Discounts and Help with Fees

Information about available discounts.

The Martha Hamilton Trust

We offer 33% discount off the total course fee through the Martha Hamilton Trust. The Trust was set up by a former Centre for Open Learning student who wanted to ensure financial help was available for students on a low income.

This discount is awarded on the basis of individual need and applicants must meet eligibility criteria. Awards are discretionary and applications are considered individually. To be considered for this discount, we will require proof of your eligibility, such as a benefits letter or bank statement showing your income amount. We can accept scanned copies of these documents by email.

Please read on for full details regarding eligibility for the Martha Hamilton Trust:

 

Applicants must live in Edinburgh, the Lothians, the Borders, Fife, the Falkirk district or Clackmannanshire.

If you live in the defined geographical area, then you may be eligible if you are in receipt of the following benefits:

• Severe disablement allowance or Adult Disability Payment

• Disability living allowance

• Incapacity benefit

• Carer’s allowance

• Attendance allowance

• Contributory employment and support allowance

 

Additionally, you may be eligible if you or your family are in receipt of:

• Universal Credit

• Pension credit

In exceptional cases, people whose individual circumstances mean that they cannot afford fees (e.g. those on an income below £16,000 per annum) may also be eligible. These applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis by Centre for Open Learning staff, and awards are not guaranteed.


The following does not qualify for Martha Hamilton funding:

• People who do not live in the defined geographical area

• Full-time undergraduate and postgraduate students

• Students applying for / receiving Part-Time Fee Grant (SAAS funding)

• Students on the Certificate of Higher Education programme

• People in receipt of working tax credits or child tax credits

• People not in receipt of benefits as listed above

• People earning above £16,000 per annu


If successful, awards are for one third (33%) of the course fee.

Any remaining balance due is to be paid by the student at the time of enrolment if in person or within 48 hours if manually enrolled by the reception team, and sent a payment link.

Please note, the Martha Hamilton Trust subsidy cannot be combined with any other discounts.

Subsidies can be applied to one course per term only.


Any Short Course (including Art & Design courses) and Language for All courses offered by the Centre for Open Learning.


Students must apply for a Martha Hamilton Trust subsidy by completing a course enrolment form in person at the Centre for Open Learning reception desk or by completing the enrolment form online (you cannot apply by telephone for a Martha Hamilton Trust subsidy).

If applying in person, you will need to have all your supporting evidence with you at the time of application, otherwise we won’t be able to accept your Martha Hamilton Trust application, and you will be asked to return with the correct documents.

The Centre for Open Learning will not hold spaces on courses for those planning to apply for the Martha Hamilton Trust, or apply an award retrospectively. This is why it’s important you apply for the Martha Hamilton Trust at the time of your enrolment and bring your supporting evidence with you.


We need to see and take a photocopy of benefit entitlement or low income, such as the relevant page from a benefit book, award letter, pay slip or bank statement.

Again, please bring all your evidence with you when you apply for the Martha Hamilton Trust, or we won’t be able to accept your application for the subsidy, and you will be asked to return with the correct documents.


Recipients are expected to attend at least 70% of classes for their course. If they are unable to attend, they should inform the course tutor or the Centre for Open Learning before the class. Students with poor attendance may not be awarded future Martha Hamilton Trust funding.


Each time you want to enrol on a course and apply for a Martha Hamilton Trust subsidy, you will have to submit a new application and provide appropriate evidence at the Centre for Open Learning reception desk or via the online form.


The Trust has limited funds and each case is considered individually. We cannot guarantee to fund any individual learner’s future study.


This article was published on