Nottingham Academy Sixth Form Bursary Fund 

16-19 BURSARY FUND 

This fund is designed to help young people who face financial challenges if they choose to continue in further education.

Eligibility

To be eligible to receive a bursary you must:

• be aged over 16 and under 19 on 31 August 2023
• satisfy residency criteria (as defined in the Education Funding Agency regulations for post-16 provision)

To continue to receive a bursary you must also meet targets such as attendance, punctuality, behaviour and coursework deadlines which will be agreed with you by the Head of Sixth Form.

The Bursary Fund has two elements:

Vulnerable Bursary

This is a maximum bursary of £1,200 per year to support the young people in most need.  These have been identified by the government as young people who are:

• in care
• care leavers
• getting Income Support (IS), or Universal Credit (UC) in place of Income Support, in their own right
• getting Employment Support Allowance (ESA) or Universal Credit (UC) and Disability Living Allowance (DLA) or Personal Independence Payments in their own right

Discretionary Bursary

Discretionary bursaries are awards made to other students facing financial barriers to participation in education, such as the cost of transport, meals, books, and equipment which are dependent on household income. 

If you are entitled to Free School Meals or your parent/guardian’s income is less than £25,000 you may be entitled to this award.  In order to assess eligibility, the Academy will request information relating to all aspects of household income:

• Payslips
• P60
• Evidence of income from self-employment
• Tax Credits forms (TC602)
• Award letter for any benefits

Changes in Circumstance during the 2023-24 Academic Year

A small contingency amount is retained by the academy from the overall bursary fund so that some support may be available in the event of a sudden deterioration in the financial circumstances of a student. Payments to students may also be adjusted to take account of improvements in a student’s circumstances.

Deadline for Applications

Those wishing to apply for a bursary must complete the application form and return it with the supporting documentation outlined on the form in a sealed envelope addressed to Miss S Merrill C/O Sixth Form Office, Greenwood Road, Nottingham.  NG3 7EB. 

If your form is incomplete or the required documentary information is missing you will be asked to resubmit your application. 

Deadline for completion is 29 October 2023. For any queries about the bursary check your Teams account (current students) or contact sixthformadmin@nottinghamacademy.org

Confidentiality

We understand that some students may be reluctant to apply for a bursary because we are asking for sensitive personal information.  We wish to assure students that we protect the confidentiality of the information provided under the Data Protection Act 1998.  We store the application forms and supporting documentary evidence securely and access to this information is carefully controlled.  Only a small number of staff will have access to your applications.  

Confirmation of Award and Payments

We will write to all applicants to confirm if their bursary application has been approved, how much has been awarded and when payments will be made.  All payments are made by BACs into a bank account.

Decisions                                                

All applications will be considered and assessed by the Director of Post-16 Studies. You will be notified of the decision within 21 days of receipt of your application. If your application is rejected you have the right to appeal and/or complain to the Director of Post-16 Studies if you feel that your case has not been given fair consideration. This must be in writing. The final decision rests with the Principal.