Further Education Student Finance
For students enrolled in our Further Education courses—such as Regenerative Horticulture, Nature Restoration, Agroecology, Forestry & Arboriculture, Land-Based Studies, or Coppicing & Greenwood Trades—there may be some additional financial support options available for you.
Please note that the additional funding options listed below may require repayment if you have poor attendance or withdraw from College before completion.
You are not guaranteed to receive funding from any fund, and we encourage students to plan to be able to support themselves financially before joining us in case your applications are not approved.
TUITION FEES
Course tuition fees for our Diplomas are always fully covered by the Welsh Government for all UK residents:
- Over the age of 16
- With no upper age limit
- With no qualification or experience requirements
- With no limit on the qualifications you already hold (our courses are still free even if you already have a Masters Degree!)
- Regardless of your income
Tuition fees do NOT need to be repaid, even if you withdraw from the course.
You will need to have ‘settled’ status or have been a UK citizen for 3 years’ at the start of your course to be eligible for funding if you are not UK-born.
Although tuition is fully funded, you will still need to be able to cover your own living expenses for the duration of your study.
There are some options to support you below, which are all dependent on household income and attendance, but you MUST have started your course to submit a claim for BMC’s or NPTC’s living cost support.
Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA)
Students aged 16 – 18 from low-income households may be eligible for the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) provided by the Welsh Government. This weekly allowance of £40 (paid every two weeks) helps cover the day-to-day costs of studying and is designed to keep students engaged in education.
Applications can be made online before you start your course. You MUST have a Welsh address to be able to apply.
Students must have a household income situation of one of the following:
- £20,817 or less if you are a young person in full-time education in the household
- £23,077 or less if there are other young people in your household who are aged under 16 and eligible for child benefit or aged 16-20 and in full-time education and eligible for child benefit
You must maintain at least 90% attendance throughout the year to ensure you continue to receive your payments.
Welsh Government Learning Grant (WGLG)
Eligible Welsh residents can apply for the Welsh Government Learning Grant which does not need to be repaid. This provides a termly payment throughout your course of up to £1,919 p/a, depending on your household income.
You may be eligible to claim this grant whilst claiming some benefits. Some nontaxable benefits (i.e. PIP or Universal Credit) may not be impacted by claiming WGLG. Please speak with your work coach to confirm whether this will affect you.
Applications can be made online before you start your course, or any time during the year.
To apply for this, students must:
- be aged 19 and over
- be in full or part-time study with a minimum of 275 hours per year
- reside in Wales
- have a household income of £18,370 or less
- ensure a minimum attendance rate of 90% throughout the year
- complete a minimum of 2 weeks full attendance at the start of each term before payment is made
NPTC Support
NPTC Group are our Further Education partners who validate our Diplomas. This means you are a BMC student AND an NPTC student and can receive the benefits of both institutions.
All students in financial difficulty will be considered. Funding is subject to full attendance, and you are asked to first apply for WGLG or EMA. Those ineligible for these grants will also be considered.
You can apply directly once your course has begun through the Learner Hub on Moodle. We will guide you through how to access this during your course induction week.
NPTC have their own Financial Contingency Fund that you can apply for which provides financial help to put towards:
- College meals (you will receive a Morrisons’ voucher)
- Course equipment (50% reimbursement of essential course equipment named on your equipment list only, – safety/waterproof clothing etc.)
- Childcare
- Transport costs (if you live more than 3 miles away) up to a maximum of £175 per term.
You will need to provide evidence or receipts for some claims. Transport costs are paid at the end of each term.
BMC Support
Our own Financial Contingency Fund is available to both further and higher education students and is designed as a last resort to provide a small financial boost to struggling students. This can provide a maximum of £200 per person at one time, but you must have first completed a minimum of two-weeks on your course.
You should first apply to WGLG, EMA or NPTC’s fund. Receipts will be required for essential equipment, childcare, or transport-based claims.
You can apply directly once your course has begun by speaking with us on StudyFE@blackmountainscollege.uk