What is LSF?

LSF stands for the Learner Support Fund and it can help students who are struggling with finances to pay for things such as travel, food, essential course materials and childcare. The funds are provided to college by the government to assist us in removing financial barriers to learning.

Who can apply for the Learner Support Fund?

Any student whose household income is below £40,000 can apply for LSF.

How do I apply for the Learner Support Fund?

You can apply online via college’s OnTrack portal. You will use the same email address and password you created when you applied to Barnsley College. You can see more information about applying here.

What evidence do I need to provide?

The evidence needed depends on your household’s personal circumstances. Some of the evidence accepted included, but is not limited to:

1. All 6-8 pages of your Tax Credit letter for 2024/25.
2. Three most recent wage slips for every employed member of the household aged 18+.
3. A benefit letter dated within the last three months, including your name and address. These could be letters for benefits such as Income Support Allowance, Employment Support Allowance and Job Seeker’s Allowance.
4. Self-assessment tax calculation or certified accounts for those who are self-employed.
5. Your last three Universal Credit statements. We need to see the whole statements for the last three months, down to where they say ‘if your circumstances change…’

Can I still apply for funding without the correct evidence?

No, unfortunately not. The OnTrack application requires you to submit evidence before it will allow you to submit anything to us. It is required that we have this before we can process your application.

I am in care/a care leaver. Do I need to provide evidence of household income?

No, we will only need to see a document confirming this. It can be in the form of an official council letter, or a letter from your social worker. We still need you to apply for LSF, but this would be the only evidence that we require from you.

How long does it take for my application to be processed?

Due to the volume of applications we receive, please allow for 10 working days, or two full weeks, for your application to be processed. If you have missing evidence, this will delay your application and funding. We will only begin to assess your application once the complete form and correct evidence is received.

How do I know if my application has been processed?

You will receive an award email to the email address you provided on your application form. Please ensure that you use an email address that you have access to.

My form hasn’t been processed yet and I have started my course, when will I receive funding?

Applications take up to 10 working days to be processed. If it has passed 10 working days, or two full weeks, and you haven’t received any confirmation, please call 01226 216267 to confirm the status of your application.

How do I claim funding for childcare?

If you are under 20 years old at the start of your course, please apply to the government childcare scheme called Care to Learn. Please visit: https://www.gov.uk/care-to-learn and apply via their online portal. You will need to provide Student Services with a copy of your child(ren)’s birth certificate and proof of child benefit.

If you are aged 20 or above at the start of your course, you can receive assistance with childcare through LSF, if you select the option asking for assistance with childcare fees. A member of the team can then send you an extra form to complete, which details your specific funding requirements. This needs to be with an Ofsted registered provider.

You MUST use your free government hours before claiming funding for childcare. Our funding will work as a ‘top up’ for these hours.

What do I do if I don’t have a bank account?

You can still apply for LSF as normal. We recommend opening a bank account regardless, in preparation for LSF as well as any future endeavours. If you would like help with opening an account, please email studentfunding@barnsley.ac.uk with your name and student number. We have a partnership with Virgin Money and can refer you for opening an account.

I have an Advanced Learner Loan, can I still apply for LSF?

Yes, you can still apply for LSF. However, you will only be entitled to either childcare OR travel payments, as it is expected that your loan will cover the rest of what you need.

Does LSF automatically continue from one year to the next?

No, LSF does not generally continue automatically. Students need to reapply each year. Depending on the year’s guidelines, student’s may be able to fill out something called a declaration form, stating that nothing has changed from the previous academic year. All students will need to fill out some kind of form to receive LSF in the next academic year. If you do not fall into the eligibility requirements for a declaration form, you will need to fill out a new LSF application form in full.

If I change course, would my LSF entitlement stay the same?

LSF tends to stay the same unless your class dates change. If you are in college for more or less days, you will need to get your tutor to contact us to let us know so that we can change your funding accordingly. The only thing that would be likely to change with a change in course is the amount that college pays for course materials, as each course requires different materials for study.

When will I receive my LSF payments?

If you apply before September, your first payment should be during the first week of term. If you apply during mid-September onwards, your first payment will be as soon as possible, and then every half term until the start of the summer holidays.

How does paying for course materials work?

Generally, we would ask that you purchase materials and send us a receipt, so that we can reimburse the cost.

For courses such as Hair and Beauty or Catering, you may be given an order form from your tutor. You can bring that to us at Student Services and we will order it to be delivered to your department for you.

If you are unable to buy materials yourself first, it is worth speaking to your tutor, as we may be able to reimburse your department for the materials, instead.

When providing Universal Credit evidence, what does it need to show?

We would need to see your last three Universal Credit payments. If you have a recent claim and only have one or two, we will accept those, too.

We need you to click into each month and send us a full statement from each month. You can generally do this by clicking the ‘print’ button and selecting ‘print to pdf’ under the printer option. This allows you to save them to your documents to attach to your application.

We also accept phone screenshots, but the statements must show down to where they say ‘if your circumstances change…’

Why am I receiving different amounts of money for each half term?

Each half term varies in length, and we only pay travel for the time you are in college. Because of this, your first payment may be more than your second payment etc.

We will also reduce your funding amount if your attendance is below 90%, and we will put it on hold entirely if it is under 50%, as there ideally should be money left over from the days not at college to cover the rest of the amount.

What travel help can I get from the Learner Support Fund?

In order to receive support with travel payments, you must live more than a mile away from college. LSF covers the cheapest form of transport for you to attend classes, and it is important to apply for any concessionary passes for transport that you can. You will be provided with either a payment to cover transport costs, or the most appropriate bus pass for you.

Please see the following link to all concessionary passes available for travel in South Yorkshire:LINK HERE

I am on a work placement and cannot use my food credits, what should I do?

If you are on a full-time course that requires a work placement, please apply for LSF for help towards this, and we could pay food money into your bank account for a limited time.

Alternatively, please contact your Industry Placement Officer who will be able to give you more information.

Can LSF help with the cost of my course?

No. Course fees are not covered through LSF. If you require financial support with your course fees, please check with our Information Unit by emailing info@barnsley.ac.uk or calling 01226 216 123.