If you are studying a Further Education Course at Belfast Met you may be able to receive funding to support you during your studies. The funding available is dependent on your age, individual circumstances and household income: 

Under 18 Support

Free School Meals 

If you are aged under 18 on the 31st July 2024 and studying a Full Time Further Education course you may be entitled to free school meals through the Education Authority if you or your parent(s)/Guardian(s) receive one of the following benefits: Income Support, Income based JSA, Income Related ESA, Guaranteed Element of State Pension, Child Tax Credit/Working Tax Credit with an annual taxable income of £16,190 or less or an Asylum Seeker supported by the Home Office.

For further information and guidance or to apply please go to www.eani.org.uk

Under 19 Support

Travel pass

If you are studying a Full Time Further Education course and aged under 19 on 1st July 2024 and live more than three miles away from the College, with no closer College offering places on a similar course you may be entitled to a Travel Pass through the Education Authority.
For further information and guidance or to apply please go to www.eani.org.uk

Educational Maintenance Allowance

If you are aged 16,17,18 or 19 years on or between 2nd July 2023 and 1st July 2024 and studying a Full time Further Education course you may be entitled to EMA. EMA is a means tested allowance of £30 per week, paid fortnightly. The household income of you or your parent(s)/guardian(s) must be £20,500 or less for households with one dependent child or; £22,500 or less for households with more than one dependent child. You can receive EMA for a maximum of three years, as long as the household income does not rise above the thresholds or you reach the age of 20.
For further information and guidance or to apply please go to www.nidirect.gov.uk

Please note: you can not receive both EMA and Further Education Award (only one or the other)

Over 19 Support

Further Education Grants Full Time 

If you are age 19 or over on the 1st July 2024 you may be entitled to a Further Education Grant from the Education Authority (Western Region).  The full time grant assists students with living costs and range in value from £2,092 down to £1,122, dependent on your individual circumstances and your or your parent(s)/guardian(s) household Income. Closing date for applications is 31st October 2024.

For more information and criteria click here. To apply online click here.  Alternatively you can request a form to be posted to your home by emailing fegrants@eani.org.uk

Further Education Part-time 24/25

Further Education Grant Part time

If you are studying a Further Education Course at Belfast Met you may be able to receive funding to support you during your studies. The funding available is dependent on your age, individual circumstances and household income.  The part time grant assist students with fees and books and equipment. Your entitlement depends on your course and your own Income and that of your spouse/partner (if applicable).

Your course must have a Full Time equivalent or be at least 8 hours per week and be completed in no longer than twice the time taken to complete the full time equivalent. Closing date for applications is 31st October 2024

For more information and criteria click here. To apply online click here. Alternatively you can request a form to be posted to your home by emailing fegrants@eani.org.uk

If you are studying a Full Time Higher Education Course at Belfast Met you may be able to receive funding from Student Finance NI. The funding available is dependent on your individual circumstances and household income. 

Tuition Fee Loan (repayable)
A non-means tested loan available to you to cover the costs of your course up to £9,250. All Belfast Met Full-time Higher Education Courses cost £3,050 per year with the exception of the BSC in Social Work which costs £4,750 per year.

Maintenance Loan (repayable)
A means tested loan available to assist with your living/accommodation costs. A higher rate loan is available if living away from family home.

Maintenance Grant (non-repayable on course completion)
A means tested grant of up to £3,465 available to assist you with living/accommodation costs. Maintenance Grant & Loan means test examples (Living away from family home).

For full criteria and terms and conditions regarding Student Finance NI Loan and grant rates and to apply please click here.

Higher Education Part-time 24/25

If you are studying a Part-time Higher Education course at Belfast Met you may be able to receive funding from Student Finance NI.  Part time Higher Education students, who are studying at least 50% of an equivalent full-time course, can apply for financial help. Your entitlement will depend on your income and that of your spouse / partner. 

Tuition Fee Grant
A means tested grant available to you to help cover the cost of your course. 

Tuition fee Loan
If the grant does not cover you entire fee or you are not eligible for the grant a non means tested loan is available to you to help cover the cost of your course.

Course grant
A means tested grant of up to £265 to assist with the purchase of books etc. For further information on means test and intensity levels please click here.

How to apply
We strongly advise applying online by going to Student Finance NI and clicking create an account.

Higher Education Additional or Supplementary Support

Student Finance NI also offer further support to students with specific circumstances:

DSA (Disabled Students’ Allowance) 

Available to students who have extra costs because of a disability, mental health condition or specific learning difficulty.

Childcare Grant (Full Time Only)

Means tested grant to help with childcare costs up to £148.75 per week for one child or £255 for two or more children.

PLA (Parents Learning allowance)

Means tested grant of up to £1,538 if you have dependent children.

ADG (Adults Dependent Grant)

Means tested grant of up to £2,695 a year if an adult depends on you financially. For more information about the above funds please click here.

Further Education Childcare Grant

If you are aged 20 years or over before the first day of the academic year you may be able to receive assistance towards your childcare costs through the Education Authority (Western Region). For further information and guidance or to apply please click here

Care to Learn Scheme

If you are aged under 20 years before the first day of the academic year you may be able to receive assistance towards your childcare costs through this scheme administered through the College. To apply email studentfunding@belfastmet.ac.uk

Learner Support Fund Childcare

If you are aged 20 years or over before the first day of the academic year and are not receiving assistance for Childcare from the Further Education Award you may be to receive assistance towards your childcare costs from the Hardship Fund. To apply email studentfunding@belfastmet.ac.uk

Learner Support Fund 

The Learner Support Fund (Discretionary) is provided to increase access, retention and achievement for those learners experiencing exceptional financial difficulty with meeting costs associated with learning.

Students that apply to the Learner Support Fund and meet the means test and the eligibility criteria listed above will be assessed under the following categories:

Please Note: Students cannot be double funded for the same category of funding received from elsewhere. i.e if a student is in receipt of Fee support from Student Finance NI, the Learner Support Fund will be unable to assist further under that category. All students must exhaust all other available sources before applying to this fund.

All Learner Support Fund assistance is conditional on student’s regular attendance at college and satisfactory academic progress.

Please note: The Learner Support Fund will launch September 2024. Full criteria and how to apply will be released at launch.

Higher Education Bursary

The Higher Education Bursary is an Award paid to students from low income families who attend and progress on their Full Time Higher Education Course who pay variable fees.

The Award is approximately 10% of the overall fee charged for the course, for example a course that costs £3050 would equal an award of £305.

The process of the Higher Education Bursary is completed in Partnership with the Student Loan Company and therefore imperative that students apply through Student Finance NI to be assessed for the bursary.

Students must meet all of the following criteria:
• Must be enrolled as a Full-time Belfast Met Student Paying Variable Fee
• Student must have applied to SLC
• Must be financially assessed by SLC through PN1 form
• Must consent to share information through PN1 form
• Parents must consent to share through PN1 form (if means tested through parents)
• All required Evidence must be verified by SLC when applying through PN1 form
• Household Income must be less than £25,000
• Attendance over 80%
• Making academic progress

The Higher Education Bursary is generally processed at the end of term 3 when attendance figures and progression figures become available.

This bursary is awarded automatically if you meet the above criteria. If you have any queries please contact studentfunding@belfastmet.ac.uk