The Trustees of CISWO are also the Trustees of the MWNEF which makes grants to assist mineworkers, former mineworkers and their dependants take higher education courses at universities, colleges or other educational institutions in Great Britain or elsewhere to pursue approved studies.

PURPOSE AND ELIGIBILITY

The Educational Fund was established in 1969, with the merger of two old scholarship and exhibition funds.  The only income derives from investment income; there are no contributions made to the funds.

The Fund is held upon trust for the purpose of making grants to assist the following people to take higher educational courses at universities, colleges or other educational establishments in Great Britain or elsewhere and to pursue other approved further studies:

‘A’ Candidates - employees of the coal mining industry and former employees who have not taken up full time, permanent employment since leaving the mining industry.  In the case of  former employees who had a minimum of 20 years service then as long as the majority of their employment had been within coal mining then they could be considered.  In other cases a minimum of 10 years service will be required and unless retirement from the industry was due to ill-health or incapacity there must have been no more than 2 years of alternative employment outside of coal mining.  In exceptional circumstances short-term contract or part-time employment may be considered sympathetically.

‘B’ Candidates - the dependent children or other dependents of employees or former employees as defined above.  Children of employees/ex-employees who have worked for more than 3 years would be treated as independent students by a Local Education Authority [also if aged over 25] and, unless there were exceptional circumstances, it is unlikely that they would be considered eligible for assistance from the fund.

AGE LIMITS

Applicants (both ‘A’ and ‘B’ candidates) must be not less than 17 years of age at the commencement of the academic year for which the grant is required.

APPROVED COURSES

Applications will be accepted in respect of any of the designated full-time courses of education (including sandwich courses) for which LEA or SAAS support is available.  These courses require 2 passes at the Advanced level of the General Certificate & Education, or equivalent, for entry.

Candidates may choose the university or college etc. they wish to attend and the course they wish to follow. 

Further information and copies of the regulations can be obtained from HQ office, Whiston.

Note: Successful applications from Scottish Candidates will be forwarded to the Scottish Coal Industry Special Welfare Fund (SCISWF), where a further grant award of 150% could be awarded on top of the award from MWNEF.