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Home » Student Financial Support
Shortly after you have enrolled, a unique application form will be sent to the email address you supplied at enrolment. If you do not receive this email, please email supportfund@leedscitycollege.ac.uk for a new link to be sent out. Once you have completed the application, it will then outline what evidence you will need to bring and where to take it.
The Priority Fund (also known as Vulnerable Bursary by DfE) is not income assessed and you could receive support worth up to £1,200 per academic year.
To be eligible for the 16-19 Priority Fund, you must meet all of the following criteria:
✓ Be aged over 16 and under 19 on 31 August 2026
✓ Be enrolled on an approved Government-funded programme (DfE, ESF, publicly funded, traineeship programme)
✓ Fall into one of the following criteria:
a) Be in care
b) Be a care leaver – someone who has recently been in care for at least 10 weeks but is no longer in care
c) Receiving Income Support or Universal Credit because you are financially supporting yourself, or supporting yourself and someone who is dependent on you who is living with you, such as a child or partner.
d) Receiving Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independent Payments in your own right as well as Employment and Support Allowance in your own right.
To apply for Priority Fund, please email your evidence to priorityfund@leedscitycollege.ac.uk
is an income-assessed fund, so students will need to submit their household income to prove that they are eligible. It is available to students who have barriers that would prevent them from taking part in learning, and it can be used to help with course-related costs.
To be eligible for the 16-19 Discretionary Bursary, you must meet all of the following criteria:
✓ Be aged 16 or over and under 19 on 31 August 2026
✓ Have a gross household income of £35,000 or below to be eligible for all forms of support
✓ Meet the residency requirements
✓ Be enrolled on an approved Government funded programme (DfE, ESF, Publicly funded traineeship programme)
✓ Be timetabled for a minimum of five guided learning hours in college per week
16-19 students who are studying a Higher Education course or waged apprenticeships aren’t eligible.
Students on the 16-19 Discretionary Bursary may receive help with the following course-related costs, depending on their individual circumstances:
✓ Travel passes
✓ Help with the cost of college meals
is an income-assessed fund, so students will need to submit their household income to prove that they are eligible. It is available to students who have barriers that would prevent them from taking part in learning, and it can be used to help with course-related costs.
To be eligible for 19+ Discretionary Learner Support, you must meet all of the following criteria:
✓ Be aged 19+ on 31 August 2026
✓ Have a gross household income of £35,000 or below to be eligible for all forms of support
✓ Meet the residency requirements
✓ Be enrolled on an approved Government funded programme (DfE, ESF, Publicly funded traineeship programme)
✓ Be timetabled for a minimum of five guided learning hours in college per week
Students on the 19+ Discretionary Learner Support may receive help with the following course-related costs, depending on their individual circumstances:
✓ Travel passes if you live over 1.5 miles walking distance from the campus where you study
✓ Help with the cost of college meals
is an income-assessed fund, so students will need to submit their household income to prove that they are eligible. It is available to students who have childcare barriers that would prevent them from taking part in learning, and it can be used to help with course-related costs.
To apply for childcare support, complete the following steps:
Students who access this support may receive help with childcare costs up to £7,000, to cover childcare during timetabled college hours in term time. We can fund up to £64.10 for a full day and up to £32.05 for a morning / afternoon half-day session.
The childcare provider you choose must be OFSTED registered. Informal childcare cannot be funded, e.g. provided by family members, or friends.
To view the Childcare Application form, please click here.
To view the Childcare Quote Form, please click here.
is an income-assessed fund, so students will need to submit their household income to prove that they are eligible. It is available to students who have barriers that would prevent them from taking part in learning, and it can be used to help with course-related costs.
To be eligible for an Advanced Learner Loan Bursary, you must meet all of the following criteria:
✓ Be aged 19 or over on the first day of your course on or after 31 August 2026
✓ Be enrolled on an eligible course at Level 3 or Level 4
✓ Have a loan approved by the Student Loans Company
✓ Have a gross household income of £35,000 or below to be eligible for all forms of support
✓ Meet the residency requirements
✓ Be enrolled on a loan funded programme
✓ Be timetabled to a minimum of five guided learning hours in college per week
Students on the Advanced Learner Loan Bursary may receive help with the following course-related costs, depending on their individual circumstances:
✓ Travel passes if you live over 1.5 miles walking distance from the campus where you study
✓ Help with the cost of college meals
✓ Childcare costs
if you received free meals at school, you may be able to continue receiving them at college. You may also be eligible for meal support if your gross household income is £35,000 or below.
Please note, meal support is only available to students attending college for five hours or more per day. You may be eligible for meals worth up to £5.00.
To be eligible, you must be 16-18 years old on 31 August 2026, have an EHCP or be a 19+ continuer.
Additionally, your parents must be in receipt of one or more of the following benefits:
Students will not be able to use their meal cards to purchase confectionery and drinks. Drinking water will be made available.
If you are attending a placement you may receive a cash-equivalent voucher to the value of £3.00 per day to be used at a supermarket of your choice.
✓ Meet the income threshold for your funding stream (16-19 Bursary, 19+ Bursary, or Advanced Learner Loan)
✓ Meet the residency requirements
✓ Be timetabled for a minimum of five guided learning hours in college per week
✓ Students must live over 1.5 miles walking distance from campus of study
Students who live on a Transdev route will be offered a smart code (electronic ticket) to ensure best value for money and efficient processes.
The following will be available in exceptional circumstances for those who may not be able to use other forms of travel:
✓ TransDev Card
✓ Payment by BACs to students towards help with travel
Exceptional cases are assessed centrally by the Support Fund team. Under exceptional circumstances, the Support Fund team will use their discretion to meet students’ needs.
If you are aged under 20, you may be eligible for help from the Care to Learn Fund which pays for childcare with an Ofsted-registered provider while you are at college up to a maximum of £180 per week for each child.
The Care to Learn scheme can help with the cost of your childcare, including deposit and registration fees, a childcare taster session for up to five days, keeping your childcare place over the summer holidays and taking your child to their childcare provider.
To apply, you must choose your childcare provider before you make a Care to Learn application. The Financial Welfare Team will help you with the application process.
You must show a copy of your child’s birth certificate and a letter confirming you are claiming child benefit for your child to the Financial Welfare Team. Your childcare provider will only be paid once you have completed the application and they have agreed contracts with college and provided invoices for the care they have provided. You must attend your course regularly for the payments to continue.
Contact the Financial Welfare Team at welfare@leedscitycollege.ac.uk
For further information about the Care to Learn scheme, visit www.gov.uk/care-to-learn
After you have enrolled on your course, a unique application form will be sent to the email address you supplied at enrolment. If you do not receive this email, please email supportfund@leedscitycollege.ac.uk for a new link to be sent out. Once you have completed the application, it will tell you what evidence you will need to bring and where to take it.
To fully understand the childcare application process, please refer to the Childcare Application Process Flow Chart
To apply for Priority Fund, please email your evidence and bank details to priorityfund@leedscitycollege.ac.uk
Yes, students applying for financial support and free college meals must provide proof of household income.
A list of acceptable documents are detailed on the application form.
Once your application has been assessed, you will be notified of the outcome of your application and how your award will be provided, should you be successful.
Successful applicants will receive financial support in the form of awards in-kind (i.e. travel pass, equipment, meals via our cashless system). Only in exceptional circumstances and where appropriate the college may pay students by BACS payment (money direct to students’ bank account).
The type of support you receive will be specific to your needs, depending on your programme of study and distance of travel to the campus you are attending. Financial assistance will be available to help with course-related expenses, such as travel, books, equipment and childcare costs.
Students are advised to discuss their application queries with their department’s administrative staff in the first instance.
Students can appeal if they are dissatisfied with a decision on their application’s outcome. This should be in writing to the Student Funds Finance Manager, who will review the application and make a final decision.
Address: Support Funds Team,
Student Life,
Leeds City College,
Park Lane Campus,
Leeds,
LS3 1AA.
You are required to inform your department’s Curriculum Administrative Office of any changes in circumstance that may affect the outcome and eligibility for funding. Further evidence may be required to reassess your application for a higher level of assistance. Failure to inform us of changes in circumstance may make you liable for the cost of any funding already received.
Students are advised that if you are receiving support from any state benefits, it is your responsibility to inform the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) about any financial support you receive from the College, as the financial support payment may affect your eligibility for some state benefits.
An Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) is for children and young people aged up to 25 who need more support than is available through special educational needs support. An EHCP identifies educational, health and social needs and sets out the additional support to meet those needs. More information can be found on gov.uk
Professional and Career Development Loans are bank loans to pay for courses and training that help with your career or help get you into work:
Advanced Learner Loans are available for individuals aged 19 or above to undertake approved qualifications at Level 3 to Level 6, at an approved provider in England. Advanced Learner Loans give individuals access to financial support for tuition costs similar to that available in higher education, and are administered by Student Finance England. For more information, please visit gov.uk
Please refer to our Student Privacy Notice, which details what information we collect from you, why we process your information and who we share the information with in line with Data Protection Legislation.
To find out more about the different funding streams and eligibility criteria, read our Learner Support Fund Policy.
For more information, please email supportfund@leedscitycollege.ac.uk