Colchester Institute Foundation Trust Application Form
Colchester Institute Foundation Trust (CIFT)
Formed in 1996 as a Registered Charity (No. 1060317), CIFT Colchester Institute Foundation Trust’s principal purpose is to benefit Colchester Institute students who are experiencing financial hardship to the extent that they are unable to participate at College and complete or achieve their qualifications.
In a lot of cases, due to their college commitments, students are unable to undertake formal employment, and there are those whose financial situations are really desperate and there simply is not the financial support available within College funds to help them to continue to study and shape their futures.
Colchester Institute Foundation Trust welcomes applications from any student who is unable to access financial support offered through the usual college support funds. Students must be able to demonstrate commitment to their chosen course of study and the impact of the award is the difference between them staying on the course or having to withdraw.
The CIFT Fund is limited. Any award is given at the discretion of the Trustees. It is expected that all other avenues of public funds available and that you are eligible for will be exhausted first.
A report of how any award has contributed to the achievement may be asked for at the request of the CIFT Trustees.
CIFT Funds cannot be used to pay for tuition fees.
As custodians of CIFT funds Trustees must ensure that funds and awards are reaching the students most in need, for this reason CIFT mandate that you only apply to CIFT when you have exhausted all other funding options available to you. For example: FE students on a Study Programme, can apply to the College Bursary Fund for financial support with College costs. Apprentices cannot apply to the College Bursary Fund.
If your application to CIFT is successful, CIFT prefer to support with ‘in kind’ awards (travel pass, use of Student ID for food purchases) but in some instances, awards may be paid directly into your bank account by BACS. Please provide your bank details in the section below:
Name of Account Holder:
Name of Bank:
Sort Code:
Account Number:
Roll No (Building Society only):
Application for Colchester Institute Foundation Trust Award 2025 / 26
Name:
Student ID Number:
Email:
Phone:
Course:
FE Student HE Student Apprentice
If you are an apprentice, what is your hourly rate of pay / monthly salary?
Have you applied for financial help from either:
College Bursary Fund Y / N
If you answered yes but were over the threshold to receive the College Bursary, did you send an email to Student Finance to request the panel to review your application Y / N
UCC Engagement Fund (for degree level courses) Y / N
CIFT mandate that you only apply to CIFT when you have exhausted all other funding options available to you. For example: FE students on a Study Programme, can apply to the College Bursary Fund for financial support with College costs. Apprentices cannot apply to the College Bursary Fund.
Please describe what are you requesting financial support for.
Please set out below the cost for this support and if you can contribute in part. CIFT prefer to support ‘in kind’ rather than cash awards. Please include whether the award can be made ‘in kind.’ (e.g. bus pass, train pass or £5 on your Student ID card for food purchases on your college days)
If you are requesting help with travel costs, please include how you travel to college / work and the distance travelled.
Please write a short account outlining why you are applying for this award and how this will help with your studies at Colchester Institute / UCC. Please explain why you are unable to meet the costs in any other way.
On occasion we may need to request details of your household income to ensure a full assessment of award. If this is required, you will be notified after you have applied. If you have applied to the College Bursary and / or submitted a supporting statement to the College Bursary Panel for consideration, CIFT will contact the College Bursary to request this information.
Please note that in some instances you may be contacted and asked to come in for a short meeting with the Head of Student Services to discuss your application further.
Declaration:
I understand the CIFT application process, what information is required and confirm by signing below that the information I have provided on this form is correct and true.
I have exhausted all other funding options available to me and I require the above financial support from CIFT to remain on my programme at Colchester Institute. I understand that if my application is found to be inaccurate or not true after I have been awarded, I will be asked to repay CIFT the whole sum of my award.
I understand and consent that by signing this application form I give consent for representatives of CIFT to review my academic attendance, progress, achievement, and any applications made to the College Bursary Fund and to seek feedback / supporting information from my course tutor, for the purposes of deciding on my application.
Student signature
Date
