Student Travel Costs?

sweetcheeks2

Hi there - can anyone help?

I currently have a 18 year old daughter studying full time at a 6th form which is 7 miles away from us. I have to buy her a weekly pass for her bus which is £26.00 per week.

My son is due to start the same college this September - this making the fee to the bus company £52.00 per week.

I feel sick to the stomach with worry how I am going to manage this. Getting my daughter there this last year was hard enough - now I have then both to do in a few months time.

There is no government assisted transport in my area - if your children are going to 6th for you are just expected to find the fees. Can anyone please suggest any idea's at all, for me when this time comes? I have already started to save what I can for maybe a term ticket, this is £230.00 for 15 weeks.

Thanks in advance.

(posted in 2 sections as unsure which would be best x )

susancs

All students in the sixth form of the secondary school my children attend received a letter last year stating that there is a sixth form bursary fund that those from low income families can apply for. These funds replaced the EMA (Educational Maintance Allowance) and it did state that the funds were limited. Students in most need could get £1,200 a year, but the amount paid to other students was at the school discretion. Your children's sixth form may offer similar.

susancs

These were the category guidelines on the letter from the school, but this may vary from school to school I would think.



CATEGORY A
Students most in need will be eligible to receive a bursary of £1,200 a year. This group includes:
 students in care under the Local Authority
 care leavers (a care leaver is someone who has been in the care of the Local
Authority for a period of 13 weeks or more spanning his or her 16th birthday)
 students claiming income support
 disabled students who receive Employment Support Allowance and Disability Living Allowance

CATEGORY B
Those students who are most likely to need financial support will qualify for Free School Meals and therefore their parents or carers would be in receipt of one or more of the following:
· Income Support
· Income based Job Seekers’ Allowance
· Income Related Only Employment and SupportAllowance.
· Child Tax Credit with an annual income of less than £16,190 (anyone receiving Working Tax Credit regardless of income does not qualify)
· The ‘Guarantee’ element of State Pension Credit
· Support under Part VI of the Immigration and AsylumAct 1999
· Working Tax Credit during the four-week period immediately after employment finishes or after you start to work for fewer than 16 hours per week
Students whose parents or carers are in receipt of any of the above benefits are urged to register for Free School Meals to qualify for the bursary.

CATEGORY C
Students with an annual household income of less than £25,000 per annum.

Just found that this fund is available for 16-19 year olds in education for 2013/14 and looking at the guidelines it can be used for help with transport costs.
http://www.education.gov.uk/childrenandyoungpeople/youngpeople/studentsupport/a00203061/16-19-bursaries