Plz Helppppppp

asamson

Hi Firstly i hope this is tn the right area if not plz feel free to move.

Basically i'm in receipt of Incapacity Benefit and Income Support,no problems there as it stands,my question is can i get any help with sending my 16yr old to college,i keep hitting brick walls with every turn.I know this should of been sorted by now,but this is my situation.

My son applied for 4 colleges and were accepted provisionally at all,he then got his exam results and got what he needed to get into all colleges,so he turned 3 of them down and opted for the one closest to home(which is football studies) went through and enrolled i paid what they call a resources fee,and everything seemed fine,(had applied for a bursary fund but not heard as of yet))but then on Friday i received a call to say that they were having to withdraw the course as not enough people had applied for that course but he could still do it with the same college but would have to go to the main campus which is approx 25 miles away,we have been there today for an interview and he has been accepted and starts on Monday,my problem is the resources fee needs paying which is £60 more,the college bus is £500 a year,he has to have their sports equipment i.e Nike Tracksuit,Football shirt socks and shorts,which are to be bought from the campus shop,(the stuff for the original place were all Umbro stuff which i'd already got),they also would like him to join there gym at a cost of £120 a year.

I'm very glad that my son is sorted but in such little time its hard to find the money any help is much appreciated.

Anubis_2

You should still be entitled to all child benefits and may be entitled to help from the college Bursary. Contact the college and ask for a Bursary form.

Mupette

the bursary is something that he might be eligble for.

can your son get a job, yes i know right now rare as rocking horse poop.

but posting on here is going to get you grief....


aparently tax credits and child benefit should cover everything your son needs for school/6th form/college... you know and i know and a few others on here know this isnt lala land, money doesn't stretch.

but if you all just eat basic beans and bread, dont have heating on etc.. you'll be fine and won't need the money.

But lets get into the real world.

Although the bursary is designed for those with people in care, special needs, disabled, there is this.

Other students facing genuine financial difficulties may be awarded a bursary at the discretion of their school, college or training provider.

if your son can try and get a job, even better, fortunately a few more weeks and the christmas jobs will be out and perhaps be fortunate there.

Good luck,

[Deleted User]

cant add much to that except to say that many big companies have already started the christmas job process and he needs to act fast to grab one,try any or all of the following argos,bhs,m&s plus all 4 big supermarkets,my dd recruits for a well known fashion store that has a river near its island(lol)and they tend to take on part time staff now to replace students going to uni and for xmas.

paddedjohn

not being funny but why isnt he joining the real world instead of doing a dead end course playing footy for the next few years? where is this course likely to get him in say 5 yrs time?

eskimo26

paddedjohn wrote: »

not being funny but why isnt he joining the real world instead of doing a dead end course playing footy for the next few years? where is this course likely to get him in say 5 yrs time?

Why is it dead end? If he wants a career in sports he is specialising in the most popular sport in the uk and probably the world. He can get into coaching, sport management, sport therapy, physical education.

I'll tell you what would be dead end though, a 16 year old with no education beyond GCSE's trying to join the 'real world' during one the most hostile finantial conditions experienced in a very long while. Will likely end up on JSA fruitlessly looking for work till he loses all confidence in himself.

Besides their should be no finantial barrier to education full stop! Their should be more done to regulate some of the garbage passing for courses since the education sector was turned into a money making machine. I went to one of the best places in london for my degree and the 'course' was horrific. I can't believe their has been any provisions for quality control since the introduction of loans over grants. I won't even ask what the hell all the Governments managed to do with the money they saved and we still end up here in a precarious financial situation.

nannytone_2

these sports courses are the new 'leisure and tourism' and 'media studies'.

he would be much better placed for employment if he took his coaching qualifications.
even then it's difficult, because so many kids are taking them, and theres very few jobs.
my step son is a qualified coach/ lifeguard, has taken nutrition courses self funding) and actually gets paid for playing football ( £70 a game).
for coaching, he is earning about £15 an hour, all sounds rosy but .... he only has about 4 hours regular coaching work a week, and it costs him a fortune in fuel as he has to travel to different places to work.

if a kid is truly talented in the football world, they get picked up way before the age of 16,
my instincts would say ... yesplay saturday/sunday football, but get yourself on a course with prospects. learn a trade!

asamson

Thank you to all the positive replies out there,when he finished his last gcse he went straight to connexions for help doing his C.V and trawled the shops looking for work but as he'd just turned 16 he had not received hi N.I card,so most said sorry,he managed to get 3 interviews but didnt hear again,i fully appreciate its coming up to christmas now and there will be a lot more jobs out there which he'll be looking to fill.

As for the ones slating the course he is doing why is he wrong in wanting to follow his heart,its not just about kicking a ball around and its certainly nothing to do with becoming a footballer as he knows his limits buts has always wanted to work in the football industry.

I'd much rather him do this than getiing into a rut and signing his name once a fortnight.

relic

Sounds like a very useful course.

Much like my degree in 'Catching a ball'.

DaisyFlower

asamson wrote: »

Thank you to all the positive replies out there,when he finished his last gcse he went straight to connexions for help doing his C.V and trawled the shops looking for work but as he'd just turned 16 he had not received hi N.I card,so most said sorry,he managed to get 3 interviews but didnt hear again,i fully appreciate its coming up to christmas now and there will be a lot more jobs out there which he'll be looking to fill.

As for the ones slating the course he is doing why is he wrong in wanting to follow his heart,its not just about kicking a ball around and its certainly nothing to do with becoming a footballer as he knows his limits buts has always wanted to work in the football industry.

I'd much rather him do this than getiing into a rut and signing his name once a fortnight.

What are the chances of realistically working in the football industry? I would imagine very little, so perhaps he could do a couple of decent core subjects and the sports as etc.

Future employers have their pick of applicants and are more likely to choose somebody with decent subjects rather than sports/leisure/media as these are seen as an easy way through college.

I'll encourage my DS to do things he enjoys but would also try and ensure that he doesnt mess up his job chances by taking a course that its very likely to lead to employment.

seven-day-weekend

asamson wrote: »

Thank you to all the positive replies out there,when he finished his last gcse he went straight to connexions for help doing his C.V and trawled the shops looking for work but as he'd just turned 16 he had not received hi N.I card,so most said sorry,he managed to get 3 interviews but didnt hear again,i fully appreciate its coming up to christmas now and there will be a lot more jobs out there which he'll be looking to fill.

As for the ones slating the course he is doing why is he wrong in wanting to follow his heart,its not just about kicking a ball around and its certainly nothing to do with becoming a footballer as he knows his limits buts has always wanted to work in the football industry.

I'd much rather him do this than getiing into a rut and signing his name once a fortnight.

Yes I too think it is better to go to college than be twiddling his thumbs, but I think what people are saying is why didn't he pick a more useful course? Still that is irrelevant for the purpose of this query.

As regards the extra money, I'm afraid I have nothing other to add, but afaik you will still be able to claim child-related Benefits.