How do I apply?
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 resent. Once you have completed the application, you will then receive an email advising what evidence you will need to bring and where to take it.
Financial support at Keighley College
At Keighley College, students facing financial barriers can access a range of support to help them succeed with their studies. With support for meals and travel passes available, don’t let money worries hold you back from your future.
The following financial support is available to eligible students to help with costs associated with studying:
- 16–19 Discretionary Bursary
- 16–18 Priority Fund
- 19+ Discretionary Fund
Student Financial Support Fund
You may be eligible to receive the following support, depending on your individual circumstances:
- Travel passes.
- Meals, including supermarket vouchers whilst on internships and work placements.
- Childcare costs.
- Hardship and emergency funds.
- Free sanitary products.
Don’t let childcare worries stand in your way. You may be eligible for support with the costs of childcare whilst you study. We have the following financial support for eligible students:
- Childcare costs for under 20s – Care to Learn is a national childcare funding scheme for young parents. To apply follow this link Care to Learn Application.
- 20+ Childcare Fund – If you are aged 20 or over, you can apply for help with childcare costs.
Childcare Funding Application Form 2024-25
Student Financial Support FAQs
For further details on the process for applying for childcare 2024-2025 please click here
Financial Support for 16-19 students
If you live in a household with a gross annual income of £30,000 or below, you may be eligible for support with meals and travel.
Travel
You may be able to receive assistance with the cost of travel to and from College.
Passes may be provided for use of Trans Dev and Metro. This is at the discretion of Keighley College and the most suitable method of transport will be determined upon receipt of a successful application.
Discretionary Meals
By studying at Keighley College, you may be eligible for a meal worth up to £6.50 for every day that you are timetabled to attend.
If you live in a household with a gross household income of £30,000 or below, your student ID card will also work as a meal card which can be used in the canteens at Keighley College.
Similarly, if you are attending a placement you may receive a cash-equivalent voucher to the value of £3.00 per day to be used in at a supermarket of your choice.
Free College Meals
Students who received free school meals at school may be able to continue receiving them at College. To be eligible, student must be:
- 16-18 years old on 31 August 2024;
- or have an EHCP;
- or be a 19+ continuer
and their parent(s) must be in receipt of, one or more of the following benefits:
- Income Support;
- Income-based Jobseekers 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 (provided they are not entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190, as assessed by Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC));
- Working Tax Credit run-on – paid for 4 weeks after someone stops qualifying for Working Tax Credit;
- Universal Credit with net earnings not exceeding the equivalent of £7,400 pa.
You will need to bring in up-to-date evidence to receive Free School Meals.
To apply for the financial support, you must be enrolled on an eligible Keighley College Course.
Priority Fund
If you are aged 16-18 you could be entitled to a weekly payment as well as support with travel and meals. To be eligible for Priority Fund you must fall under any of the following categories:
- In care;
- Care leavers;
- Receiving Income Support or Universal Credit because you are financially supporting yourself or yourself and someone who is dependent on and living with you such as a child or partner
- 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 and bank details to priorityfund@leedscitycollege.ac.uk
Financial Support for 19+ students
If you have a household income of £30,000 or below, you could be eligible for support with meals and travel at Keighley College.
Travel
You may be able to receive assistance with the cost of travel to and from College if you live more than 1.5 miles from your campus of study. The shortest walking routes on Google Maps is used to calculate the distance.
Passes may be provided for use on Trans Dev and Metro. This is at the discretion of Keighley College and the most suitable method of transport will be determined upon receipt of a successful application.
Discretionary Meals
By studying at Keighley College, you may be eligible for a meal worth up to £3.80 for every day that you are timetabled to attend.
If you live in a household with an income below £30,000, your student ID card may also be used as a cashless card in canteens at Keighley College.
Similarly, if you are attending a placement you may receive a cash-equivalent voucher to the value of £3.00 per day to be used in at a supermarket of your choice.
Financial Support for Advanced Learner Loan Students
If you are aged 19 or over, have a household gross income of £30,000 or below and have an Advanced Learner Loan to fund a Level 3 course, you could be eligible for support with meals, travel, childcare, equipment and other course-related costs.
Please note this support doesn’t include loans or finance but instead consists of goods and services to ease the financial burden whilst you are studying.
Travel
You may be able to receive assistance with the cost of travel to and from College if you live more than 1.5 miles from your campus of study. The shortest walking routes on Google Maps is used to calculate the distance.
Passes may be provided for use on First West Yorkshire buses, Arriva, Trans Dev and Metro. This is at the discretion of Keighley College and the most suitable method of transport will be determined upon receipt of a successful application.
Discretionary Meals
By studying at Keighley College, you may be eligible for a meal worth up to £3.80 for every day that you are timetabled to attend.
If you have a gross household income below £30,000, your student ID card may be activated to also work as a cashless card in the canteens at Keighley College.
If you are aged under 20, you may be eligible for help under the government’s Care to Learn scheme which pays for childcare with an Ofsted-registered provider while you are at college up to a maximum of £180 per week per child.
For further information about the Care to Learn scheme you can visit the Care to Learn website (www.gov.uk/care-to-learn).
Over 20s Childcare Support
Students who are 20 years of age or over and meet the income eligibility for their course can apply for assistance with childcare fees during their timetabled hours of study. A contribution of up to £7,000 to cover childcare costs may be made per student over the course of the academic year.
How to apply
To apply for support with childcare costs for those who are aged over 20 at the start of their college course
- Download the 2024/2025 Childcare Application Form here.
- Students must arrange for the Childcare Quote Form to be completed by their childcare provider. The Childcare Quote Form must be submitted with the Childcare Application Form.
- Ensure that the Childcare provider you are going to be using is registered with the College.
- Please take your completed Childcare Application Form, birth certificate and your income evidence to your curriculum admin team for checking.
- If you are able to provide a completed Childcare Quote Form at this stage then please do so; however if you are unable to do so, you will be asked to submit your childcare quote form once your application has been assessed and your childcare has been provisionally approved.
- The check list on the front of the childcare application form must be signed off confirming that your application is complete before it can be submitted.
Please note that funding has not been agreed until you have returned the signed Childcare Agreement. The Childcare Agreement must be signed by both the student and the childcare provider.
The maximum contribution towards childcare per student per academic year is of up £7,000. The daily cap is now £58.10 and the cap on a morning or afternoon session is £30.
To fully understand the childcare application process, click on the link to the Childcare Application Process.
Childcare Providers
Keighley College works in partnership with Ofsted registered childcare providers to help student parents with childcare costs/ places to overcome barriers, which may prevent them from taking part in or continuing in learning.
To find out more about our Childcare cost, click here for our FAQ.