The amount of funding available to each eligible young person will depend on each student's individual circumstances and their actual financial needs. There are many reasons a student may benefit from financial support, so please apply if you believe you could meet the criteria!

If you were eligible for Free School Meals at your previous school, you continue to be eligible at the College, provided we have received the necessary evidence. Otherwise, if you would like to begin receiving them at college, we encourage you to complete our application form.

Students enrolling in September should aim to apply for the Bursary Fund by 30 June so that we can assess your eligibility before you take up your place at Hills Road in September. Bursary Fund payments will only be made to students whose enrolment is confirmed in late August, but we try to assess applications in July to help students make informed choices as to where to enrol.

Application forms can be submitted later in the academic year, but there may be delays in processing and confirming eligibility. If you are viewing this later in the academic year, please do not feel deterred from sending your application, we will get back to you at the earliest possible convenience. You can apply at any point throughout your studies or in advance of enrolment.

Please be aware that the Bursary Fund team only process applications during term-time.

The Bursary Fund is made up of two distinct parts. Bursaries for students in defined vulnerable groups and a discretionary bursary. To find out more, read the information below.

The fund is for young people who are 16 or over, but under 19, on 31 August in the academic year in which they start their programme of study. They must also satisfy one of the criteria below.

If you are eligible for the Bursary Fund, you will have five options to choose from when applying.

Once you start your application, you can use an account to return to saved work. We recommend that you set up an account, as our application form has multiple sections and requires uploads of various documents.

Please select the option that applies to your situation to find out the income and benefit documents you will need to upload.

Before completing our application form, please do your best to ensure you have all the necessary information ready to upload. If you are unsure what documents are required, please check the section above or email the Bursary Fund team for help. It is important to upload complete documents – e.g., if you are in receipt of Universal Credit, we will require three recent statements in full. Both parent/carer and student are required to sign the form (if applicable to your circumstances), so please complete this together.

Please try your best to upload all the necessary documentation when you apply, as this means we will be able to process your application as promptly as possible. If you have not uploaded all necessary evidence, the Bursary Fund will contact you to request the outstanding information, which may delay the process.

At the end of the application form, you will be required to sign a declaration to confirm that all the evidence you have provided is correct and complete to the best of your knowledge. Giving false or incomplete information that leads to incorrect/overpayment may result in future payments being stopped, any incorrectly paid funds being recovered, and in the case of fraudulent behaviour, potential referral to the police.

Whether you are a current student or holding an offer of a place to join us in September 2024, please submit your application as early as possible. If your application is approved in advance of September, we will be able to process payments more promptly once the term begins. If your circumstances change, you can apply to the Bursary Fund at any point throughout your studies.

The Bursary Fund team should be in contact shortly after you have submitted your application to discuss the details with you. However, please be mindful that, at the start of the academic year, we are typically processing a significant number of applications, so please be patient during this time. Appeals against unsuccessful applications may be made to the Assistant Principal (Student Progression & Support) via The Bursary Fund team within two weeks of the notification being received. Appeals will be settled within two weeks and advised in writing.