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Information on financial support, course fees & refunds for students
South Hampshire College Group (SHCG) is committed to ensuring education is accessible and affordable for all. No matter what you're studying, we are here to help you find out what financial support you're entitled to.
The information below on the financial support available is correct for the academic year 2024/25.
This fund is designed to provide financial support for full and part time students who are experiencing financial difficulty. All applications are considered individually and will only be granted where a genuine need for financial assistance has been demonstrated and criteria has been met. The Discretionary fund is specifically designed to meet certain priority groups such as:
This funding may also be available when the household annual income is under £29,000 and there is a proven need for financial assistance or when students experience sudden changes in circumstances such as; redundancy in the family home.
SHCG cannot offer cash payments but may be able to support with the costs of college related items such as travel, essential equipment, books and/or uniform.
To be eligible to apply to this fund you must be:
Applications will open on the 1st August 2024 via the Pay my Student Portal on the SHCG website.
Please note:
This fund has been established by the Government to support any student whose financial situation acts as a barrier to participation. The Vulnerable Bursary may provide funding for transport, essential kits/uniform, course material and equipment. Students are awarded the amount of support they need to participate, payments are conditional and dependant on attendance, behaviours and attitudes.
To be eligible to apply to this fund you must meet at least one of the following criteria, you must be:
*This funding is not guaranteed. Students who may be eligible are not automatically entitled to a bursary if they do not have educational financial needs and/or their educational financial needs are covered from other sources.
Where a student is eligible for the Vulnerable Bursary and is participating on a study programme that lasts for 30 weeks or more they can be awarded up to £1,200 per year. This figure will be determined by what is required to ensure participation. Students on study programmes of less than 30 weeks or if a student is starting later than the planned start date will be paid a pro-rata amount, as appropriate, based on an assessment of their actual needs.
Free Student Meals are available for all eligible students for each day the student is timetabled and expected to attend their study programme (as appropriate).
To be eligible for Free Student Meals as per current guidance you must be:
Support may only be offered once a successful application has been made.
Eligibility Criteria
Free meals in further education may be provided where students are in receipt of, or have parents who are in receipt of, one or more of the following benefits:
County Councils have an online service to check eligibility for Free Student Meals. Please follow the links below for the area in which you reside.
Southampton - Free school meals (southampton.gov.uk)
Hampshire - Online FSM Application (cloudforedu.org.uk)
19+ Discretionary Student Support Fund
The Discretionary Student Support Fund for 19+ students is a financial assistance fund comprising of post-19 discretionary and post-20 childcare funds provided by the Education & Skills Funding Agency (ESFA). The fund is intended to be used for students facing financial hardship to help with essential course related costs such as travel, essential equipment, books and/or uniform, professional body membership fees and the cost of childcare while studying (for students aged 20 and over). Funds may be used for a wide variety of purposes to meet individual needs.
All applications are considered individually and will only be granted where a genuine need for financial assistance has been demonstrated and criteria has been met. Discretionary funding may be available when the household annual income is under £29,000; a higher income threshold may be considered for childcare support
19+ Advanced Learning Loans Bursary (ALLB)
Students who wish to study for a qualification at Level 3 and are 19+ years, at the start of their course, can apply for an Advanced Learner Loan to cover the tuition cost of their study programme. The Bursary is designed to support students aged 19+ who have taken out an Advanced Learner Loan and face financial barriers to participation.
This fund can help pay for support such as accommodation (if a student needs to live away from home for their course), travel, course materials/equipment, childcare and/or classroom assistance for a disability or learning difficulty.
Free Student Meals
Students aged 19 or over are only eligible to receive a free meal if they are continuing on a study programme they began aged 16 or have an Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan.
These two groups of aged 19 plus students can receive a free meal while they continue to attend education (in the case of a 19+ continuer, this must be the same programme they started before they turned 19), as long as their eligibility continues.
Free Student Meals are only available for each day the student is timetabled and expected to attend their study programme (as appropriate)
Young parents under 20 at the start of the course may be entitled for help with childcare whilst studying. The childcare provider must be Ofsted registered. You may also get help with the additional travel costs you have to pay so you can take your child from home to the childcare provider.
Find out more about Care to Learn at: www.gov.uk/care-to-learn
For students who are aged 20 or over at the start of their course can apply to the College for assistance with the cost of childcare while they study. The assistance offered is based on a number of eligibility factors and is always only available for Ofsted registered care.
Cheaper broadband and phone packages
Did you know that if you're claiming Universal Credit, or some other benefits, you may be able to get your home broadband and phone packages at a cheaper rate? Find out more about social tariffs (new window)
There are loans available to help support adults with the costs of studying Further and Higher Education courses at City College. These are described below.
If you're aged 19 or over and want to study Access to Higher Education or a Level 3 or above Vocational Qualification, you'll need to pay for the cost of your course. To help finance the course you may qualify for an Advanced Learner Loan.
It’s easy to apply for. Household income isn’t taken into account and there’s no credit check. Importantly, you won’t have to pay anything back until you're earning over £25,000 a year.
Good news for Access to HE courses
Student Finance England will 'write off' any outstanding Advanced Learner Loan balances you owe for an Access to HE course once you complete a Higher Education course. This means you do not have to repay it.
When to apply
You can apply for courses starting between 1 August 2024 and 31 July 2025. Complete and submit your Advanced Learner Loan application as soon as possible to ensure your loan is in place for the start of your course. Please note: you will not be able to apply until you have received a course offer and a Learning and Funding Information letter from the College.
How to apply for an Advanced Learner Loan
Step 1 - Identify whether your chosen course is eligible for a 19+ Advanced Learner Loan. This would be shown in the 'Dates, times & fees' section of the course information page on our website.
Step 2 - Once an offer of a place on the course is made, you will be invited to enrol and obtain a Learning and Funding Information letter from the College.
Step 3 - Apply online for Advanced Learner Loans (new window). – it’s easy and your application will be processed quickly. You should hear within two weeks from applying. You will need to use the Learning and Funding Information letter we provide to apply for your loan.
Step 4 - Upon successful confirmation of your loan from the Student Loans Company you can start your course
Visit Money Helper (new window) for impartial financial advice
You may be able to borrow money to help pay for your college tuition fees and to help with living costs. You might also be able to get extra money on top of this if you’re on a low income, are disabled or have children for example.
The Student Loans Company (new window) can provide students studying their first Degree or other Higher Education course loans and grants to help finance the course fees. The fees will automatically be paid by the Student Loans Company (SLC) directly to the College.
You can apply for student loans and other student finance in the spring before the start of your course. Don’t wait until you get an offer or receive your exam results – apply as soon as you can!
You usually only get student finance if you’re doing your first Higher Education qualification - even if your previous course was self-funded. You may still be eligible for limited funding in certain circumstances. You will need to contact the loan company to check your eligibility.
Tuition Fee Loan & Maintenance Loan for Living Costs
To assist you with your tuition fees you can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan (non-income assessed) and a Maintenance Loan for your accommodation and living costs whilst you are studying.
There are no up-front tuition fees with a student loan and you will only start to repay the loan after you leave the course and start working. The amount you pay is dependent on your salary, not the size of your loan and will be deducted from your salary by your employer in the same way they deduct tax.
Find out Student Finance Loan Information (new window)
Depending on your circumstances and/or which course you wish to take, there may be a fee to pay for your course. If you do have to pay your own fees there are a number of ways you can find help with making this payment. This could be loan or we can help spread the payments out with an interest free payment plan.
For information on course fees, contact our advice and guidance team by email at enquiries@southampton-city.ac.uk
For students aged 16–18 our full‑time study programmes are free to study, but coming to college can involve other costs such as travel, equipment and trips. Financial support may be available (see top of this page for information).
Regardless of your age, you don't need to pay tuition fees for a basic English (literacy) or maths (numeracy) course up to level 2. There are also no fees for GCSE English and maths if you have not already gained a grade 4/C or above in these subjects.
If you meet any of the following criteria you may be eligible for free or discounted study depending on your selected course:
Please note: in some cases exam and registration fees may be payable.
UK and EU students do not pay tuition or examination fees for government funded further education courses, as long as they have not reached their 19th birthday by the month in which their course begins.
If you are aged 19+ and in receipt of active benefits (e.g. Job Seeker’s Allowance, Employment Support Allowance, Universal Credit) and studying below level 3 you may be eligible for free or discounted study depending on your selected course.
You can set up an INTEREST FREE payment plan using your debit or credit card for course fees over £500 and at least 12 weeks long. Exceptions may apply to some short courses.
If your employer is intending to pay for your course a signed Employer Authority Form should be supplied to you at enrolment. The College will issue an invoice to the employer which must be paid on receipt.Download Employer Authority Form (pdf)
View Fees Policy (pdf)
If you wish to claim a refund for a course you've already paid for, please complete and return the below refund application form.
Download Refund Application Form (pdf)
