Access Funds

Gotta love them, they saved my life for i am poor. - Advantages: Give you money for free..., Lovely people once you see them every week, know their pets etc., FREE MONEY! - Disadvantages: Not that much money, only once a blue moon do they give it to you, run out of money

The Individual learning account is (was) a wonderful initiative made by the Government. Any adult can apply, as it is a grant towards personal achievment, your employer cannot back it. The award is 80% off the cost of selected courses, of which there are thousands to choose from, and colleges. The first million people to apply also qualify for a one off £150 saving on a course of your choice. The idea is that it gives people the incentive to better themselves. The majority of the courses available are step-up courses towards recognised qualifications. I applied for a course about 6 months ago, I was lucky to qualify for the £150 one ...  Read the complete review

I spent six years working for the Buckinghamshire Local Education Authority, finally leaving in 1990 just as student loans were being introduced. Up until then, the LEA was paying university and college tuition fees as standard, and in addition, a maintenance grant to students dependent on parental income. What that means, is that we looked at the level of income of the students’ parents and determined a parental contribution, with the balance of grant being paid by the LEA itself, up to the maximum amount determined by the Government for that academic year. It averaged at a full maintenance grant of approximately £2000 plus the payment of tuition fees. ...  Read the complete review

I am doing a self funded Masters course this year and have had find the £2740 tuition fees myself to pay my way through this year. It was only after christmas that I found out about the very poorly advertised Hardship Fund, seen's that I did a three year undergraduate course at this University too and didn't know anything about it then indicates how poorly it was advertised. The plan was that I would work throughout the summer in order that I would be of sufficient richness to afford the payments and living expenses etc. but unfortunately a trip to hospital at the start of the summer to repair a hernia which I had been waiting three years for soon put ...  Read the complete review

Im a student at Hull college but I live outside of Hull, in Gilberdyke. When I first started I rang up the East Riding Education Authority to see if I was eligable for any help towards my travel costs ( which were going to total nearly £40 a week!!) They told me that because i am doing A levels i am not eligable for any assistance in either a form of a travel pass nor access fund!! I was outraged and quite confused by this discrimination against A level students! Luckily i managed to gain a pass from the college itself that assisted me with my travel costs. It costs me £10 a year and entitles me to 75% off my travel costs. The thing that really annoyed me though was ...  Read the complete review