Who is eligible?

Use this list to determine if you fulfil the criteria. You must provide evidence for the corresponding criteria. 

If you do not meet our criteria but are in financial hardship please email hello@iwanttobeadentist.com

We are proud to state that no applicant has ever been refused our services due to finances.

Eligibility Criteria

Free School Meals

Please provide a recent letter from your school/college confirming you receive free school meals (local authority funded only).

16 to 19 Bursary (England), or Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) (Scotland, Wales or NI)

Please provide your official award letter for academic year 2019/20 or 2020/21.  We do not accept evidence that relates to scholarships/bursaries at independent or fee-paying schools.

Learner Support (FE 19+) or equivalent FE funding for Scotland, Wales or NI

 Please provide your official award letter for most recent academic year

Student Finance England Maintenance Grant or Maintenance Loan* (full-rate), or
Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) Young Students’/Independent Students’ Bursary (full-rate), or 
Student Finance Wales or Northern Ireland Maintenance Grant (full-rate)

Please provide your Student Finance or SAAS award letter for academic year 2019/20 or 2020/21.  Please ensure you include the pages that show the means tested grant/bursary element.  Click for an example.

You must be in receipt of a full-rate means-tested award.

*If your course started after August 2016, we will accept evidence of a full-rate means-tested Maintenance Loan from Student Finance England.  Please ensure you check what qualifies as a Full-rate Maintenance Loan here BEFORE you apply.

Income Support, or Job Seeker's Allowance (JSA), or  Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)

If you or a parent/guardian you live with are in receipt of one of these benefits please provide an award letter (all pages) from the UK Jobcentre Plus, dated in year of application

If it is your parent/guardian in receipt of JSA or ESA then it must be the income-based benefit (e.g. means-tested) and not contribution-based.

Universal Credit

If you or a parent/guardian you live with are in receipt of Universal Credit (income used to calculate the award must be less than 35k) please provide a recent statement (current or previous month) from 2020.  We must be able to see the name of the claimant, the date, and the take-home pay for the period.  Click for an example.

Working or Child Tax Credit

If you or a family member you live with are in receipt of Tax Credits please provide an award letter from most recent academic year  You must be named on the award and the household income used to calculate the award must be less than 35k.  Please ensure you provide both the pages that show this or your application will be rejected.  Click for an example.

EU State Benefit

If you or a parent/guardian you live with are in receipt of an equivalent means-tested benefit from another EU state you may be eligible.  Please provide an award letter from a relevant government agency, plus a translation into English, both dated 2020.

Evidence of being in care for at least 13 weeks during period of secondary education.

Evidence of being Looked after in care with dates coinciding with those of your secondary education years.

If your home address is within quintiles 1 or 2 of POLAR3 Neighbourhood  - based on the classification of postcodes by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE). Postcodes in quintiles 1 and 2 of the POLAR3 Low Participation Neighbourhood 

Proof of home postcode with bill or letter address to you at this address.

Asylum Support

If you or a parent/guardian you live with are in receipt of this support please provide an official award letter, dated 2020.

If your evidence is NOT listed, please send us any evidence to our email hello@iwanttobeadentist.com and we will do our best to help you.