ESA) and Disability Living Allowance (DLA) or in receipt of ESA and a Personal Independence Payment (PIP) in his/her name
The school will seek to identify students who are eligible for a level 1 bursary and will invite them to apply. However, any student who feels they may be eligible is encouraged to apply for a Level 1 Bursary using the school application form which is linked below. Parents/carers/students will need to provide appropriate documentation to prove entitlement, for example, a letter setting out the benefit to which the student is entitled, or written confirmation of the student’s current or previous looked after status from the local authority which looks after her/him or provides the leaving care services. All information supplied will be kept confidential and will only be shared with relevant staff.
Level Two
Other students may be eligible for a smaller bursary. These will be determined by the school on an individual case by case basis. We will seek to target bursary awards toward students facing financial barriers to participation. The amount that will be paid will be dependent on the number of applications for assistance received and the size of the bursary fund allocated to the school by the government.
To enable the school to make an informed decision the parent/carer will need to supply documentation, for example, indicating entitlement to Income Support, Tax Credits or a P60 for the previous year, as proof of income and/or earnings. Students currently or previously in receipt of free school meals are not automatically entitled to receive a bursary, but this may be taken into account.
Parents/carers who wish to apply for a level 2 bursary award on behalf of their daughter/son should use the school application form (see below). All information supplied will be kept confidential and will only be shared with the Bursary Fund committee.
Changes in Circumstance Over the Academic Year
A small contingency amount will be retained from the overall bursary fund so that some support could be available in the event of a sudden deterioration in the financial circumstances of a student. Therefore, it is possible to apply for the bursary later in the academic year. Payments to students may also be adjusted to take account of improvements in a student’s circumstances.
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