Further Education Eligibility

Students must be 19 years of age or over on 1 July 2024. 

Students who are under 19 years of age on 1 July 2024 and who wish to study a full time course will be considered only if they have to live away from home in order to undertake the course.

To decide if you are eligible for a Further Education Grant we check:

  1. Previous Study  
    We will check whether you have ever received support for a publicly funded course in the past. Grants will only be offered where the Education Authority is satisfied that there is clear evidence that the applicant is progressing to a more advanced level of study.
     

  2. Residence

    • be ordinarily resident in Northern Ireland; and
    • have been ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom (UK) and Islands (i.e. Channel Islands and Isle of Man) for three years immediately before starting the course (not wholly or mainly for the purpose of receiving full time education); and
    • have settled status in the UK as described in the Immigration Act 1971: or
    • an EU, EEA or EFTA National who has been granted residency under the EU Settlement Scheme and been ordinarily resident in the UK, Gibraltar, European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland three years prior to the first day of the course; or
    • an EU, EEA or EFTA National who is pending a decision on their application to the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) or made an application to the EUSS after 30 June 2021, including joining family members, providing any other eligibility requirements have been met.

      You are “ordinarily resident” somewhere if it is where you normally live. It doesn’t matter if you are out of the country temporarily from time to time. Settled status” means there are no immigration restrictions on how long you can stay in the UK. The residence requirements are complicated and even if you do not meet the requirements set out above you may still be eligible for support. If you are unsure whether you are eligible to apply you should contact our Further Education Service. Normally you must meet the following requirements on the first day of the first academic year of your course.
       
  3.   The course you are studying
    • Full time and part time courses must meet the following criteria:   
      • Be at least one academic year in duration; and
      • Appear on the Register of Regulated Qualifications; or
      • GCSE, A Level or AS Level only when in combination with a relevant vocational qualification at a similar level; or
      • A University Access course listed.  
      • Held at a publicly funded college of Further Education within the British Islands or the Republic of Ireland.
         
    • Part time courses must also meet the below criteria:
      • Be completed in no longer than twice the time it would take to complete the full time equivalent.
      • If no full-time equivalent course exists then the part time course must be for at least 8 hours per week in duration with the 8 hours being made up of taught hours plus compulsory placement hours.
Last updated: 17/10/2024