(Land Based Courses Only)
North Kent College (Hadlow) operates a 16-18 Residential Bursary Fund (RBF) to assist students from low-income households with a contribution to the costs of residing at Hadlow campus. If you are aged between 16 and 18 years old on 31st August and enrolling on a Land Based Further Education programme in the new academic year 2024-2025 starting in September 2024, we may be able to assist with a contribution towards your residential costs. Subject to fund availability
Awards from the RBF will be a contribution towards the residential fees. Financial assistance is awarded according to household income of under £28,000 net (see policy for full details). To apply for assistance, students should complete the online financial support application form. As soon as possible after the Easter holidays in the academic year before their course starts.
You can view the full details (including criteria) of the 2024/25 bursary fund policy here.
16- 18 Residential Bursary Fund (Land-based courses only)
To request support with the cost of college accommodation you will need to apply to the Residential Bursary Fund (RBF).
To qualify, your household income will need to be less than the College threshold of £28,000 net. All bursary funding is subject to meeting the set guidance from the Government and the College Policies and Terms and Conditions, as well as the accommodation contract. A completed bursary application does not guarantee an award.
As part of your application you will automatically be assessed for free meals if the evidence of appropriate benefits is submitted.
Full details of the eligibility criteria can be found on the relevant bursary policy.
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When and how do I apply
Please apply by 1st June for continuing Hadlow students and 1st August for new students. Applications for a residential bursary should be made online, as soon as possible after the Easter holidays, by clicking here. Please note that applying for financial support does not guarantee that funding will be allocated.
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What information do you need?
You will need to complete this application form. Incomplete applications will not be processed and the College is unable to backdate this support where there has been a delay due to incomplete information. If applications are received without the required evidence, the Student Bursary team will contact the applicant by either, telephone, email and/or letter. The student bursary team will try and make contact 3 times and if no response is received, the application will be declined/closed.
If a student is living with parents/guardians/partner we will require all evidence of the household income, irrelevant of the age of the student.
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How will I know if I have been successful?
All applications will be assessed within two weeks of receipt of a fully completed application and the outcome of the assessment will be communicated to the student via email.
Although there are limits to the awards, appeals will be considered under exceptional circumstances.
An award for the Residential Bursary Fund DOES NOT Guarantee you will be entitled to accommodation, you will need to complete an Accommodation application form, and meet the accommodation criteria.
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Are there any ongoing requirements?
All discretionary bursary awards made by the College are subject to eligibility and attendance levels. Awards will be reduced if attendance falls below 90%. All attendance is checked on a monthly basis and will be reduced in-line with the students % attendance for the month. Continuous low attendance will result in the bursary being withdrawn altogether. Please see the full residential bursary policy for full details.
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Who is eligible?
Being eligible for an award does not guarantee an award will be made and will be dependent on Government funding levels.
To be eligible for a contribution towards residential costs the following criteria must be met (subject to funds being available):
- Students must be 16 or over but under 19 on 31 August to apply.
- Students aged 19 – 24 who hold an EHCP.
- Students must be enrolled on a Land Based Course
- Have a household income below £28,000 net (see policy for full detail).
- The college terms and conditions and set criteria for household income must be met.
- An accommodation offer must have been received and students must remain eligible for accommodation.
Appeals
Once you have applied for a bursary, if you receive notification that an award cannot be made and wish to appeal this decision, an appeal must be made in writing to the Student Bursary Coordinator within 2 weeks. We will review your application and make a decision. If you are unhappy with the outcome of your appeal, you should follow the college’s complaints procedure here. 
Free College Meals
Students aged 16-18 on 31st August immediately before they start their course (or 19+ with an EHCP) and enrolled on a full-time Government funded further education programme, could be eligible for a free college meal.
Students who qualify for free meals will receive a meal allowance of £2.53 per timetabled day (in line with the Government policy) which is allocated to the Residential Meal Plan for use in the College cafeteria.
The College however tops these funds up so that a total allocation per timetabled day is £5.30.
For the full details of the residential bursary policy, click here.