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Education and learning

Help if you’re studying away from home

If you need to study away from home because the course you want isn’t available locally, you may be able to get financial help with the cost of your term-time accommodation.

Help with the cost of specialist courses

If you want to do a specialist course that’s not available in your local area, there are two main sources of potential support with the extra costs of studying away from home:

  • studying at a college that offers residential bursaries for certain courses
  • applying for finance under the Residential Support Scheme

Find residential bursaries for specialist courses

A number of ‘Specialist Residential Centres’ across the country offer extra support for students wanting to study particular courses. Places are are only available in cases where similar provision is not available locally.

These centres mainly offer support for courses in agriculture, art and design and horticulture.

To search a list of the 51 colleges that are currently part of this scheme, see ‘Find a residential bursary’.

To apply for help, you‘ll need to contact the relevant college directly.

The Residential Support Scheme

If you’ve checked the list above and there’s no residential bursary available for the course you want to study, you may qualify for the Residential Support Scheme (RSS) - funded by the Learning and Skills Council.

If you qualify, the scheme will help pay for your term-time accommodation.

You can claim up to £3,458 (£4,079 in the London area) towards your costs each year, up to a maximum of three years. Awards are based on household income.

Do you qualify?

You may qualify for the residential support scheme if you are 16 or over, and are 'ordinarily resident' in England.

The course you are thinking of taking must:

  • be outside a 'reasonable daily travelling distance' from your home - and there cannot be similar courses available locally
  • be for your first level 2 or level 3 qualification
  • involve at least 15 hours' attendance a week, and be of at least 10 weeks’ duration
  • be LSC-funded (if you’re not sure, ask your college’s student adviser)

A 'reasonable daily travelling distance' is defined as a journey which is less than 15 miles, or a two-hour return journey.

You can get an idea of the travel time by using the Directgov journey planner.

Are you 'ordinarily resident' in England?

The rules on residency can be complicated, and the information on this page doesn’t cover all circumstances. But as a general guide, you’re “ordinarily resident” in England if you’re considered to be settled in the UK and have been resident in England for at least three years prior to the start of your course.

Being settled means:

  • having the right of abode in the UK, or
  • having 'indefinite leave to enter' or 'indefinite leave to remain'

British citizens and certain other people have right of abode in the UK.

How to apply

Click on the relevant link below to download a Residential Support Scheme application pack.

Hard copies of the 2008/2009 application pack are available by:

  • calling Promotional Logistics on 0845 602 2260; and
  • quoting the reference number - LSC-P-NAT-070148

Please ensure that you complete all relevant parts of the application form. If you have any questions or need help completing the application form, call the Learner Support Service helpline on 0800 121 8989.

Finding the right college or course

Looking for a course or place to study? See 'Learning at college or sixth form'.

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