YOUNG people can receive up to £1,500 in a bursary grant to help them continue in education following school.

The Dorset Community Foundation, which is based in Bournemouth, manages two funds aiming to support young people aged from 16 to 21 who are looking to start or continue a vocational course.

Anyone who attends or is planning to start a science, technology, engineering or maths course at either Bournemouth and Poole or Brockenhurst College can apply for up to £1,500 from the Superior STEM Bursary Fund.

Dorset Community Foundation also runs its own bursary fund which supports young people across Dorset grants of up to £1,000.

Tracy Melling, chief executive of Dorset Community Foundation, said: "Both the Superior Bursary Fund and the DCF Bursary Scheme will assist those who are particularly disadvantaged and least likely to participate. These include individuals in care or care leavers, those in receipt of income support, young people with caring responsibilities for other members of their family and those with disabilities."

She said that the bursaries can only be used to support educational or training needs such as fees for equipment, course fees and special clothing.

"The fund will only support students from a particular area in Dorset covering Bournemouth, Poole, Christchurch, Wimborne and the surrounding area with more details on the specific area on the Foundation’s website."

Both schemes focus on supporting particularly disadvantaged young people and applicants will be required to evidence financial need. Applications to the Superior STEM Bursary Fund will be assessed on rolling basis. The deadline for applications to DCF Bursary Scheme is midday on the 17th August.

For more information, go to Dorsetcommunityfoundation.org