Financial support in the 2011/12 academic year for students studying full-time Further Education courses at CAFRE will be administered by the Western Education and Library Board’s (WELB) Further Education Awards Section on behalf of DARD.

To be eligible for a DARD Further Education Award you must be enrolled on a full-time Further Education course at CAFRE and have been resident in Northern Ireland for the 3 years prior to the start of your course. For the full terms and conditions of the DARD FE Awards please refer to the Guidance Booklet for 2011/12 (see Publications below).

Support available for Eligible Students:

• Income assessed Living Expenses Grant:
• Living in Halls of Residence or Lodgings (max £2,362)
• Living in Parental Home (max £1,659)
• Extra help if you have a disability, have children or adult dependants.

Note: There are no tuition fees for CAFRE full-time Further Education courses.

How to apply

Step 1

You should start thinking about applying for financial help as soon as you have applied for a place on a Further Education course at CAFRE. Download the form DARD Further Education Award Application and Assessment Form or obtain a hard copy from CAFRE Admissions (Freephone 0800 0284291). Do not wait until you have a confirmed place on a course before applying - simply quote the course that you think you are most likely to attend

Step 2

Fill in your application form and return it to WELB giving all the details and documentary evidence required. WELB will determine whether or not you are eligible to be considered to receive help with living costs.

Part-Time Students

If you are enrolled on a day release course with CAFRE through the Department for Employment and Learning (DEL) or DARD you may also be eligible to apply for funding. To obtain further information please contact the CAFRE Course Manager or your local DEL office.

Further Information

To find out more about the financial support available and the eligibility requirements for students on Further Education courses at CAFRE, you can get more information by contacting WELB at the following address, telephone number or email address:

Western Education and Library Board
Further Education Awards Section
1 Hospital Road
Omagh
Co Tyrone
BT79 0AW

Telephone: 028 8225 4546

Email: feawards@welbni.org

Publications and Useful Links

A guide for those starting further education at CAFRE - Financial Support 2011/12 (PDF 735KB)

DARD Further Education Award Application and Assessment Form (PDF 116KB)

http://www.welbni.org/index.cfm/do/StudFinFE

https://www.careersserviceni.com/Cultures/en-GB/Homepage.htm

Professional and Career Development Loans

Professional and Career Development Loans are bank loans that can be used to help pay for work related learning. You can borrow between £300 and £10,000 to help support the cost of up to two years of learning (or three years if it includes one year’s relevant unpaid practical work). The Young People’s Learning Agency will pay the interest on the loan while you are learning and for one month afterwards. The loan can be used to pay course fees or other costs such as travel and living expenses. You can also use the loan to supplement other forms of support such as grants or bursaries. Because the Professional and Career Development Loan is a commercial loan product, they should only be considered as an option once all other student funding options have been investigated. For further information on financial assistance to support your learning, please visit www.direct.gov.uk/adultlearning or contact Careers Advice on 0800 100 900. Our learning provider registration number is: 20214.