Financial support when in education or training

You may be entitled to extra support to help with the costs of studying, working or training. If you are over 18, not all courses are free.

The support you need should be written into your pathway plan. Speak to your personal adviser for more information.

Returning to full-time learning

If you work, or were working, and want to return to full-time learning at a college or training establishment, you will need to make a benefits claim.   

Student services at your college or training establishment will be able to help you with this. You will need to:

• Make the benefit claim from the start of your course 
• State that you are a care leaver and are returning to full-time learning 
• Prove that you have enrolled on a course 

If you are unemployed

If you claim benefits as a care leaver, you can return to full-time education and still claim benefits until the end of the academic year in which you turn 21. Read about claiming Universal Credit as a student. You will need to:

• Let your work coach know. Your claim type will change and you will:
  • No longer need to sign on  
  • No longer need to meet with your work coach  
  • No longer need to do any activities to find a job 
  • Need to prove that you are studying. Ask student services at your college or training establishment, who can provide this proof for you

It is your responsibility to tell your work coach when you finish studying. If you do not you will be making a fraudulent claim. This could result in a criminal conviction. 

If you are 16-18-years-old when you start a full-time course, you can apply for a 16 to19 education bursary to help with education-related costs. You could receive £1,200 each year from your college. Different places pay the bursary in different ways. Some buy travel passes, others put money directly into your bank account on a weekly, fortnightly, monthly or half termly basis. 

You will need to apply to your school, college, or training provider. Ask student services or your tutor for help.  

Check 16 to 19 bursary fund eligibility and claim

If you have an education, health and care (EHC) plan you may be able to continue getting the 16 to 19 bursary after you are 19. This will depend on your income and outgoings.

If you are:

• 19-years-old or over
• On a further education course
• Facing financial hardship

you could get help from the discretionary learner support fund.

You will need to apply to your college or training provider. How much you get depends on your circumstances. It is up to the education provider to decide who they support financially using this fund. It is often limited to, first come first served.

Learn about 19+ discretionary learner support fund

If you are aged 19 to 23 you may be entitled to free learning. This will depend on the course you are hoping to study and whether you already have a Level 2 or Level 3 qualification.

Find out more about free courses for jobs.

Learn more about available qualifications.

Alternatively, speak to your local college, Life Beyond Care worker or Adult Learning provider.

You might need to pay the fees of a Level 3 course. (A Level 3 course is the equivalent of an A Level).

This could be because: 

• It is not funded due to your age  
• You have already completed a Level 3 course    

To pay for the course, you could apply for an advanced learner loan. Your Life Beyond Care Personal Adviser will support you to make an application for this loan. 

Check advanced learner loan eligibility and apply 

As a Care Leaver you may be entitled to a Government Bursary if you are under 25 when you start an apprenticeship. From August 2023 the bursary will rise from £1000 to £3000 and will be paid to you in instalments over the first year of your apprenticeship.

There is more information about the bursary on the GOV.UK website.

Ask your training provider for more information about how to apply for the bursary.

If you decide to do an apprenticeship, you may be eligible for our apprenticeship top-up scheme for care leavers. 

Once you start applying for apprenticeships your Life Beyond Care worker will complete an apprenticeship top-up calculation with you. You will then know what your income will be if you accept an apprenticeship offer. 

It is difficult to say exactly how much extra financial support you might get from us. The scheme is based on what you earn and what your outgoings are. Your outgoings will vary depending on things like:

• Your age
• Where you live
• How far you travel to get to work
• How you get there
• Whether you have children 

We will review the amount of additional financial support you get every six months as part of your pathway plan review. We will also review it, if your income or outgoings change significantly.  

You do not have to pay any income tax or national insurance contributions on the money you receive from us, as part of our apprenticeship top-up scheme.  

If you are in higher education you are entitled to a higher education bursary of £2,000. There are no restrictions on what this bursary can be used for. We will pay this if your course lasts for at least two academic years.

You will need to agree with your worker the best way to pay you this bursary. There are different rules if it's paid as a lump sum or in instalments.

We may ask you to pay some or all the bursary back if you drop out of university. 

We will not pay university tuition fees for you if you want to go to university.

You will need to check you eligibility and apply to Student Finance England to get a Tuition Fee Loan.

You will also need a Maintenance Loan to pay for your living expenses. Care leavers are entitled to claim the maximum amount for a maintenance loan. Living expenses include:

• Food
• Household bills, such as gas and electric
• Travel expenses
• Internet access

(If you want to do post graduate study you will need to apply for a Master's Loan or Doctoral Loan).

These loans will need to be repaid after your degree course has ended and once you are earning more than a figure set by the Government.  

You should apply for these loans as soon as you start the university UCAS process. Your worker or carer will be able to support you with the application. 

Check student finance eligibility and apply

You may be able to get additional financial support for university if you are a parent, have a disability or meet other criteria.

Many Universities will have additional bursaries and grants available for care leavers to support them in their studies.

Check University websites or ask your life beyond care personal advisor for further information.

Make sure you get help from your university or college, worker, or carer to claim everything you are entitled to.

This additional financial support does not need to be repaid. 

Check if you can get extra financial support

If you need interview clothes tell your life beyond care worker. We might be able to contribute up to £75 towards the cost.  

If you will struggle to pay for study or training equipment for a course, for example, catering knives, work boots or books, tell your life beyond care worker. We might be able to help you. 

Help is available until you turn 25, however it is not compulsory for us to pay for these costs.

You can also try and get charity funding. There are several charitable organisations for care leavers.

You could apply to a local or a national charity, to cover the cost of anything the life beyond care service is unable to fund.

Your life beyond care worker will be able to help you with this.  

Charitable organisations

• Prince's Trust
• The Spark Foundation
• Capstone Care Leavers Trust 
• Redhouse Youth Projects