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Financial Support
At Cambridge Regional College we understand that there are costs related to attending college, if your annual gross household income is £30,000 or below, you may be eligible for a college bursary which could support you towards these costs.
On this page you will be able to see details of each of our bursaries and determine which one would be applicable to your based on your circumstances. There is also detailed guidance, a handy guide and a video tutorial which explains registering and making an application which will help you through the process.
Please note the bursary is unable to provide financial assistance towards your course tuition costs. For further information on course tuition costs please contact Student Administration.
Are you a Returning CRC Student?
For those who studied the first year of a 2 year level 3 course at CRC in 2021/2022, applications for 2022/2023 bursary will open on the 10th August, providing they have enrolled. Student who are returning but on a different level course will be unable to apply for bursary until they have enrolled- see below new started information.
Please note, once you have enrolled you may need to leave our systems a few hours, sometimes overnight, to update before you apply for bursary.
Are you a New CRC Student?
New students will be able to apply for the 2022/2023 bursary once they have completed the enrolment process. New students are invited in during the last 2 weeks of August to enrol, please keep an eye out for the day you should come in to enrol. Once you have enrolled with us at CRC, you will be able to apply for the bursary on this page of the website.
Please see the guidance on this page of how to register for the Pay my Student (bursary) portal and how to make your application.
Please note, once you have enrolled you may need to leave our systems a few hours, sometimes overnight, to update before you apply for bursary.
Are you using the College Bus to get to College?
If you are applying for the bursary to help with the cost of the college bus please apply for the bursary once you have enrolled, then email to request a voucher. Vouchers will be issued from W/C 29th August. You can then use this voucher code to purchase your bus pass from Shuttle ID. Please click here to purchase your ticket.
All students who are eligible for bursary will get the early bird college bus rate of £495 so do not worry if you are unable to apply for the college bus before the 31st August due to being a first year student and having an enrolment meeting date after 31st August. If you are unsure if you will be eligible for bursary after reading all the information provided on this page, we would encourage you to make an early bird application as soon as possible.
If your discount is for 75% (as per bursary guidance) of the bus pass fee, then you will be requested to complete a direct debit form to pay the remaining 25%.
Please see information and apply for your bus pass here
For guidance on using this system please see the bottom of this page for a video tutorial and step by step guide.
I am aged 16-18 at the start of my course
Students aged 16–18 years
Students who are aged 16-18 (from 31st August 2022) will not normally be expected to pay any tuition fees, registration fees or exam fees for their course, but you may have to pay for other course related costs, such as essential kit and equipment. Those who turn 19 in the academic year will be supported under the 16-19 Discretionary Bursary.
16-19 Discretionary Bursary
This discretionary bursary may be able to help with any college fees (e.g. kit/additional activities/visits/books) which are considered essential to your participation on the course. Assistance may also be given for transport, either using the college bus or public transport or own transport. Learners aged over 16 but under 19 on 31st August 2022 with a gross household income of £30,000 per annum or less can apply for assistance.
There are normally no registration, tuition or exam fees for learners aged under 19 on full time courses, however exam retakes may be charged and these are not supported under the bursary.
Free College Meals
Free college meals will be offered to learners aged between who meet the below government criteria and are; 16 -18 on 31st August 2022, or they are 19+ continuing on a study programme they begun aged 16 to 18 (19+ continuers), or have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseekers Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Support under part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
- The guarantee element of State Pension Credit
- Child Tax Credit (provided they are not entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190, as assessed by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC))
- Working Tax Credit run-on – paid for 4 weeks after someone stops qualifying for Working Tax Credit
- Universal Credit with net earnings not exceeding the equivalent of £7,400 pa (after tax and not including any benefits you get)
Free Meal Transitional Protection Arrangements
If you had Free Meals at school or College last academic year, then you can continue to receive these, although you may need to provide us with evidence from your previous provider.
Please note you are required to apply for free college meals via the bursary.
16 – 19 Childcare
Learners aged under 20 on 31st August 2022 who have a child that needs childcare while they attend college can receive assistance through Care to Learn via the Government.
For further information on college bursaries and whether you are eligible download our Bursary Guidance 2022-2023
To apply please click the following link https://camre.paymystudent.com/portal/
I am aged 16-22 at the start of my course, I live independently, in care or I am a care leaver
16-19 Vulnerable Learner Bursary (Government Scheme)
Cambridge Regional College support vulnerable students in line with the Government/ESFA guidance. The bursary is for students aged 16 or over or under 22 at the 31st August at the start of the academic year. This could be an award of up to £1,200. An assessment is made based on the financial need. We will assess the student’s financial need to enable them to participate in learning, e.g. travel costs, essential trips, lunches, equipment costs etc. If these costs are met from other sources of support, then we may not be able to award any money.
To be eligible for 16 – 19 Vulnerable Learner Bursary you will defined as one of the below vulnerable groups.
- you’re in or you recently left local authority care
- you (the student) gets Income Support or Universal Credit because you’re financially supporting yourself
- you (the student) gets Disability Living Allowance (DLA) in your name and either Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) or Universal Credit
- you (the student) gets Personal Independence Payment (PIP) in your name and either ESA or Universal Credit.
19-22 Care Leavers Bursary (Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority)
Those who are defined as Care Leavers from Cambridgeshire and/or Peterborough City Council may be able to access the 19-22 Care Leaver Bursary.
A learner must be aged 19 or over but under 22 at 31 August 2021 to be eligible for help from the Care Leavers Bursary in the 2021 to 2022 academic year.
Those In Care or Care Leavers who would like to ensure they are getting support with all aspects of college life can contact our LAC Coordinator based in the Hub.
For further information on Vulnerable and Care Leaver Bursary and whether you are eligible download our Bursary Guidance 22-23.
I am aged 19+ at the start of my course
19+ Discretionary Bursary
19+ Bursary
Learners aged 19 and over on 31st August 2022 will normally pay registration, tuition and exam fees in addition to kit, additional activity, visits or books. The 19+ Bursary helps learners studying a level 1, 2 or a first full level 3 qualification. To be eligible the learner must be aged 19 or over on 31st August 2022 with a gross household income of £30,000 or less.
19+ Childcare
Funding for childcare for those 20+ is available through the college 19+ Discretionary Bursary. The contribution is for the days the learner is timetabled to be in college (a maximum of £160 per week per child) and the provider must be Ofsted registered. The fund will not cover any registration fees, food, pick-ups or childcare costs over college holidays (eg. half term, Easter, Christmas, summer holiday).
For further information on 19+ bursary and whether you are eligible download our Bursary Guidance 22-23
To apply please click the following link https://camre.paymystudent.com/portal/
Course Fees
You may qualify for support with your tuition fees, please contact our Student Administration team on 01223 428870 for more information and fee advice.
Advanced Learner Loan
If you are aged 19 and over and thinking of further education study, you can apply for an Advanced Learner Loan to help with the costs of a course at a college or training provider in England.
You must be applying for a Level 3, 4, 5 or 6 qualification but loan eligibility does not depend on your income and there is no credit check.
Advanced Learner Loans are administered through gov.uk website and full information can be found here.
For more information on our Advanced Leaning Loan Discretionary Bursary please see the drop down below.
If your Advanced Leaning Loan question is specific to CRC then please contact our Student Administration team on 01223 428870 for more information.
I am studying a Higher Education course
Higher Education Bursary
If you are studying a Higher National Certificates, Higher National Diplomas or Foundation Degree you may be eligible for the Higher Education Bursary. This bursary may be able to support you with Childcare costs, Essential Kit or book costs and Transport/Travel costs.
To apply please click the following link https://camre.paymystudent.com/portal/
Higher Education Tuition Fee Loan
You can apply to Student Finance England for a Tuition Fee Loan. You can do this even if you have not had your place on the course confirmed. You can apply online directly with Student Finance England at www.gov.uk/apply-online-for-student-finance
We have put together a Higher Education Financial Support leaflet, which you may find helpful. You can download this from the link below.
I am paying my course fees with the Advanced Learner Loan
Advanced Learner Loan Discretionary Bursary
If you are paying for your course with an Advanced Learner Loan and your gross annual household income is £30,000 or below then you may be eligible for the Advanced Learner Loan Discretionary Bursary.
The Advanced Learner Loan Discretionary Bursary entitles eligible applicants up to £1,200 for full time students and £400 for part time students, for the academic year. If your chosen method of transport to college is the college bus, we will take this amount out of your bursary allocation.
Please note any kit, material and trips are not cover by the bursary, these are covered by your department. If you require kit, materials and trips, please speak to your tutor, technician or head of department.
To apply for the Advanced Leaning Loan Discretionary Bursary please click the following link https://camre.paymystudent.com/portal/
If you require more information about the Advanced Learner Loan, which cover the cost of tuition fees for adult learners on certain courses please visit https://www.gov.uk/advanced-learner-loan
Bursary Application Step By Step Guide |
Bursary Guidance 2022-23 |
