Sixth Form Bursary 2025/2026

The 16 to 19 Bursary Fund provides financial support to help students overcome the specific financial barriers to participation they face so they can remain in education. The bursary fund is intended to help students with their actual costs of participating, and bursary decisions are based on students’ individual circumstances and their actual financial need.

Funding is provided by the Education & Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) and administered by Sedgehill Academy. The school carries out a financial assessment of each applicant and administers bursaries in line with the ESFA’s Bursary Fund Guide 2025-2026 16 to 19 Bursary Fund guide: 2025 to 2026 - GOV.UK and as set out in this policy.
There are 2 types of 16 to 19 bursaries:

• bursaries for students in one of the defined vulnerable groups of up to £1,200 a year; and
• discretionary bursaries which institutions award to meet individual need, using policies they set in line with the ESFA’s funding rules

Defined vulnerable groups bursaries are awarded to students who have a financial need and who are:

• in care
• care leavers
• receiving Income Support, or Universal Credit because they are financially supporting themselves or financially supporting themselves and someone who is dependent on them and living with them such as a child or partner
• receiving Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payments as well as Employment and Support Allowance or Universal Credit in their own right

The school conducts a financial needs assessment to confirm actual financial need and the amount of support required. Students do not automatically receive £1,200.

Discretionary bursaries are awarded by the school to help students with costs such as travel, essential books, equipment, or specialist clothing (such as protective overalls, for example).
As with defined vulnerable groups bursaries, a financial needs assessment is undertaken, and we (the school) will then make decisions about which students receive a discretionary bursary and how much they receive. All decisions will be based on each student’s individual circumstances and their actual financial need.

Students applying for a discretionary bursary should indicate on their application form what they would like to use the bursary funding for including (where possible) the subject(s) concerned. Sedgehill Academy will consider requests for help with transport, books and equipment, field trips and other course-related costs, as well as the costs of attending industry placements, university interviews and open days. This list is non-exhaustive, and all reasonable requests will be considered.