This fund is designed to provide financial support for full and part time students who are experiencing financial difficulty. All applications are considered individually and funding will only be granted where a genuine need for financial assistance has been demonstrated and criteria has been met. The Discretionary Fund is specifically designed to meet certain priority groups such as:
This funding may also be available when the household annual income is under £29,000 and there is a proven need for financial assistance or when students experience sudden changes in circumstances such as; redundancy in the family home.
SHCG cannot offer cash payments but may be able to support with the costs of college related items such as travel, essential equipment, books and/or uniform.
This fund has been established by the Government to support any student whose financial situation acts as a barrier to participation in courses. The Vulnerable Student Support Fund may provide funding for transport, essential kits/uniform, course material and equipment. Students are awarded the amount of support they need to participate in the course. Payments are conditional and dependant on attendance, behaviours and attitudes.
To be eligible to apply to this fund you must meet at least one of the following criteria. You must be:
Free Student Meals are available for all eligible students for each day the student is timetabled and expected to attend their study programme.
To be eligible for Free Student Meals as per current guidance you must be:
Support may only be offered once a successful application has been made.
Free meals in further education may be provided where students are in receipt of, or have parents who are in receipt of, one or more of the following benefits:
Students aged 19 or over are only eligible to receive a free meal if they are continuing on a study programme they began aged 16 or have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).
These two groups of aged 19 plus students can receive a free meal while they continue to attend education (in the case of a 19+ continuer, this must be the same programme they started before they turned 19), as long as their eligibility continues.
Free Student Meals are only available for each day the student is timetabled and expected to attend their study programme (as appropriate)
Young parents under 20 at the start of the course may be entitled for help with childcare whilst studying. The childcare provider must be Ofsted registered. You may also get help with the additional travel costs you have to pay so you can take your child from home to the childcare provider.
Find out more about Care to Learn at: www.gov.uk/care-to-learn
Students aged 20 or over at the start of their course can apply to the College for assistance with the cost of childcare while they study. The assistance offered is based on a number of eligibility factors and is always only available for Ofsted registered care.
If you are aged 19+ and in receipt of active benefits (e.g. Job Seeker’s Allowance, Employment Support Allowance, Universal Credit) and studying below level 3 you may be eligible for free or discounted study depending on your selected course.
For more information on course funding please visit our course fees page.
We offer a variety of payment methods for students to pay their fees:
Online Payment Service: Pay securely visit our payment portal.
Cash: Pay directly at the College
Cheque: Make payable to South Hampshire College Group
Credit or Debit Card: Accepting all major cards
For courses lasting over 12 weeks with fees exceeding £500, we offer an instalment plan.
A £250 deposit is required before the plan can be set up. Instalments can be spread over a maximum of 8 payments, with the final payment due two months before the course ends.
Please note: some short courses may be excluded from this option. If the instalment plan is not followed, the College reserves the right to refuse future instalment arrangements.
If your employer is covering your fees, you will need to provide an Employer’s Authorisation Form or a letter from your employer confirming their commitment to pay. An invoice will be issued directly to the employer.
Students who wish to study for a qualification at Level 3 and are 19+ years, at the start of their course, can apply for an Advanced Learner Loan to cover the tuition cost of their study programme. The Bursary is designed to support students aged 19+ who have taken out an Advanced Learner Loan and face financial barriers to participation.
This fund can help pay for support such as accommodation (if a student needs to live away from home for their course), travel, course materials/equipment, childcare and/or classroom assistance for a disability or learning difficulty.
To be eligible to apply to this fund you must be:
There are loans available to help support adults with the costs of studying Further and Higher Education courses at South Hampshire College Group. These are described below.
If you’re aged 19 or over and want to study Access to Higher Education or a Level 3 or above Vocational Qualification, you’ll need to pay for the cost of your course. To help finance the course you may qualify for an Advanced Learner Loan.
It’s easy to apply for. Household income isn’t taken into account and there’s no credit check. Importantly, you won’t have to pay anything back until you’re earning over £25,000 a year.
Student Finance England will ‘write off’ any outstanding Advanced Learner Loan balances you owe for an Access to HE course once you complete a Higher Education course. This means you do not have to repay it.
You can apply for courses starting between 1 August 2024 and 31 July 2025. Complete and submit your Advanced Learner Loan application as soon as possible to ensure your loan is in place for the start of your course. Please note: you will not be able to apply until you have received a course offer and a Learning and Funding Information letter from the College.
You may be able to borrow money to help pay for your college tuition fees and to help with living costs. You might also be able to get extra money on top of this if you’re on a low income, are disabled or have children for example.
The Student Loans Company can provide students studying their first Degree or other Higher Education course loans and grants to help finance the course fees. The fees will automatically be paid by the Student Loans Company (SLC) directly to the College.
You can apply for student loans and other student finance in the spring before the start of your course. Don’t wait until you get an offer or receive your exam results – apply as soon as you can!
You usually only get student finance if you’re doing your first Higher Education qualification – even if your previous course was self-funded. You may still be eligible for limited funding in certain circumstances. You will need to contact the loan company to check your eligibility.
To assist you with your tuition fees you can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan (non-income assessed) and a Maintenance Loan for your accommodation and living costs whilst you are studying.
There are no up-front tuition fees with a student loan and you will only start to repay the loan after you leave the course and start working. The amount you pay is dependent on your salary, not the size of your loan and will be deducted from your salary by your employer in the same way they deduct tax.
