Education employment and training

We want to make sure every young person leaving care has the support to achieve their goals and ambitions in life. In order to help you with this, we can do the following:

• Give you careers information and advice (for example, help to develop your CV and advice about job interviews, including what you might wear).
• Help you with your transport costs when travelling to training, school, college, apprenticeships or job interviews.
• Support you to buy tools, equipment, essential clothing and books.
• Support you if you choose to go to University.
• Ensure that you're able to access work experience, apprenticeships and other training and employment opportunities that improve your ability to get a job. (If you’re on an apprenticeship programme, or any waged training, you’re classed as being employed, rather than in education and aren’t eligible for the 16 to 19 Bursary Fund.)
• Help to create a Personal Education Plan up to 19 years old.
• Signpost you to a Skills and Employment Mentor or a Reboot Worker to assist you.
• Your Personal Adviser will continue to keep in touch and visit you regularly (for example, a minimum of eight weekly visits), whilst you're in employment, training or at University. They will listen to your wishes and feelings about how you want to keep in touch and what level of contact you want.

Education Bursary Fund for 16 to 19 year olds

You can also access a bursary from your school or college if you are over 16 years old, but under 19 on 31st August of the year of your course. Currently this is £1,200 per year and you can be studying full or part time. Your education provider will look at the amount of time you’re studying when they’re deciding if you will get a payment and how much you will get.

Eligibility

To be eligible for an Education Bursary Fund, you must be enrolled on a study programme that’s publicly funded (your education provider will check if your study programme meets the conditions).

If you’re studying on a publicly funded distance learning course you will probably not have the kind of costs the bursary fund is designed to cover, such as, transport, equipment and uniforms. However, if you still want to apply, talk to your education institution and they will look at your individual case and let you know if you're eligible for help.

If you have to pay more than £600 travelling to college in an academic year, we will pay the rest provided we have agreed on the cheapest way for you to get to college.

If you go to an independent education provider that charges fees, you won’t normally get a bursary. However, if your local authority has referred you to the education provider and they pay your fees, you may be able to apply. You should talk to your education provider about this.

Higher Education Funding for 18 to 21 year olds

Student loans, grants and bursaries

If you're going to University, your Personal Adviser can help you apply for student loans and grants. If you let the University know that you're a care leaver, they may give you a bursary plus access to other funds to reduce fees or other costs.

After you register for each academic year at University, we'll give you a £2000 bursary. We may pay this to you over the academic year, rather than as a one off payment. We will also give you maintenance (at Universal Credit rates) and rent in the University holidays (we'll use the holiday dates taken from the University's website).

Travel costs

We'll also pay for your travel costs at the start and end of each term, if needed, as we want you to succeed in your education, training and employment. We'll ask how you're doing and be ready to celebrate your achievements with you.

Please note, we may check that you're still enrolled at your University.

Education or training for 21 to 25 year olds

If you're 21 years old or over, contact us for advice and assistance if you want to return or have returned to education or training. We'll assess your circumstances and offer support.

We'll call you once a year

Under the local offer (help and support we offer to children and young people in or out of care), we'll contact you once a year to check if you still want our advice and assistance, which may be about returning to education and training. We'll give you advice and support to consider your options through our Duty Leaving Care Service.

Post 21 Pathway Plan

We can signpost you to relevant services, and assess you for a Post 21 Leaving Care Service, which could mean we allocate a Personal Adviser to you. Your Personal Adviser will create a Post 21 Pathway Plan with you, which will ensure the following:

• you've a reasonable prospect of completing the course successfully
• the course is likely to significantly improve your employability
• bursaries, grants and loans have been thoroughly explored from all sources, including charities.

Student loans, grants and bursaries

Your Personal Adviser will support you in accessing the financial support offered by colleges and (Higher Education) to care leavers, such as reduced course fees and bursaries. We'll offer you the same Higher Education package of support we offer to 18 to 21 year olds (see above).