Financial Support
All information is correct for 2026/2027 academic year.
Online Bursary Application
To apply for a bursary for help with course related costs, childcare and Free College Meals use our PayMyStudent portal. Please use the link to complete the application process. The portal can be accessed using your college login details (email and password). This portal is for all FE bursaries and age groups with the exception of University Centre/Higher Education (UC/HE)
Visit our PayMyStudent site to register and apply for free college meals, as well as 16-19, vulnerable learner and adult learner bursaries.
Please consider the following when completing your application:
- Digital copies of the last 3 months household income, income must be uploaded to the digital application. (As PDF documents, click the print icon on the Universal Credit (UC) statement to create the PDF on your device, screenshots will not be accepted.)
- Please answer all questions either, yes, no, or N/A, or include the relevant information. Incomplete forms cannot be assessed.
- Complete any questionnaires at the end of the process.
- Parent/carer/social worker must digitally sign your form on submission if a student is under 18.
Applications will not be considered complete until all information is correctly received.
Contact the Bursaries Team via bursaries@newcollege.ac.uk If you need further information or support with your application.
Tel: 01793 209520
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Get in touch
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Types of support available
This bursary is available to students who are aged 16-18 on a DfE Vocational course and academic course (not apprenticeship) OR aged 19 on the 2nd year of a two year course, OR under 24 with an Educational Health and Care Plan (EHCP).
You can apply for support with travel (2 miles or more from your college campus if not receiving travel support via an EHCP), meals, mandatory equipment, trips or uniform.
If you meet one of the four criteria below (plus the other criteria for age and residency) and if you have a financial need, you can apply for a bursary for vulnerable groups of up to £1,200 per year if you are participating on a study programme that lasts for 30 weeks or more:
- In care
- A care leaver
- Receiving Income Support, or Universal Credit because you are financially supporting yourself or someone who is dependent on you and living with you such as a child or partner
- Receiving Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payments in your own right as well as Employment and Support Allowance or Universal Credit in your own right.
Financial support will be planned around the students’ needs and course requirements. Any travel support will be considered if you live 2 miles or more from your college campus and not receiving travel support via an EHCP.
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This bursary is available to students who:
- Are over 19 on a Further Education (FE) course
- Need support with travel (2 miles or more from your college campus), equipment, trips and uniform
- Childcare during timetabled college hours.
You must complete your tuition fees assessment with our Customer Services team prior to applying for financial support.
This is available to students who are:
- Under 20 years old on their first day of learning
- Completing an FE course (not an apprenticeship)
- In receipt of child benefit for the child.
- The main carer for the child.
Applications for this support is made via the Bursary application PayMyStudent Portal. The college must verify your application for Care to Learn, please bring your child’s birth certificate and child benefit letter to the Student Finance Office so we are able to confirm your application. The Childcare provision must be OFSTED registered.
If you feel you fall under the government’s new Free Meals initiative, you will still need to apply for the support. Please use the PayMyStudent link on this page to make your application.
Available to students who are aged 16-18 on a vocational course or academic (not an apprenticeship or University Centre/Higher Education) OR 19 during the 2nd year of a two year course OR under 24 with an Educational Health Care Plan. Students must provide evidence of one of the following:
- Income Based Employment and Support Allowance
- Support under part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
- The guaranteed element of State Pension Credit
- Universal Credit (UC)
Information relevant for all our bursaries:
- You need to be a resident of the UK for 3 years prior to the start of your course. Students who are citizens of EU or EEA countries (other than Irish citizens) who enter the UK after 31 December 2020 are not automatically eligible for funding and must be able to demonstrate that they are legally resident in the UK to be funded
- If you are 19+ tuition fees must be resolved to access the bursary
- Your income needs to be below £40,000 NET(see support grid below)
- Travel over 2 miles from the campus you attend, and not receiving support via an EHCP
- The course isn’t available at a closer college, without a valid reason.
*Equipment, uniform and trips, essential only, as reported by the department at the start of the year.
#Awards for households over £40k will be via the appeals and moderation committee only and based on personal family circumstances.
The guidelines require the College to promote the consumption of hot and healthy meals where possible. Snacks or drinks are not included in the Free College Meal Scheme – free access to drinking water is available.
Options will be provided for students with particular dietary requirements, including vegetarians, those with medical needs or those with faith related dietary requirements. Students should engage directly with the catering team to discuss their needs. The scheme does not accommodate personal preferences where students simply dislike the available options.
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Student Financial Support Policy
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Frequently Asked Questions
Funding would not be available until the first day of attendance on your chosen course following a successful and complete application.
To access any part of your bursary you will need to always provide your student ID card.
The same level of funding cannot be guaranteed year on year as the budget changes each year along with our policies and DfE funding rules. A new application must be made for each year of study. All our funds are subject to students meeting funding rules set out by the government and the New College Swindon Bursary Policy.
Our funds are allocated on a first come first served basis and once all the funds are allocated, we will close the bursary applications. All applications are processed in date order of receipt to ensure fairness. Only completed applications with all the correct evidence can be assessed.
All correspondence and vouchers will be sent to student email addresses only. Please check your college email address before contacting us. You can also log back into you Bursary application using the same QR code or link above and see all your payments and letters on your application account.
Travel. Students who live in Swindon or nearby areas will need to download Swindon Bus Company app to their device ready for use. Voucher codes will be sent each week Friday to the students’ college email addresses; the first voucher will be available from the Friday following the award letter. Vouchers should be uploaded on the Saturday, not before to ensure travel is available for a full week.
Where students cannot use the Swindon Bus Company app, travel will be paid directly to a student’s own bank account. Travel receipts/tickets must be provided when activating the payments and again after Christmas and Easter. Failure to do so may result in payments being suspended. Some students will be required to provide receipts/tickets every week.
Equipment. Payments for equipment will be transferred to the department. Students should not order their own equipment if they are eligible for funding as the college will order it for them. Students should provide the Learner Experience Admin with any sizes required for uniforms etc. Where we pay a percentage towards the kit and uniform costs, the student must pay the remaining balance before the items are ordered. Please see the Learner Experience Admin to complete this.
Meal Allowances. Meal allowances cannot be back dated. Students’ meals will be available by tapping their ID card at a till point once they have been assessed as eligible. If you need a replacement ID card during the year, you will need wait an hour and a half for the balance to upload before using. Alternatives are not available.
Students must visit the reception for a new ID card. They will need to allow up to one hour and a half for their balance to be uploaded. It will be a student’s responsibility to do this in enough time to be able to eat within their allotted break.
The DfE funding guidelines require the College to promote the consumption of complete, healthy meals. The Free College Meal scheme does not cover snacks, confectionery, or drinks when purchased individually. These items may be included as part of an approved meal deal. Access to free drinking water is provided across both campuses.
Options will be available for students with specific dietary requirements, including vegetarians, those with medical needs, or those with faith-based dietary requirements. Students should engage directly with the catering team to discuss their needs. The scheme does not accommodate personal preferences where students simply dislike the available options.
In order for a student to remain eligible for funding they must adhere to the college Attendance and Behaviour policy. Attendance must remain above 88% in all timetabled classes. If attendance falls below this figure, travel may be suspended and the student must arrange a meeting with their Personal Tutor regarding their progress. Once this has been completed the Personal Tutor will inform the Student Finance Team who will re-assess the travel support. They must also be progressing and meeting their agreed targets set in their Pro Monitor targets.
Students must update us on any changes to financial or personal circumstances or timetable changes throughout the year to make sure their bursary allocation is correct (Changes of address and phone number etc. should also be reported to our Customer Services team).
It is a students/parents/carer’s responsibility to inform the Benefit Office of any bursary allocation if you are claiming benefits.
You are only eligible for a bus pass during term time. Bus pass vouchers will be sent on the last day of a term, for the first week of the following term. These passes are not to be activated until the first day of the new term.
If a student withdraws early from their course, they will be expected to re-pay part or all of their allocation dependent on the time and reason for withdrawing.
27-35 Fleet Street
Swindon SN1 1RQ
