The FSC Bursary Fund

FSC is a charitable organisation which aims to Bring Environmental Understanding to All. This aim is achieved by running day and residential environmental education courses at our 17 Field Centres throughout the UK, publishing guides and keys to the natural environment and delivering teacher training. FSC welcomes more than 100,000 visitors to its Centres each year.
FSC Bursary Fund has been established from a number of donations made to the organisation and the FSC has a duty of care over the allocation of donations in the form of bursaries. Each application for bursary will be judged on its own merits and it is in the interest of applicants to provide as much relevant information as possible.

Bursaries of up to a maximum of 80% of the curriculum course fee for the individual can be offered.

We aim to support young people whose home postcode connects to one of the 10.00% most deprived areas of the UK. Indices of Multiple Deprivation will be used as the indicator of deprivation*. Data from the most recent source will be used and links to these can be found on our website.  This is government data which uses small areas (in England called LSOAs - lower super output areas) which have populations of about 1500 people. The deprivation figures take into account a wide range of disadvantage measures (income, employment, health, education, housing, crime levels and environment) and are widely accepted as the best available method of identifying disadvantage at a 'fine level'. To be considered for a bursary the home postcode of the individual must have an IMD rank % of less than 10.00.

FSC Bursary Fund will consider applications from:

• Applications from school, on behalf of individuals, who live in the 10.00% most deprived areas of England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland or Republic of Ireland.
• Schools within the state sector
• Max 80% of the cost of an FSC curriculum course at an FSC centre including tuition fees, accommodation, board and lodging , transport on course but not getting to and from Centre, hire of specialised equipment, waterproofs and wellies
• Children and young people aged 4 - 19 years
• Support can be given to a maximum per school of £1250 for residential courses and £450 for day visits per academic year.
• Schools can only apply once per academic year but the application maybe for students attending different FSC courses eg A level biology and GCSE geography.
• Each individual student may only benefit from one bursary.
• Schools may apply to the FSC Bursary Fund in subsequent years but support will be on a sliding scale and preference will be given to first time applicants.

FSC Bursary Fund will not fund

• Whole group costs where financial disadvantage is not justified at an individual level
• In excess of £1250 for residential visits or £450 for day visits per school per application
• More than one application per school per academic year
• Transport costs to and from the FSC centre
• Visits to non FSC centres or courses at FSC Centres which are not taught by FSC staff
• Groups eligible to apply to FSC Kids Fund
• The purchase of personal equipment needed on course eg  daysacks, clothing, toiletries, snacks (waterproof coat and trousers, wellies and boots available at Centre)

Deadlines and decisions
We know it is important to get a quick response to your request for FSC Bursary Fund support. We will try to respond to your request for support within 10 working days, from receipt of your request, assuming that you provide us with all the information we need.

Decisions will be made by the FSC Bursary Fund Board. FSC has limited administrative time and will not enter into appeals or debate with applicants once the final decision has been made. 
Following the decision from the FSC Bursary Fund Board, FSC will contact the school by letter or email. The school must sign to accept the Terms and Conditions of the FSC Bursary Fund and return these before FSC can release the cheque to the school. The FSC Centre which you are visiting will invoice the school for the full course fee. If a bursary is offered more that 3 months in advance of the course the school must confirm the students who will be attending 6 weeks before the course.  Payment would not be released until confirmation is received.  Schools who apply within the 3 month period would receive payment 6 weeks before the course.

The income available to the support the FSC Bursary Fund is limited to the annual interest on the lump sum investment and as such the Board will only be able to support a limited number of applications each year.

One of the Terms and Conditions for the school is to complete a written report (500 words) on their course and send 3 digital photographs in a .jpeg or alternative file format to FSC Head Office within 2 months of course completion.

The FSC Bursary Fund Board will review the Fund criteria and management each year. We welcome suggestions for the future development of the FSC Bursary Fund from schools and individuals.

*Indices of Multiple Deprivation will be used as an indicator of deprivation. Data from the most recent source will be used including England Indices of Multiple Deprivation 2007 DCLG Wales WIMD 2008 National Assembly Wales SIMD 2009 The Scottish Government NI Multiple Deprivation Measure 2010 Republic of Ireland new measures of Deprivation (Hasse and Pratschke 2006) at Electoral District Level showing very or extremely disadvantaged