Joseph Levy Education Fund

To apply for a Joseph Levy Education Fund grant, you will need to download an application form, fill it in and email it to [email protected].

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If you need any help completing or sending in your form, please contact our helpline.

Once we have received your form, we will be back in touch if we have any further questions or need further information.

Please read through all of the information below before filling in your application form.

The decision-making panel meets twice a year, in June and December. Deadlines for applications are:

• 31 May for the June panel
• 30 November for the December panel

If you have an urgent request for help with the costs of a course, please contact our Helpline.

To apply to the Joseph Levy Education Fund you must:

• have cystic fibrosis
• be a UK resident
• need financial help to take a course at an accredited university, college or other educational institution or course provider
• be 18 or over at the time your course is due to start (although we will accept applications from people aged 16 or 17 who wish to undertake vocational training).

You can apply again to the Joseph Levy Education Fund if you have received a grant from us in the past. We usually award only one grant per person per year. However, we will consider awarding more than one grant each year if the total amount requested is no more than £600. For example, if someone applies for £250 to pay for a short vocational training course in May, they can apply again later in the year for a maximum of £350 to pay for another short vocational training course.

Our grants can be used to help with the costs of studying – specifically the additional costs associated with having cystic fibrosis. For example:

• to contribute towards living costs – such as travel (from college to hospital appointments), accommodation (eg the additional costs of having en-suite accommodation or keeping your accommodation warm enough), high calorie food costs.
• to purchase educational materials (eg books and equipment to be able to continue studying when you are admitted to hospital).
• to pay or contribute to vocational course fees where these are not fully covered by a student loan or funds from other sources (eg bursaries).

Please note that we will prioritise support for people who are studying for professional/career/employment development reasons rather than people who are studying purely for recreation or enjoyment.

Examples of courses we have previously supported:

Academic Courses (usually provided by universities and colleges):

• BA and BSc degrees
• Masters and PhD degrees
• Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE / PGCertEd)
• AAT Level 2 Accounting Qualification

Vocational Courses (usually courses that prepare people to work in a specific trade):

• NVQ level 3 in Beauty Therapy
• Driving Instructor training
• Website Development certificate

We are not able to provide grants for:

• the costs of studying at a private institution unless you can demonstrate there is no alternative course available at a statutory provider (such as a further education college)
• gym fees, exercise equipment and white goods (eg fridges): please see our other grant programmes
• repayment of a student loan or other debts.

Please read through these notes carefully before completing the form. You must complete all sections of the form. The decision to shortlist your application for further consideration will be made based on the information you provide. Incomplete applications will not be assessed.

When completing the application, please bear in mind the following:

• Course Costs and Income: Your income and expenditure information enables us to know the total cost of undertaking the course and how you plan to meet those costs. If there is too great a shortfall between the two sums, it may suggest that a small contribution from the Joseph Levy Education Fund would not be sufficient to enable you to undertake your studies. In this case, your application to us is unlikely to succeed.
• Course Costs: For courses lasting more than one year please tell us about the costs for the next year rather than for the whole of the course. For courses lasting less than a year please give us the amounts for the whole course.
• Your Request to Us: We award grants of up to £600. However, please only request the amount that you need up to this maximum so that we can help as many students with cystic fibrosis as possible. Please tell us clearly why you need financial help, how you would spend the grant and how it would benefit you in relation to your cystic fibrosis as this will help us to decide how much to award.

You must provide the following items to support your application:

• Brief details from the course provider of your proposed course of studies such as a leaflet or a link to a page describing the course.
• If possible, a certificate of attendance or a letter confirming you have been accepted on the course.
• If you are requesting help with the cost of a specific item, you must provide evidence of its cost such as a link to a webpage, a screenshot or a quote.
• If the grant will contribute towards costs such as en-suite accommodation, please clearly explain why it is necessary and, if possible, provide evidence for the additional costs involved.

You can send any extra information to us by emailing [email protected].

You will need to send all information to us before the deadline.

If you have any questions or need any help completing or emailing your form and supporting information, please contact our helpline.

We also provide a Student Support Service. We work with you to consider all the options available to increase your income, such as welfare benefits and discretionary payments, and look at budgeting and discounts.

We can also discuss your rights and support you to applying for Disabled Students’ Allowance, and consider what support you may need to get the most out of your studies and enjoy student life while living with CF.