Financial Support Information
If you are aged under 19 when you start your course, you will not be charged tuition fees. We will lend you textbooks and equipment without charge. We do not however provide stationery.
Please note: The following courses charge at the start of your course for materials which you will keep: 3D Design, Art, Graphic Design, Drama & Theatre Studies, CTEC Film Production, Photography, Performing Arts, Textiles. Also if you are studying the T Level L3 Education and Early Years course, you will need to pay for college t-shirts.
For further information about the current course materials costs, Course Costs for Academic Year 2025/26
16-19 Financial Support for Academic Year 2025/26
Each year the College receives an allocation of funds to support its Learners aged 16-18. Learners who are 18 at the start of the course but turn 19 during the academic year (i.e. after 31st August) are also eligible.
The Discretionary Learning Grant is a fixed allocation of money from the government. The College is responsible for determining the eligibility of applicants to this fund and for deciding the amount each student should receive. The College will aim to distribute the funds fairly with regard to the needs of the individual student in line with the Government Guidelines. This fund is Means tested and the threshold is an annual household income below £30,000 or where financial circumstances have changed significantly during the year. These funds are intended to support students who face financial barriers to participate in education.
Students can also apply for Free College Meals as the Free School Meals programme has also been extended to Sixth Form and FE colleges and is administered in line with the Government Free Meals Guidelines.
There are four categories of support:
- Bursary (Students can access support funds and the requirement for this will be assessed on an individual basis)
- Free College Meals (If applicable, the Discretionary Learning Grant is awarded automatically)
- Discretionary Learning Grant
- Awarded Discretionary Learning Grant
Please see our eligibility criteria for different categories of support depending on household income and circumstances. All students applying will need to provide supporting evidence of their household income. The types of evidence can be found here.
Financial Support Awards
The amount awarded will be dependent on both household income and educational need and will take into account costs incurred in attending college and costs incurred by following a particular course.
We assess each application and will award in the first instance:
- Travel – students who live 2 miles or more away from college. For students who live under 2 miles away we may consider an award if there are exceptional or medical circumstances which will be treated on a case by case basis. Here is a summary of some of the travel awards which are available.
- Course Fees & Educational Trips Cost
- Free College Meals
All students applying for assistance will need to have their own bank account.
Students wanting assistance with travel by bus (living within the Brighton & Hove area) will need to have a Bus Key Card. If travelling by train, students are required to purchase a 16-17 Saver Railcard (if applicable).
For support with organising a bank account/ obtaining Bus Key Card or Railcard, please contact welfare@varndean.ac.uk
Important Information
We are given a limited amount of money from the Government and the demand from students may be high. Learners will not necessarily receive assistance with any/or all of the funds for which they apply. The College will use priority groupings to award discretionary grants in line with government guidelines.
Although you can apply throughout the academic year, funds are limited so completed applications should be submitted as early as possible.
Please note that for any applications received in September, if travel is approved, it will not be paid until mid October and Bus keycards not topped up until end of September. We do not pay travel for the first 2 weeks of the Autumn term.
For any support with filling out the application form or if you are experiencing difficulties getting into college, please get in touch with our Welfare Officer welfare@varndean.ac.uk.
Please read each section carefully to ensure you meet the criteria and you are eligible to apply for the fund. You MUST provide evidence of your household income to be considered. Information shared will be treated in the strictest of confidence.
Please fill out and submit the form reading each section carefully to ensure that you meet the criteria and are eligible to apply for the fund. The information shared on this form will be treated in the strictest of confidence.
Childcare Cost Support for 16-19 year olds
If you need help with paying for childcare and you are aged between 16-19 years old, you can apply to Care to Learn which is administered in line with the Government Guidelines.
For further details and how to apply see here.
For the application please fill out the online application
Please contact us if you have any questions
Financial Support Team – financialsupport@varndean.ac.uk or on 01273 546636
Welfare Officer – welfare@varndean.ac.uk or on 01273 508011 ext. 110 (term-time) Our Welfare officer can support students with organising a bank account/ obtaining Bus Key Card or Railcard, please see Welfare Services (HYPERLINK WEBSITE to THIS)