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FINANCIAL
HELP WHILST YOU STUDY at Westminster Kingsway College
This page gives you basic
information about the kinds of financial help you may
be able to get whilst you are studying. For detailed
information on eligibility and to apply, please come
and see a Course Information & Financial Adviser (CIFA)
in the Admissions & Advice Office where you will study
or the student intranet, Nexus.
FOR
LEARNERS AGED BETWEEN 16-19
Education Maintenance Allowance (or EMA for short) could
give you up to £30 a week to help out with the costs
of staying in learning after 16. The money's paid directly
into your bank account. Once it's there, you can use
it to pay for whatever you like -for example, books,
travel or equipment.This helps you concentrate on learning
without worrying so much about money. Call for an application
pack on 0800 121 8989 or visit www.direct.gov.uk/ema
If you are a young parent
aged under 20, Care to Learn can help you with the cost
of childcare and travel.You can choose the type of childcare
that most suits you and your child. For general information
about who qualifies for Care to Learn, contact the Care
to Learn Helpline on 0845 600 2809
discretionary
Learner Support & Hardship Funds
Learners between the
age of 16-17 living in London are entitled to free travel
on buses and trams (please refer to the Travel Discounts
section of this leaflet for more details). However,
if your travel to college is very complex that you would
need to use the underground and/or rail, this fund can
contribute towards the fare. For more information and
to pick up an application pack, please come and see
a Course Information & Financial Adviser (CIFA) in the
Admissions & Advice Office.
FOR
LEARNERS AGED 19 OR OVER
ALG is there to help
out with costs like travel and books while you're studying
for your first full Level 2 qualification or first full
Level 3 qualification.You need to be studying a course
of 12 or more hours in college per week. ALG could help
to ease any money worries, letting you concentrate on
your learning. If you qualify, you'll get up to £30
a week during term time -that's around £1,000 a year.
How much you get depends on your income. For ALG advice
and applications, call 0800 100 900.
discretionary
Learner Support & Hardship Funds
If financial hardship
or the costs associated with childcare are some of your
barriers to learning these funds can help you overcome
them. These funds can help adult learners with support
for costs associated with learning including childcare,
tuition fees, travel costs and essential equipment and
books (Equipment support is only for students on Visual
and Performing Arts and Catering courses). For more
information and to pick up an application pack, please
come and see a Course Information & Financial Adviser
(CIFA) in the Admissions & Advice Office.
Financial Assistance
Professional and Career Development Loans are bank loans that can be used to help pay for work related learning. You can borrow between £300 and £10,000 to help support the cost of up to two years of learning (or three years if it includes one year's relevant unpaid practical work). The Young People's Learning Agency will pay the interest on the loan while you are learning and for one month afterwards. The loan can be used to pay course fees or other costs such as travel and living expenses. You can also use the loan to supplement other forms of support such as grants or bursaries. Because the Professional and Career Development Loan is a commercial loan product, they should only be considered as an option once all other student funding options have been investigated. For further information on financial assistance to support your learning, please visit
www.direct.gov.uk/adultlearning.
FOR
HIGHER EDUCATION LEARNERS
The Access to Learning
Fund can provide extra money if you are in financial
hardship and need help for your course or to stay in
higher education. For more information please come and
see a Course Information & Financial Adviser (CIFA)
in the Admissions & Advice Office where you will study
or the student intranet, Nexus.
TRAVEL
DISCOUNTS
If you are 16 and 17-year-old
living in London and in full-time education, you can
apply for free travel on buses and trams. Application
forms are available from post offices. Learners aged
18 or over and in full-time education can apply for
a student Oyster photo card and get 30 per cent off
Travel card. For more information and to apply online
please visit www.tfl.gov.uk Learners on Income Support
can apply for Bus and Tram Discount Card and receive
50 per cent discount on buses and trams. For more information
and to apply online please visit www.tfl.gov.uk Freedom
Passes allow older and eligible disabled people who
live in a London borough to travel free on London's
public transport network. For more information please
visit www.freedompass.org
For any queries regarding this info
or for advice on money matters please contact the Student
Finance Team on: student_finance@westking.ac.uk
Further
sources of assistance
Full information about
financial and other support for students is also available
from pages of Directgov (www.direct.gov.uk)
and through the learndirect (www.learndirect.co.uk)
and nextstep (www.nextstep.org.uk)
services.
If you are attending
a Higher Education course such as Foundation Degrees
or BA top-up programmes, or thinking of applying for
such a course in the future, whether at WKC or at another
college or University, please go to www.direct.gov.uk/studentfinance
for more detailed information on all the financial help
available to HE students.
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