If you live in Hampshire, Kent, Surrey or Sussex and want to study Level 3 Agriculture or Equine, you could apply for a residential bursary scholarship to start this September.

The Earl De La Warr DL, President of the South of England Agricultural Society, has nominated Plumpton College Charitable Foundation as its charity of the year.

As a result of this fantastic news, we are pleased to announce the launch of a residential bursary scholarship which is aimed at students who live 30 miles or more from Plumpton College, in Sussex, Kent, Hampshire or Surrey.

This is an amazing opportunity for students interested in studying Agriculture or Equine where distance from the college could pose financial barriers to applying to study at Plumpton College.

The scholarship is to assist students (applicants), aged 16-18 with up to 75% of the costs of their residential fees to enable them to live in our Ofsted rated ‘Outstanding’ accommodation whilst studying on site at Plumpton College to achieve a BTEC Extended Diploma in Agriculture or Equine Management.

For course details and to apply see:

Agriculture – BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma 

Equine Management – BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma

What are the eligibility criteria to apply for the scholarship?

For the student (applicant) to be considered:

  • They need to live over 30 miles from the college or outside of the college bus network Kent, Hampshire, Surrey or Sussex. Please follow link to find out more about the network: Plumpton College Transport | (ridekura.com)
  • They need to write a personal statement describing why they want to study agriculture, outlining any relevant experience, as well as giving an overview of their hobbies and interests and any jobs or responsibilities they may have gained through their school years
  • We will require an attendance record and reference from their current school
  • Their full household income needs to be under £50,000
  • They need to be enrolled on a full-time BTEC Level 3, Extended Diploma in Agriculture or Equine Management provided at the Plumpton College campus, having met the entry requirements of the course
  • The deadline for all scholarship applications to start September 23 is 30th June 2023

Evidence required

  • To apply all student applicants will need to submit evidence with their application. A full list of what is required can be found at the bottom of this article.

How much will a student applicant receive?

  • This scholarship is in effect a bursary which will be added to the students account and will be offset against the accommodation cost of the student staying in college for the duration of the agriculture or equine course.
  • The amount will be determined once the application has been received and assessed by a panel who will assess all applications at the beginning July 2023.

What are the conditions of the scholarship for successful students?

Students awarded the scholarship will be:

  • Monitored throughout their study period at Plumpton College for attendance in lessons above 90%, good behavior in and around the college, their attitude to the study program i.e. handing in assignments on time and good steady grades to achieve a minimum of a pass rate of the course.
  • Required to act as ambassadors for the college, attend certain events throughout the college year, and write a testimonial about the course and the bursary scholarship.

Important notice regarding availability of funding

  • The total amount of funding from the South of England Agriculture Scholarship is limited
  • Applications are open between now and the 30th of June 2023
  • Notification of awards will be made by 14th July 2023
  • Eligibility is not a guarantee that an award will be made. Whilst we aim to help all eligible learners, this may not always be possible.
  • If the application is successful, it will be awarded from the date all the correct evidence is received by the College
  • The application asks for personal and financial information. Please ensure to sign the declaration to confirm that the information you have given us is correct
  • If you are awarded funding on the basis of false information, you may have your funding withdrawn and you may also be asked to return any funds you have received

How will the decision be made?

  • For any of the South of England Agriculture or Equine Bursary Scholarships to be awarded the decision will be made by a panel from our senior management team and governors who will take into consideration the evidence provided by the applicant to join the agriculture or equine studies available at Plumpton College.
  • All applicants will be emailed by 14th July informing them of the outcome of their application. Successful applicants will receive an award notice which tells them the amount of the award for the cost of the accommodation.

How to apply for the bursary

In the first instance please register your interest, with your:

  • Name
  • Preferred contact email
  • School
  • DOB
  • Residential address

and send this to the Bursary Officer at our Finance Department.

T: 01273 892102 or

E: bursary@plumpton.ac.uk.