Approximately two weeks before the start of the Fastrack programme all Fastrack students will receive a personal email invite to apply for financial support from the Fastrack Fund. You will receive an email link to the application form and you will need to submit your application no later than 5pm on the first day of the Fastrack course.

To be eligible for the Fastrack Fund, you must be in receipt of at least one of the following benefits or allowances:

• Working Tax Credit
• NHS Tax Credit Exemption Certificate
• Housing Benefit
• Maximum rate of Child Tax Credit
• Income-based or contribution-based Job Seeker’s Allowance (JSA)
• Income-related or contribution-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
• Full Universal Credit (basic allowance, housing and/or childcare costs)

If you are not in receipt of any of the above benefits or allowances, you may still be eligible for support through the Fastrack Fund if your gross household income does not exceed a specified threshold amount for the past twelve months. This threshold will vary depending on whether you are single, living with a partner and/or have dependent children.

Please note, if you are a single parent with five or more dependent children, or if you are living with a partner and have five or more dependent children, an uplift to the corresponding gross household income threshold for four dependent children will apply at a rate of £2,240 for each additional child.

Not working during Fastrack

If you are not in paid employment during the Fastrack course, your income will be classed as zero and will not be included in the assessment of your household gross income. Evidence will be required to prove that you are no longer in employment, such as a P45 form or a letter from your previous employer.

• Travel Expenses: helping towards the cost of travelling from your home address to attend face-to-face sessions on campus up to a maximum of £77 per week;  
• Childcare Costs: help towards costs over and above any free childcare provision, through a registered provider, to enable you to attend the course; 
• Accommodation Fees: help towards costs if you wish to stay in our halls of residence for the duration of the Fastrack course, subject to your travel costs exceeding £77 per week. If your travel costs from home to campus are less than £77 per week and you still wish to apply to stay in halls, you may be eligible for a partial contribution towards the cost of your hall fees.

It is important that you ensure you have a sufficient contingency to cover your other expenses and living costs for the duration of the Fastrack course. Our Fastrack fund is limited to Travel, Childcare and Accommodation fees only.

You will need to provide evidence of your living arrangements, household income and anticipated expenditure on travel and/or childcare as outlined on the application form.

Once your application has been processed, you will be informed of the decision via email to your registered Edge Hill University email address. The outcome of your application will be confirmed and, if successful, you will be advised of the amount of the award and date when the money will be paid to you.

If you receive a contribution towards accommodation costs, the payment of this element of the Fastrack Fund will be paid directly to the Hall Fees Team on your behalf.

For those who qualify for funding, payments will be made in two equal instalments. You should receive 50% of your award at the end of week two and 50% at the end of week four. A registration check will be made to ensure students are in attendance prior to payments being made. It is therefore important, that you have adequate provision in place to cover your travel and childcare costs for the first two weeks of the course.

Please note, payment dates may differ slightly however we will confirm your payment date in your award notification letter.

If you are considering staying in our halls of residence for the duration of the Fastrack programme, a member of the Money Advice team will contact you before you sign up for accommodation. This will enable you to discuss whether you are likely to receive financial support towards the cost of accommodation fees.

If your are eligible for support towards your childcare costs, payments will be made directly to the student who will then need to pay the childcare provider direct.

Please note, we will only cover childcare costs for registered childcare providers. We do not provide childcare costs for students who are paying a family member or friend to look after children during the course.

Guidance from www.gov.uk states:

You may also be able to get Universal Credit if you’re studying in full-time non-advanced education, you do not get a student loan or maintenance grant and you are available for work.

Non-advanced education is any qualification up to A Level, or equivalent. Full-time courses include:

• National Qualification Framework level 3 or the Scottish Qualification framework level 6
• General Certificate of Education Advanced level (A Level)
• AS Level
• Advanced Diploma
• National Diploma, Certificate or Award
• Level 3 NVQ, Award, Certificate or Diploma

Fastrack is a level 3 programme so falls into the A Level equivalent, meaning it is a none advanced education course.

On the first day of the Fastrack Programme students will receive a letter stating that they are on Fastrack, what they are progressing on to and showing this criteria so that they can present it to the DWP if needed.

Students may need to demonstrate that they are still actively looking for work and would be willing to give up Fastrack if a job opportunity became available.

It’s important that you also refer to the money matters guide for your intended degree. If you have submitted your application to join the Fastrack programme, we strongly recommend applying for financial support for your intended degree as early as possible to ensure your application is received and processed in good time by Student Finance England (or equivalent funding body). Please do not wait until after you have completed the Fastrack course before applying for student finance for the first year of your degree.

EU/EEA and Swiss students who have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, as well as Irish nationals, may be eligible for the UK tuition fee rate and associated financial support. Irish nationals should ordinarily apply to Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI). Please see our dedicated guide to EU student finance for further information.

For information on how to apply for financial support for your intended degree upon completion of Fastrack, as well as comprehensive information about the financial support available to eligible students, please view the relevant money matters guide for your intended programme and start date.

We strongly recommend applying for financial support as early as possible to ensure your application is received and processed in good time. Please do not wait until after you have completed Fastrack to apply. The window for student finance usually opens early in the calendar year and it is a good idea to apply well before the start of the Fastrack course. Applications are made online to Student Finance England at www.gov.uk/apply-online-for-student-finance or via the equivalent funding body for Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.

Sports Scholarships, worth up to £1,000 per academic year, reward talent, achievement and dedication in sport and are designed to enhance your sporting performance

If you wish to apply for a Sports Scholarship, we will categorise your application as coming from a prospective student (since you would be applying prior to the start of your degree). Sports Scholarships are available to full-time students only.

The Preparation for higher education scholarship, worth £1,000, rewards determination, commitment and achievement on the Fastrack course, taking attendance, progress, and promise displayed in the face of adversity into consideration.

To be considered for a Preparation for higher education scholarship, please ask a member of the programme team about how to apply once you are enrolled on the Fastrack course.

If you wish to be considered for any of these scholarships, you will need to apply for them while studying the Fastrack course. If your application is successful you will receive the scholarship while studying your degree.

A range of further scholarships are available which you can apply for, or be nominated for, as a current student enrolled on a full-time Edge Hill University degree (some exclusions may apply).

For more information on the full range of scholarships, including eligibility criteria for each award, visit the dedicated scholarships page online. 

You can also make the most of your student experience and take advantage of career enhancing opportunities while studying your degree by applying for financial support from our Student Opportunity Fund.