If you live in Kent, Hampshire, Surrey or Sussex (30miles from the college) and want to study Level 3 Agriculture or Equine, you could apply for a residential bursary scholarship to start this September!

Collaborating with the South of England Agricultural Society for the second year running, we are delighted to offer our fantastic residential bursary scholarship which is aimed at students who live in an area not accessible via the college’s normal bus network or more than 30 miles from Plumpton College, in Kent, Hampshire, Surrey, or Sussex.

This is an amazing opportunity for students interested in studying Agriculture or Equine where distance from the college could pose financial barriers to applying to study at Plumpton College. 

The scholarship is to assist students (applicants), aged 16-18 with up to 75% of the costs of their residential fees to enable them to live in our Ofsted rated 'Outstanding' accommodation whilst studying on site at Plumpton College to achieve a BTEC Extended Diploma in Agriculture or Equine Management. 

For course details and to apply see:  

• Agriculture - BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma
• Equine Management - BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma

What are the eligibility criteria to apply for the scholarship?  

For the student (applicant) to be considered:  

• They need to live over 30 miles from the college or outside of the college bus network Kent, Hampshire, Surrey or Sussex. Please follow link to find out more about the network: Plumpton College Transport | (ridekura.com) 

• They need to write a personal statement describing why they want to study agriculture or equine management, outlining any relevant experience, as well as giving an overview of their hobbies and interests and any jobs or responsibilities they may have gained through their school years  

• We will require an attendance record and reference from their current school  

• Their full household income needs to be under £50,000  

• They need to be enrolled on a full-time BTEC Level 3, Extended Diploma in Agriculture or Equine Management provided at the Plumpton College campus, having met the entry requirements of the course  

• The deadline for all scholarship applications to start September 23 is 30th July 2023  

Evidence required  

• To apply all student applicants will need to submit evidence with their application. A full list of what is required can be found at the bottom of this article.  

How much will a student applicant receive?  

• This scholarship is in effect a bursary which will be added to the students account and will be offset against the accommodation cost of the student staying in college for the duration of the agriculture or equine course.   

• The amount will be determined once the application has been received and assessed by a panel who will assess all applications.

What are the conditions of the scholarship for successful students?  

Students awarded the scholarship will be:  

• Monitored throughout their study period at Plumpton College for attendance in lessons above 90%, good behavior in and around the college, their attitude to the study program i.e. handing in assignments on time and good steady grades to achieve a minimum of a pass rate of the course.  

• Required to act as ambassadors for the college, attend certain events throughout the college year, and write a testimonial about the course and the bursary scholarship.  

Important notice regarding availability of funding 

• The total amount of funding from the South of England Agriculture Scholarship is limited 

• Notification of awards will be made as soon as possible after receipt of all correct evidence etc. 

• Eligibility is not a guarantee that an award will be made. Whilst we aim to help all eligible learners, this may not always be possible.   

• If the application is successful, it will be awarded from the date all the correct evidence is received by the College  

• The application asks for personal and financial information. Please ensure to sign the declaration to confirm that the information you have given us is correct  

• If you are awarded funding on the basis of false information, you may have your funding withdrawn and you may also be asked to return any funds you have received  

How will the decision be made?  

• For any of the South of England Agriculture or Equine Bursary Scholarships to be awarded the decision will be made by a panel from our senior management team and governors who will take into consideration the evidence provided by the applicant to join the agriculture or equine studies available at Plumpton College.   

• All applicants will be emailed informing them of the outcome of their application. Successful applicants will receive an award notice which tells them the amount of the award for the cost of the accommodation.  

How to apply for the bursary  

Head to our application form

Evidence required  

Here’s the full details of the correct evidence that will need to be supplied as part of the application. Evidence is required for each type of earnings – all pages must be supplied.  

• Tax credit award for current financial year. We can accept provisional tax credit award letters or the award if this roles into the current year;   

• Universal Credit – 3 x the most recent monthly award notices or statements from an online account. Take-home pay must also be provided along with 3x monthly Universal Credit statements to assess total household income, net earnings must not exceed £7400 per year.   

• Proof of earnings in the household – 3 x most recent wages slips and/or P60 for all 18+ adults and or the most recent self-certificate for self-employment.  

• Child Tax Credit  

• Working Tax Credit    

• Council Tax Benefit (excluding single person allowance).     

• Copy of the guaranteed element of State Pension Credit   

• Benefit letter - dated within the last 3 months (Income Support, Employment Support Allowance, Job Seekers Allowance, PIP)   

• If you have either a student loan or Advanced Learner loan – please provide the letter stating the amount including any maintenance that has been provided to you.  

Important notes about providing evidence  

• Photocopies are preferred but if you send in the evidence forms, they cannot be returned to you.   

• If the correct evidence is not submitted the application form cannot be assessed and an award cannot be made. If this is the case, we will email the applicant to inform them of what further evidence needs to be submitted.  

• It is the responsibility of the applicant to make sure that they do this promptly.