Free Meals and

Bursary Fund Policy

2017-18

This policy will be kept up to date as our business changes. It will be reviewed and updated as necessary, a minimum of once per year.

Lesley Holland Lisa NealenJon Eagle

MDSenior AdministratorHead of Operations

Contents Page

Page No.

Introduction 3

Free Meals Funding 3

What is it? 3

Who is eligible? 3

What evidence is required? 4

Bursary Funding 4

What is it? 4

Who is eligible? 5

What evidence is required? 6

How much will students get? 7

What is the process for applying for Free Meals

And Bursary Funding? 7

Free Meals / Bursary Appeals Process 9

Introduction

For students studying at Juniper there are 2 different sources of funding that they can apply for to support them whilst on programme:-

  • Free Meals Funding
  • Bursary Funding – to include Vulnerable and Discretionary awards

Students will apply for these funds through an application process. We will assess students’ eligibility and need for both Free Meals and Bursary Funding through a combined application process. Students will be asked to submit supporting documentation along with the application form to confirm eligibility against criteria as detailed in the latest funding guidance.

Juniper has a legal duty to protect the funds it looks after and must be satisfied that a student meets the criteria to receive these funds.

Free Meals Funding

What is it?

Juniper is required to make provision for free meals to eligible students for each day that the student attends their programme. Provision for free meals will be offered in the form of a voucher to the value of £2.45 per day. The vouchers are accepted in over 33,000 outlets nationwide.

Who is eligible?

Students must be over 16 and under 19 (16-24 with EHC Plan) when starting on programme (students that turn 19 during their programme remain eligible) to be eligible to receive free meals funding in the 2017-18academic year and satisfy the residency criteria set out in the EFA Funding Guidance 2017-18. Students must also be in receipt of, or have parents who are in receipt of, one or more of the following benefits:-

  • Income Support or Universal Credit
  • Income-based Job Seekers Allowance
  • Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
  • Support under part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
  • The guarantee element of State Pension Credit
  • Child Tax Credit (providing they are not entitled to Work Tax Credit) and have an annual gross income of no more that £16,190 as assessed by HMRC

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What evidence is required?

To receive free meals funding, a student must complete the Bursary/Free Meals Application Form 2014-15 available on the staff intranet\A-Z of Documents\MINT and provide the following evidence to support their application:-

Benefit in receipt of / Evidence required
Income Support or Universal Credit / Income Support or Universal Credit benefit letter (all pages); or
Bank Statement with ‘IS’ / ‘Income Support’ printed by the transaction (not dated more than 3 months ago)
Income-based Job Seekers Allowance / Benefit Letter (all pages)
(not dated more than 3 months ago)
Income-related Employment Support Allowance (ESA) / Benefit Letter (all pages)
(not dated more than 3 months ago)
Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 / ID Card for all family members; confirming Asylum Seeker Status, Name, Date of Birth and Address of all family members; or
NASS reference number and the name of the Authority providing your support
Guaranteed Element of State Pension Credit / Benefit Letter (all pages)
(not dated more than 3 months ago)
Child Tax Credit (providing you are not entitled to Working Tax Credit) and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190 as assessed by HMRC / Tax Credit Award Notice TC602 (all pages)
(to be dated within the current tax year)

Bursary Funding

What is it?

The 16-19 Bursary Fund is to support those students who face the greatest financial barriers to participating in education and training post 16.There are two types of bursary that will be available to young people aged 16-19 (16-24 EHC Plan) who commence their training in the year 2017-18:-

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Vulnerable Bursary - a maximum of £1,200 a year (pro-rata for courses that last for less than 30 weeks) for students in the following defined vulnerable groups:

  • Students who are in care, including unaccompanied asylum-seeking children
  • Students who are care leavers
  • Students in receipt of Income Support or Universal Credit(in their own name)
  • Students in receipt of bothEmployment Support Allowance or Universal Credit andDisability Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payments (in their own name)

Discretionary Bursary - awards can be made to students in ways that best fit the needs and circumstances of that individual student. Discretionary awards are targeted towards those students who cannot stay in education without financial help for things, such as:-

  • Transport costs
  • Meals
  • Clothing to suit training and placement requirements
  • Equipment
  • Other (items that fall outside of the scope of the above categories, but that

are eligible for payment in line with 16 to 19 Bursary Fund Guide 2017-18)

Who is eligible?

To be able to receive a 16-19 Bursary in the 2017-18 academic year, the student must be:-

  • Student must be over 16 and under 19 (16-24 with EHC Plan) when starting on programme (students that turn 19 during their programme remain eligible)
  • Student should meet the residency criteria in the EFA Funding Guidance for 2017-18
  • On provision funded by the EFA either directly or via a local authority
  • Meet the eligibility criteria in the EFA 16-19 Bursary Fund Guide for

2017-18

  • Meet the eligibility and evidence criteria as detailed in this Policy and Bursary/Free MealsApplication Form 2017-18process

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What evidence is required?

To receive the vulnerable bursary award, astudent must complete the Bursary/Free MealsApplication Form 2017-18available on the staff intranet\A-Z Documents\Mint and provide the following evidence to support their application:-

Category applying under / Evidence Required
You are in Care or a Care Leaver
(including unaccompanied asylum seeking children) / Letter or email from the Local Authority confirming current or previous looked-after status.
Income Support or Universal Credit in your own name / Income Support or Universal Credit benefit letter (all pages). The letter must state that you can be in further education or training; or
Bank Statement with ‘IS’/’Income Support’ or ‘UC’/’Universal Credit’ printed by the transaction (not dated more than 3 months ago)
Employment Support Allowance or Universal Credit AND Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payments in your own name / Benefit letter (all pages) confirming receipt of ESA or UC AND DLA or PIP; or
Bank Statement showing eligible benefits printed by the transaction (not dated more than 3 months ago)

To apply for the discretionary bursary, the student must complete the Bursary/Free MealsApplication Form 2017-18available on the staff intranet\A-Z of Documents\Mint and evidence that their total household income does not exceed £26,000 per year. Applications for discretionary bursary should be accompanied by the following evidence:-

Document / evidence submitting / Evidence required
P60 / P60 End of Year Certificate (most recent Tax Year)
Tax Credit Award Notice / Tax Credit Award Notice TC602 (all pages) (to be dated within the current tax year)
Wage slips / Wage slips clearly showing the persons’ name and the date of payment ( 3 most recent wage slips)
Self Employed Earnings / Official Tax Return (most recent Tax Year)
Benefits / Pension Credit Letter / Benefit Letter (all pages) (not dated more than 3 months ago); or
Bank Statement showing eligible benefits printed by the transaction (not dated more than 3 months ago)

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How much will students get?

All payments are expected to be made via BACS into a student’s bank account.

Vulnerable Bursary Award

An award of £1,200 can be made to students where their programme lasts for 30 weeks or more. This payment is paid on a proportional (pro-rata) basis at Juniper as the length of programme may be less than this.

Students who meet the criteria for the vulnerable bursary will be paid this at a rate of £40 per week for the duration of their programme or the end of the academic year (whichever is sooner)*up to a maximum of £1,200 each year.Deductions will be made to students’ payments for non-attendance and behaviour whilst on programme.

Where a students’ length of stay exceeds their planned end date, bursary payments can continue to be made (on condition of the student continuing to meet the eligibility requirements) at the same rate of £40 per week until a maximum of £1,200 is paid in that academic year.

Discretionary Bursary Award

Discretionary awards are targeted at those students who do not fall in to any of the vulnerable groups but need financial help to stay in education.

Eligible students will be awarded a bursary to meet their identified financial barrier. This will be paid at the agreed rate per week for the duration of their programme or the end of the academic year (whichever is sooner)*. Deductions will be made to students’ payment for non-attendance and behaviour whilst on programme.

Where a students’ length of stay exceeds their planned end date, bursary payments can continue to be made (on condition of the student continuing to meet the eligibility requirements) at the same rate.

*Students will be reassessed in each academic year to assess their eligibility for a Bursary Award.

What is the process for applying for Free Meals and Bursary Funding?

A student can apply for Free Meals and Bursary funding when starting on programme. Should a student’spersonal circumstances change whilst on programme, their application will be reviewed and they can apply for additional funding using the Additional Funding/One-Off Payment Request Form. A student will usually be assessed for Free Meals and16-19 Bursary as part of their initial assessment and induction process.

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  1. Bursary/Free MealsApplication 2017/18 Process and evidence requirements are explained at interview prior to student starting on programme. During 1-2-1 interview the Bursary/Free MealsApplication Form 2017-18 isdiscussed; students are issued with a copy of the Free Meals and Bursary Guide for Students, Parents and Carers to take away with them. Students are encouraged to bring in their fully completed Application Form and supporting documents prior to starting on programme.
  2. During Induction any outstanding Bursary/Free Meals Application Forms and supporting evidence to be completed and collected in from student.
  3. Bursary/Free Meals ApplicationForms 2017-18and supporting evidence are submitted to CSS by Tuesday of each week for authorisation checks and fund awarded.
  4. For students that meet the evidence criteria for the vulnerable bursary award, CSS will complete a Funding Claim Form and submit to the Learner Support Service.
  5. Payments of vulnerable and discretionary bursary awards will be made in to the students bank account*on a Friday weekly following authorisation. Students eligible for free meals will receive a voucher for each day that they are in attendance and meet the criteria.
  6. Bursary payments both vulnerable and discretionary are subject to:-
  • The student attending programme as required
  • The student behaving appropriately whilst on programme

The student must agree to these conditions as part of their Bursary Fund application.

  1. Any free meals or bursary award granted is for the 2017-18 academic year only. Should a students course continue in to the next academic year (2017-18) then they will need to re-apply for a further bursary/free meals award; this is not guaranteed.
  2. Free Meals, Vulnerable and Discretionary bursary payments will only be made whilst the student is on programme. At the point of them leaving programme their free meals/bursary payments will cease and their free meals/bursary agreement ends. Should the student return to programme at a later date, the student must complete a new Bursary/Free Meals Application Form and eligibility will be re-assessed.
  3. Where a student’s bursary payment is not authorised (i.e. due to non-attendance) the Training Officer will complete and issue to the studentthe ‘Letter – Student Non Attendance’that explains that their bursary payment will not be paid. This can be found on the A-Z of Documents\Mint.
  4. In the case of non attendance, the Training Officer should also complete and send the ‘Letter – Parent Non Attendance’. This informs the parent/guardian that the student is not attending programme and their bursary payment will not be paid. This can be found on the A-Z of Documents\Mint.
  5. Students may appeal if they are unhappy with any payment decision by following Juniper’s Bursary/Free Mealsappeal process.

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  1. If a student who is eligible and awarded a discretionary bursary subsequently becomes eligible for the vulnerable bursary, their discretionary bursary payments will be stopped and they will receive vulnerable bursary (at a rate of £40 per week up to a maximum of £1,200).
  2. Details of all free meals/bursary applications and awards will be input in to Juniper’s Bursary/Free Meals Management spreadsheet by CSS staff.

*where there are exceptional circumstances preventing a student receiving bursary funds directly, payments can be made into another bank account upon receipt of a Bank Account Disclaimer Form. Permission to make payments into another account must be sought from CSS. The Bank Account Disclaimer is available on the intranet\A-Z of Documents\Mint.

Free Meals/ Bursary Appeals Process

Our policy is to ensure that all students’needs are assessed fairly and consistently when applying for a Free Meals and/or Bursary Fund award.

If a student believes that their application has not been assessed fairly, then they should appeal this decision by following Juniper’s Complaints Procedure.

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