You may be able to get help with a wide range of costs, including travel passes or travel refunds, free or subsidised meals, course equipment such as kits, uniforms or specialist tools, mandatory trips, UCAS application fees and university-visit travel for Level 3 students, childcare support, and bursaries for students from households earning under £37,000. Some students may also qualify for a Vulnerable Student Bursary of up to £1,200 per year, and students aged 20+ can receive childcare support paid directly to their provider.
16-19 Bursary Fund
The 16–19 Bursary Fund helps eligible students with the costs of coming to college. This includes travel, meals, kits, uniforms, essential equipment, childcare and more.
Who can get support?
Students aged 16–18, Students aged 19+ with an EHCP or continuing on the same study programme
What support is available?
- Discretionary bursaries for households earning under £37,000Free school meals
- Travel support – bus passes, e-tickets or reimbursement/allowance if you live outside the Hull area
- Meal credits (£5 per day on your ID card)
- Help with kits, uniforms and essential equipment
- Funding for mandatory trips UCAS application fees, uni interviews and visit travel
- Up to £1,200 for vulnerable students
- Childcare funding (20+) paid directly to your provider
How payments work
Most support is provided in kind (e.g., travel passes, meal credits). Receiving bursary funding won’t affect any other benefits.
When to apply
Applications open early August and are completed online.
You can submit an appeal within 10 days if needed.
Need help?
Speak to reception, call 01482 329943, or email studentfinance@hull-college.ac.uk.
Useful Download Links
Travel Support Options
- Stagecoach Mega Rider - Provided by the college.
EYMS E-Ticket - issued through EYMS App – use your registered email or download the app and create an account.
(Please ensure that you provide the corresponding email address that you use with your registered EYMS account if you use more than one email).
Rail Reimbursement - Submit your rail receipts and receive reimbursement into your bank account
Free School Meals
You can get free meals at college if your household receives any of the following:
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
- State Pension Credit (Guarantee Credit)
- Child Tax Credit (as long as you’re not getting Working Tax Credit and your household income is £16,190 or below)
- Working Tax Credit run-on (paid for 4 weeks after Working Tax Credit ends)
- Universal Credit with household earnings of £7,400 or less per year (after tax and not including benefits)
If you’re still covered by transitional protection, just upload a letter from your school or your entitlement notice to your application portal.
Still eligible under transitional protection? Please upload a letter from your school or entitlement notice to your application portal.
Vulnerable Student Bursary
You may qualify for up to £1,200 per year* if you are:
In care or a care leaver
Receiving Universal Credit or Income Support because you are supporting yourself and someone who is dependent on them living with them, such as a child or partner. Evidence will be required to demonstrate you live independently.
Receiving Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payments in your own right as well as Employment Support Allowance or Universal Credit in your own.
Support includes:
Travel (see travel support options above)
Meals (£5 for each day you are timetabled added to your student ID card to use in our on-site café’s)
Course-related costs: mandatory books, equipment, trips, uniform
*If your allocated support exceeds £1200, we will consider supporting the remaining costs from the discretionary bursary. It is important you consider from the options what support you require and that this may not exceed the maximum depending on your individual needs.
In line with Department for Education guidance 2025 to 2026 (published 23rd July 2025) both discretionary and vulnerable bursaries will be paid ‘in kind’ with cash payments being made only in exceptional circumstances.
Section 7.1 paying bursary funding and providing support to eligible students:
We encourage you to pay both defined vulnerable group and discretionary bursary funding to students in-kind rather than cash as far as possible.
This helps ensure that the bursary is spent for the reasons it was awarded.
In-kind payments can include travel passes, vouchers or credits for meals, required books and required equipment.
Care to Learn (Childcare Support)
For leaners under twenty with childcare needs:
Up to £180/week childcare funding while you study
Additional top-up from the Discretionary Bursary if eligible Required Documents:
Child benefit proof, or Childs birth certificate with evidence that you are the child’s main carer. If you have been supported through C2L before, please note, applications are now made directly through Hull College via pay my student portal.
16-19 Bursary Fund and receipt of DWP benefits
(both students and parents)
Receipt of bursary funding does not affect receipt of other means-tested benefits paid to families, such as IS, Jobseeker’s Allowance, Child Benefit, Working Tax Credit, Housing Benefit or UC.
If a student is in receipt of DLA (or PIP) and ESA, parents can no longer receive certain household/family benefits for that child, such as child benefit.
Please be aware that we cannot make bursary fund payments as payments for living costs. This is out of scope of the bursary fund and any such payments would be subject to the Social Security Amendment (Students and Income-related Benefits) Regulations 2000.
Appeals Process
Was your application rejected?
You can appeal within 10 days by contacting our Customer Service Manager (details will be sent with your outcome).
You will be asked to provide supporting evidence for any appeal made to identify a financial need.
Need Help or Have Questions?
Our Customer Service Team/ Student Finance Team are here to support you.
Call us: 01482 329943
Email studentfinance@hull-college.ac.uk
Visit our Customer Service Advisors at Chester’s Reception
