Help with Further Education costs

[Bev250264]

Hope someone can give me some help...

 

To cut a long story short, my son, who will be 20 in December, has this morning returned to college to get his foundation qualification so that he can get on the university course of his choice next year. He should have taken it last year but he took a gap year instead and when he applied to uni he was turned down because he didn't have it.

 

He needed A levels in order to get on this foundation course. He needs his foundation course to get on his degree course next year but because he is now over 19 he gets no financial help. He can't claim EMA, obviously, and ALG is only payable if you are undertaking your first Level 3 qualification and as he already has A levels he's not eligible.

 

We've managed to borrow the money for him for his tuition fees but his course is intensive and he will be at college 9 til 7 pretty much, 5 days a week with loads of work to do at weekends. He's going to look for an evening job but I was just wondering if anyone knew of any help there may be for him out there.

 

His stepdad has jus returned to work after being out of work for 18 months so we have just moved from JSA to Working Tax Credit so whilst we'll help him, we simply can't support him completely and I worry that he's going to struggle buying materials etc.

 

He's looking at the bigger picture and says it's only for 34 weeks so if he has to work 24/7 that's what he'll do but if there's anything he can claim it might make his life a little easier.

 

Hope someone can help.

[Guest wino]

Have a look here see if it helps

 

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/EducationAndLearning/AdultLearning/FinancialHelpForAdultLearners/Adultlearninggrant/index.htm

[Bev250264]

Thanks Wino but the problem is that his course is classed as Level 3 and as he's already taken A levels they say he can't apply. I think he's in No Man's Land. He's too old to claim EMA and not yet able to get a Student Loan but because he's got A levels (which incidentally he needed to get on the course he's on - without them he wouldn't be doing it anyway) he can't claim ALG. Don't know what he's going to do but thanks for the input.

[Guest wino]

is there anyone he can speak to at the college or uni he is going to about finances?

[enamae]

My daughter went on to complete a foundation course before University and was able to get help towards some of her costs from the Access to learning fund. If your son speaks to the college they should be able to advise him whether or not he would qualify.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/EducationAndLearning/UniversityAndHigherEducation/StudentFinance/Extrahelp/DG_171615

 

He could also look into getting a N.U.S. Extra Card.

 

enamae

[url=http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/EducationAndLearning/UniversityAndHigherEducation/StudentFinance/Extrahelp/DG_171615][/url]

[Bev250264]

He did come home yesterday with a form for the Discretionary Learners Support Fund so we'll fill that in and see what happens. I'll keep you informed....