Adult education bursaries
In the United Kingdom there are five colleges that specialize in providing long-term residential courses for adults. The colleges are:
Fircroft College: www.fircroft.ac.uk
Hillcroft College (for women): www.hillcroft.ac.uk
Newbattle Abbey College: www.newbattleabbeycollege.ac.uk
Northern College: www.northern.ac.uk
Ruskin College: www.ruskin.ac.uk
A bursary scheme has been set up for adults who enrol on a full-time course of at least a year in length at one of these colleges. A similar scheme is also available for students from Scotland (see www.saas.gov.uk for more information). Grants are given to students to cover the tuition fees and to provide a suitable amount of money on which to live for the year. Also a dependants' allowance is given for those who need extra financial support. Additional grants are available for students with disabilities.
The bursaries are available to students attending certificate and diploma courses. They are not available for students who are studying on a course that leads to a professional qualification or for students who are studying on courses at first degree level.
To be eligible to apply for funding you need to meet the following criteria:
- You must be at least 19 years old before the start of the academic year in which the course begins. Some colleges may request a higher age limit so you will need to check before you apply.
- You must be resident in England or Wales. Scottish students can apply for the Adult Education Allowance Scheme.
- You must have been ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man throughout the period of three years immediately preceding your bursary application.
- You must have settled status which means that you must be settled in the United Kingdom within the meaning of the Immigration Act of 1971 at the date you apply for a bursary.
- You must have been offered a place at one of the colleges listed above and been recommended for a bursary.
- You should not have received an Adult Education Bursary on a previous occasion.
- You should not have attended a course at a UK higher education institution and received public funding to do this on a previous occasion.
If you are interested in studying at one of these colleges and need to find out about the bursary scheme, you are advised to contact your chosen college direct. A booklet called Adult Education Bursaries: a guide for applicants for courses at the long-term residential colleges is available from the address below. It is now available in printed or electronic format.
Awards Officer
Adult Education Bursary Office
Suite 30
Westgate Centre
Oxford OX1 1NZ
Tel. 01865 727 035