Financial Help
If you are worrying about the cost of further study or just want to know what support is out there then the following sites will help. There are various packages of financial support available depending on your age, what sort of course you want to study etc.
For studying at College check out:-
http://www.bury.gov.uk/EducationAndLearning/SchoolsAndColleges/EducationalAwardsAndBenefits/FurtherEducationStudentsFinancialSupport.htm
This page on the Bury Metropolitan Borough website has information on a range of support available when going to further education.
http://ema.direct.gov.uk/ema.html
Education Maintenance Allowance (or EMA for short) could give you up to £30 a week to help out with the costs of staying in learning after 16. The money’s paid directly into your bank account. Once it’s there, you can use it to pay for whatever you like – for example, books, travel or equipment.
http://direct.gov.uk/en/EducationAndLearning/14To19/MoneyToLearn/Caretolearn/DG_066556
If you’re under 20 and have one or more children, Care to Learn can help with the cost of your childcare while you learn
For Higher Education study check out:-
http://www.bury.gov.uk/EducationAndLearning/SchoolsAndColleges/EducationalAwardsAndBenefits/HigherEducationStudentsFinancialSupport.htm
This page on the Bury Metropolitan Borough website has information on a range of support available when going to higher education.
http://www.aimhigher.ac.uk/student_finance/
These pages help you work out how much help you can get - and the good news is, there's probably more help than you think - there's a new financial package in place to help full-time students.
http://www.dfes.gov.uk/studentsupport/
find out which student loans, grants, bursaries and other help you could qualify for, and apply online for student loans and grants, on the Directgov website. Includes full information on repaying student loans.
http://www.studentsupportdirect.co.uk
Provides information on the financial help available and it is possible to work out an estimate of what you might be entitled to.
National Minimun Wage
New National Minimum Wage Rates from
1st October 2009
Workers aged 22 and over £5.80 per hour
Workers aged 18 -21inclusive £4.83 per hour
Workers aged 16 -17 £3.57 per hour
Some workers do not qualify for the minimum wage or qualify after a set period of time. This may apply to you if you are:
An apprentice under the age of 19
An apprentice aged 19 or over in the first year of your apprenticeship
A student on a work placement forming part of a UK higher or further education course if the work placement is for less than one year
Taking part in the European Union’s Leonardo da Vinci or Youth Action programme
There may be other reasons why you are not entitled to the minimum wage. If you are unsure, contact the Pay and Work Rights Helpline on 0800 917 2368 (calls are FREE from landlines; call charges from mobiles vary) or go online www.direct.gov.uk