Are these valid reasons for claiming access to learning fund?

Im in my twenties studing nursing and get a non means tested bursary of £125 a week and am wondering if I could get access to learning fund there is a section on the form that asks why I need it. Travel to uni costs me £33 a week, parents want £40 a week which I think are valid reasons for claiming but what about needing money for driving lessons would this be considered valid :confused:

Also buying food, books for the course and mobile phone contract? I dont know if they would accept these needs lol but I am hard up financially.

Reply 1

DMV

Isn't access to learning for disabled students?
Actually, I've got the wrong fund, sorry. :P

Reply 2

autumnleaves

I think it's for if you're struggling to afford the basics like rent, food, books and travel costs, but I'm pretty sure they won't count your phone contract or driving lessons! But if you can't afford books that you need or things like that, they might help you.

Reply 3

hypocriticaljap

driving lessons and mobile phone contract?
Are you having a laugh?

Reply 4

Anonymous,

hypocriticaljap

driving lessons and mobile phone contract?
Are you having a laugh?

I can't do community nursing if I can't drive, whats there to laugh at about that? Gees why do humans have so many issues.

Reply 5

nikitapink

im just wondering if anyone knows the minimum and maximum amounts rewarded for the summer ALF. i know that the normal funding minimum is £100 and maximum £3500.

thanks x

Reply 6

mazzie111

usually the nhs give travel grants?
and no the access to learning fund is for immediate short term financial help

Reply 7

Nikki*

Im wondering if theyll give me the funds too I got a minimum loan of 1125 this term but that only just covers my rent I then have to pay 200 pounds a month travel to university by train im going to apply tomorrow all they can do is say no

Reply 8

sfdoctor

It's highly likely that whoever assesses you will make some provision for the fact that you have to travel more than most students. I used to work on an Access to Learning Fund assessment team and we used to apply limits to travel costs so students couldn't claim they were spending an exorbitant amount on travel. These limits were a lot higher for nursing students due to their need to travel that much more, so their chances of getting an award were slightly higher than the most students.

However, each university applies its own discretion here so it can vary.

The Access to Learning Fund won't consider your mobile bill though. This comes under your general living costs, which are fixed by the government, and university cannot change those.

You should certainly apply though.

Reply 9

kayla_89

Hi, I am not sure if you'd get anything but might be worth a shot. In my experience from the ALF at the uni of liverpool, I got £150 pounds when I was maxed out on £1,750 overdraft am in my 5th year of my 6 year veterinary course and we now have to have cars to get to placements, although they still saw that as a luxury. I also had to stay in a caravan for 8 weeks for one of my summer placements and this cost me £1080. Again something they did not see as a necessity. If you can get an overdraft they would recommend doing that, or increasing it. Also the government assume every student is working 8 hours a week and this is taken into account whether you do or don't work this. I was living off 15 quid for all my food and fuel to get to uni which had to last me for two weeks.
Might be worth getting a part time job, I had to work loads last year along a masters course so it is do-able.
I hope I have helped a bit sorry to sound so negative, the system just has to see you are really suffering. Good luck with your course xx