Learner Support
Fund

Learner Support Fund FAQs

• Do I pay for my course?

  If you are 16-18 your course is fully funded by the goverment. If you are 19+ your course funding is dependent on your eligibility. 

  If you are 19+ please discuss your eligibility with our friendly Admissions Team on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call us on 01923 812345.

• Who can apply for Learner Support Funding?

  Students who are studying on a funded full or part-time course.

• What evidence will I need to provide?

  We require one of the evidence types listed below for your application to be considered. However, it’s important that the evidence you submit is dated within four weeks of your application for it to be processed.

  We require one valid form of evidence from the below:

  • Jobseeker's Allowance
  • Employment Support Allowance
  • Working Tax Credit (with an annual income below £16,190 for tax year 2024/25)
  • Universal Credit
  • Income Support
  • Pension Credit Guarantee
  • Support under part VI of the immigration and Asylum Act 1999

  If no one in your household is in receipt of any of the benefits mentioned, we may still be able to help you. Your household income will need to be means-tested so you will need to provide the following evidence:

  Aged 16-24

  • Proof of your parents/carers income - all payslips from the past 3 months or a P60, dated for the last financial year.
  •  All payslips from the past 3 months for all accounts in the household.

  • A tax return letter from HMRC, dated for the last financial year.

  Aged 25+ (or under 25 and living independently)

  • Proof of you and your partner's income - all payslips from the past 3 months or a P60, dated for the last financial year.
  • All payslips from the past 3 months for all accounts in the household.
  • A tax return letter from HMRC, dated for the last financial year.

• Is there financial support for travel costs?

  If you are eligible for the Learner Support Fund (LSF) and are a student who lives 2 or more miles away from your campus of study, then you are eligible to apply for support with transport costs. Support towards transport costs is awarded based on actual costs/routes taken (up to a maximum of £50 per week) and receipts should be retained. 

  Awards for use towards public transport costs will be based on student/discounted rate tickets. It is the student’s responsibility to apply for this directly from the relevant organisation. Examples of discount cards you may be entitled to are:

  • Herts Saver Card
  • 16+ Zip Oyster Photocard
  • 18+ Student Oyster Photocard
  • 16-25 Railcard
  • 26-30 Railcard

  Please contact the Student Support team for further advice if you are unsure which discount card you should apply for.

  Where it represents best value for money, bus travel awards will support the purchase of a weekly student rate ticket rather than a daily ticket.

• Is there financial support for kit and equipment?

  Yes, there is financial support for students enrolled on courses with essential uniform and equipment costs - view our kit and equipment lists here. 

  Applications for support with these costs are therefore assessed on a case-by-case basis via an application to our Learner Support Fund. 

  Where a student has purchased items upfront and their funding application is successful, a BACS payment will be made for the appropriate amount to refund the student. Please ensure all receipts are retained to support your application.

  If a student is unable to pay for any essential kit or equipment upfront to participate in their course, they can apply for financial support to cover the cost of related kit and/or equipment. Please note that this will not impact your ability to start or undertake your course and the college will provide the necessary support and equipment to help you begin your course. Applications for the College to order items directly from uniform suppliers must be approved by the Head of Student Support.

• Is there finanical support for Childcare?

  Yes. Students aged 19 or under who require childcare funding should apply for Care to Learn. If you are 20+ you may be eligible for help towards childcare costs incurred whilst you participate in your programme of study at College. Students who wish to apply for childcare funding support are required to complete an additional Childcare Funding application. For more details please see our Financial Support Fund Policy and Procedures here.

  Please contact the Student Support team for further advice and guidance on 01923 812646 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

• Do you have a Learner Support Fund Policy?

  Yes, you can view our complete Learner Support Fund Policy here.

• When will I get my payments?

  Once we have all your evidence, we will process your application form as soon as possible. Once processed, payments will usually be received into bank accounts on a Friday. This means that we will be refunding your travel money for the previous week

• Does my attendance matter?

  Yes! We do allow time for changes in timetables at the beginning of the academic year, but after the October half term, your payments will be reduced depending on your attendance.

• I had free school meals at school, can I get them at college?

  Yes! We will need evidence of your free school meals. Please completed the online application form which will show you the evidence that you need to provide

• I claim Universal Credit (UC) and only receive online statements, how can I provide evidence requested to support my Learner Support Fund application?

  The best way to provide the Universal Credit evidence for the Learner Support Fund is to download your Universal Credit statement and save a copy to attach to our online LSF form.

  To do this:

  • Log into your Universal Credit account
  • Click on the Payments tab. This will take you to the statement summary page.
  • Click into the most recent monthly statement.  The date will be on the bottom left of the screen, under ‘View statement by pay date’
  • Once you can see the statement, click on ‘Print this document’ in the top right of the screen.
  • You will then have the option to “save as a PDF”
  • Save the document to your device (laptop, computer or phone)
  • You will be then able to upload this document to the our online form.

  Here is a video showing the step-by-step guide: