16 to 19 School Bursary
We offer and administer the 16-19 Bursary Fund to support all our pupils to reach their pinnacles at Invictus. This is money provided to qualifying students to support with their learning at the academy and can include support in buying books, professional wear, laptops and other relevant items.
Types of 16-19 Bursaries
There are two types of bursaries available, usually paid directly into the student's bank account or provided as vouchers/items by the school:
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Bursary for Defined Vulnerable Groups: Up to £1,200 per year for young people in care, care leavers, or students receiving certain benefits (e.g., Income Support or Universal Credit) in their own name.
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Discretionary Bursary: Awarded based on individual financial hardship, such as low household income, to help cover costs like travel, meals, and course materials.
More information can be found here 16 to 19 Bursary Fund: Eligibility - GOV.UK
Who can apply?
Students with a household income of under £35,000 may apply for the discretionary bursary.
In order to apply, students will need to fill in a bursary application form and provide appropriate supporting evidence. The Bursary Application Form can be collected in person from the Sixth Form team.
What evidence is required?
Evidence that can be used to support an application should be the most recent and up to date documentation available. Students should supply original copies and the academy will take photocopies and return original documents.
For students submitting universal credit award letters, online print outs will be accepted as original copies. All evidence should enable the academy to reliably calculate annual income so sufficient documents must be provided, please see below for further details:
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P60
If you are submitting a P60 for the tax year April 2024-2025, you will need to provide further three months’ worth of the most recent wage slips you have. Please therefore also supply wage slips for all household members for June, July and August 2026 if you are submitting a P60 for the last tax year.
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Income support / Universal Credit award letter
If you are submitting an income support or universal credit award letter, it must clearly state that the time period you are in receipt of payment is current. We are unable to accept award letters as evidence where payment dates are soon to expire or will not last the full academic year that you daughter is claiming the bursary for. In addition to award letter you will need to provide 3 months worth of statements so that we can make a calculation of your annual income.
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Wage slips
If you are providing wage slips please provide the most recent wage slips. Please therefore also supply wage slips for all household members for June, July and August 2026.
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Benefits / pension award letter
If you are submitting an award letter for benefits or a pension it must clearly state that you are currently in receipt of the payment. We are unable to accept award letters as evidence where payment dates are soon to expire or will not last the full academic year that you daughter is claiming the bursary for. If necessary, please ensure that you supplement this with other relevant income documents that date back three months so that we can make a calculation of your annual income. If your benefits award is your sole income for the household, please identify this on your form.
Completing and returning the forms
Parents/ carers and students must both sign the bursary form to declare that all of the information provided is accurate.
Forms must be returned with the required signatures and evidence as early as possible in the Autumn term. Forms submitted without signatures and incomplete or missing evidence will delay your forms being processed until these are provided.
Requesting to spend money and/ or purchase items
Students must ensure that they agree in advance any items they wish to purchase through the bursary fund. In all instances a request to spend form must be completed and signed by the Assistant Principal and Principal before the final approval can be given.
In most cases the Academy will purchase items on behalf of the student, however if the Academy as agreed to reimburse a student for a purchase they have made, then students must provide receipts with clear details of expenditure.
The Academy is not obliged to refund students for items that they have not agreed they can purchase in advance, therefore students should always seek approval prior to any purchase.
Access to bursary funds: Attendance
Students can access bursary funds on the condition that they meet agreed standards of attendance which is 96%. Students and parents are also required to sign the bursary contract, so we can ensure that they have agreed to these conditions. We will retain this as evidence and use it in the instance that a student makes a claim but does not meet our attendance requirements. We will always consider the individual circumstances of the student first before deciding how long payments can be withheld for and communicate expectations to students and their parents or carers.
Frequently asked questions
Do I get a specific amount of money?
No, the Academy receives a different amount each year from the Education & Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) and the Academy then decides how this money gets allocated and spent. There is one amount of money that is shared between qualifying students each academic year.
Will I receive payments from the Academy through the bursary funds?
We do not pay students set amount of money and will not authorise paying large amounts in cash into student accounts. Instead, the Academy would purchase items for students so that we can ensure the money is being used for its intended purpose.
What can I purchase?
The bursary fund should be used to support access to your studies, however the Academy retains the overall right to decide how the funds should be spent. You should always agree any items for purchase or spend in advance to ensure that you can use the bursary funds for this purpose.
Do I get to choose how I spend my money?
There is no specific allocation of money to individual students, so students cannot decide how they spend their bursary fund. All requests are subject to approval by the Assistant Principal and Principal and the Academy.
If I was eligible for the bursary in Year 12 do I get it in Year 13
Students must resubmit an application (this is more straightforward to reapply) each year as the bursary is allocated based on annual household income which can change year on year.
If I buy items through the bursary, do I get to keep them?
If the Academy purchases an item through the bursary fund for an eligible student, the item may still remain the property of the Academy. In such a case the student has access to the item on a loan basis for the time they are at the Academy or are eligible for the bursary. Such items could be, but are not limited to, laptops and instruments and students will need to sign a form agreeing to the conditions of the device loan. It will always be made clear to you if an item you are receiving is on a loan basis and should be returned afterwards.
What if I have a complaint about the bursary?
You should speak to your Head of Sixth form in the first instance should you have any concerns about the Bursary. If you are unhappy with a decision taken regarding the bursary please follow the Academy complaints procedure which is available on the Academy website.
