If your household income is below £34,000 per year you can apply for a bursary to support your success in your studies.
Apply at our online portal using your student number - https://blackburn.paymystudent.com/portal/
You can download a step by step guide to help you use the portal here.
Support packages are based on individual student needs. The types of support we can provide include:
- Travel to college
- Free Breakfast
- College lunches
- Kit & Uniform
- Childcare (via Care to Learn)
- Work experience costs
Bus Pass Information
If you are awarded a bursary and live more than a mile away from college, we may offer you a free bus pass. This will be issued to you electronically and must only be used by you, in conjunction with your student ID card. All passes are subject to satisfactory attendance of 90% and above. Attendance below this level may result in your pass being cancelled.
Low Cost Bus Passes
If you are not eligible for a bursary and a free bus pass, we offer a low cost bus pass instead. These are issued electronically in Term 1.
£85* per term Pan-Lancashire area travel pass
Our £85 per term Lancashire Travel pass is available if you're not elgible for the Free Travel Pass and you live in:
Blackburn, Darwen, Accrington, Clayton-le-Moors, Great Harwood, Huncoat, Rishton, Rising Bridge Feniscowles, Bacup, Barnoldswick, Bolton, Burnley, Chorley, Clitheroe, Colne, Haslingden, Helmshore, Nelson, Padiham, Preston, Rawtenstall, Whalley or Wilpshire
*Prices shown are for the 2026/27 academic year.
To purchase your low-cost bus pass
You can purchase your bus pass by making an online payment here, quoting the invoice number as:
Bus Pass for [student name and date of birth]
Please note passes will be issued within 3 working days of payment being received. You will receive an email to your student email account or the email address registered on enrolment. All bus passes are issued electronically in Term 1 for use on a mobile device. To use the bus pass simply:
- Download the Transdev Go app (available on Google Play and the App Store) to your smart phone
- Register on the app using your college email only. Tickets then appear under 'My Tickets' - you may need to refresh the app to reveal the tickets
- Present your ticket in the app when travelling on the bus
Please also make sure that you have your college ID card with you as the Bus Driver may also request to see this.
Please be aware that you should only ever use the tickets issued to you, any sharing of login details or tickets is considered as fraud and will result in your tickets being cancelled by Transdev.
Scholarships
Blackburn College offers several scholarships worth up to £1000 for students who can demonstrate dedication to success in their chosen field.
Scholarships are available in the following areas:
- High Achievers Scholarships (for students with 3 x grade 8 and 3 x grade 9 GCSEs)
- The Amelia Ashworth Creative Scholarship
- Agnes Eccles Scholarship for Art
- Vocational Excellence Scholarships
- Sporting Excellence Scholarships
For more information see Scholarships
Childcare funding for students aged 16-19 years
You can apply for funding through your bursary application for the days you attend College. For further information on government funding please see the government website.
Contact us
If you would like to speak to an adviser about your personal circumstances please contact us on studentfinance@blackburn.ac.uk
Please be aware as funds are limited and allocated on a first come first served basis, completion of an early application is recommended. Applications missing evidence of household income will be marked as incomplete and will not be assessed until all information is received.
Any applications or evidence received after the end of June may mean your support is not in place for the start of your course, due to the high volume of assessments required during this time.
