What bursaries can i get

Course : You can select the specific subject you are interested in from the list, or the higher level subject category. It is also worth taking the time to research some of the smaller charities which give grants for educational support. The Guide to Educational Grants is a book which lists all of these and can be found in larger libraries.

There is certainly not a scholarship out there for everyone, but if you are eligible to apply, it is worth doing so. Organisations offering scholarships are not always inundated with applications and you could find the odds are stacked in your favour. When should I apply? The application deadlines for scholarships vary and you should check each one to find out when to apply. However, do be aware that some require you to apply before you know your A-level results and others are once you have your place confirmed at University.

There are also scholarships for which you should be in your second or third year at Uni, so keep an eye out while you are studying too. A cash boost every now and then will always be welcome to a student. Find scholarships, grants, bursaries for university and more by searching our website. Millions of pounds worth of free money available.

Skip to content. As a general rule: University scholarships — These are offered as a reward for an achievement University bursaries and grants — these are offered to relieve hardship or address disadvantage Different organisations will have different motives for offering scholarships and therefore the students they are looking for can be very wide and varied.

Here are the different types of scholarships available: 1. Research who the big players are in fields or sectors tied to the subject you're applying to. If they don't explicitly mention anything about scholarships or university funding for students on their website, drop them a quick message introducing yourself. Explain your university plans and any goals you have for the future and ask whether they offer any financial support. Worst case, they don't reply and you've lost a few minutes of your day; but best case, your initiative and enthusiasm impresses them and they can help you in some way plus it gives you a foot in the door for future work experience, internships and graduate schemes.

Reaching out directly to your university's student services or finance department is the first step to making yourself known to them, especially if you speak to a specific individual. This way, when opportunities pop up for funding that match your criteria, they'll know to get in touch with you.

Don't be afraid to pick up the phone or fire off a quick email — no matter how simple you think your question might be, the university will be best equipped to answer it and not just when it comes to finance questions either, but also any questions you have about entry requirements, housing or the course too. Plus, universities will vary in what extra funding is available they offer, so don't assume anything. A good approach to an open day is to have a handful of questions to ask. You could have a long journey to get there and back, so you want to make sure you're getting the most out of the trip.

Before heading to an open day, check what the day will involve. If the latter, a finance-related session may be worth checking out. If you've crunched the numbers and going to university will be a real struggle without the extra help, consider putting it off for a year and working in the meantime to save some cash. This will give you time to plan ahead and apply for scholarships the following year, as well as build up any skills and experience you can bolster your application with.

Scholarships and bursaries can be competitive, especially if the criteria to apply is quite open; so don't wait around. Hopefully you should have most of your parents' financial information to hand from when you applied for student finance, which can save time. Many students are surprised by the typical cost of university life, including those bills which mum and dad are likely to have been taking care of eg monthly phone bill, household bills.

See what student life will cost you each month, try our student budget calculator. Allowing the student finance company to share your financial status with your university takes the hassle out of applying, and you could find yourself receiving a bursary automatically.

Read the small print before doing so to confirm you're happy with how your information will be used.

Often this is simply the best way for universities to identify the students from low income households who would benefit most from extra help. If you've already written your personal statement as part of your Ucas application, you'll have some practice talking yourself up in the best way possible, in an essay format.

However, it's worth doing some further research into the provider of the bursary and how the bursary came about. Like writing a personal statement above, an interview may be a familiar scenario you find yourself in when applying to universities.

Again, do your research about whoever is providing the bursary to give you a few talking points to jump on. Often your interviewer will come up with a topic or project that's quite broad or subjective, to see how you think and respond to this. And while you're seeking financial support, it's not about gaining sympathy with the biggest sob story to 'win' over your interviewer. If you've encountered or overcome certain hardships up to now, don't shoehorn these in.

Bring it up when asked or where it feels appropriate to the point you're making. Once you get into the swing of applications, you might find it gets easier.

That said, always take each scheme seriously and read any criteria or background information carefully — something mentioned here might inform what you write in an essay or talk about in an interview. The Scholarship Hub spoke to 20 organisations who offer bursary or scholarship schemes, and you might be surprised to hear that half said they had to work hard to attract applicants. You can get fee waivers just by themselves, or you can get a mixture of a fee waiver and bursary in one package of support.

A university or college might offer to reduce the cost of your tuition fees for a year or more, rather than give you a cash payment, or they could give you both. Bear in mind that because a high proportion of students will never pay off the full amount of their student loans that this might not be as generous as it appears upfront. In the case of fee waivers and bursaries, the latter is nearly always better news for your pocket.

A bursary is normally your best option because it is paid directly into your bank account — meaning cash upfront. A fee waiver is taken off how much you pay in tuition fees, effectively reducing the amount you end up owing to the Student Loans Company.

They are awarded by the institutions themselves, with the amount of money decided on a case-by-case basis. As of the last few years, universities and colleges fund these themselves previously the UK government-funded these as well , as well as deciding who should receive this cash.

You can apply either if you simply have less money coming in than going out, or if an unexpected cost arises like an expensive repair bill. Your circumstances will be taken into account and certain groups — student parents, disabled students and so on — will normally be prioritised for help, although all UK students can apply. You'll need to take documents that confirm how much student finance you receive , as well as expenses and outgoings eg bank statements to justify why you deserve this additional help.

Learn more about hardship funds on the GOV. UK website. Bursaries used to be available from the NHS for students in health fields to help with tuition and living costs, but this has significantly changed in recent years.

Note, the below information refers to undergraduate students beginning a course after 1 August Be particularly watchful during Clearing — some universities may increase bursaries and scholarships to fill their places. When completing your application, check it's grammatically correct with no obvious errors. Read the small print on any offers. There's also no harm in phoning a university if you have difficulties in understanding the information. Weigh up the total package, including any extras you may be charged over the year, and compare it with other universities you're interested in.

Make sure to choose the right university for you, not because it offers more money. For other ways to fund your degree, check for industry and company scholarships or bursaries from charities and trusts. It's worth planning how you're going to look for what's available. Start early, so you can identify application deadlines for likely funds well in advance. If you're still at school you might have more time to apply during holidays, but you may want help from school careers or guidance staff before then.

While you're going through the steps below, note down all information that might be useful in completing funding applications and make it easy to refer to, so you can complete applications quickly.

You're likely to be asked for financial information and if an application relates to financial hardship, you may need details of annual household income, income from any benefits, savings or investments, and even assets. Note down the deadlines for each application so you can prioritise. When searching for a scholarship or bursary, you'll need evidence and a plan. It's worth identifying all your potential criteria from your individual circumstances as well as the kind of scholarships you could be eligible for.

This will give you a bank of evidence to use in your applications. Degree-based scholarships aren't just for STEM courses. Check whether you could get funding from a body that promotes a particular subject sometimes referred to as learned societies. Most funds are for postgraduate study, but some are available to undergraduate students.

Funds may also be offered for vacation research, which will be useful if you're entering the final year of your degree. You could get a company scholarship or sponsorship if you have the potential to become a good employee or want to enter a specific industry, often ones with skills shortages. Check professional trade bodies and livery companies or guilds ancient trade bodies often named the 'Worshipful' company or society.

All UK Armed Forces offer sponsorship schemes to students who've already passed a selection course before starting university. In return, you'll need to sign up for a period of service from which you can withdraw after three years.

You may also get further training in your specific profession within the armed forces, from engineering to linguistics. If you don't complete your degree, or leave before your 'return of service' is up, you may have to repay funds. For some Armed Forces bursary schemes, you must study at specified universities in the UK. There are awards for people who volunteer in green activities or do community work.

There are also awards for people willing to do extra, such as learning in Welsh. This can include where you live, where you were educated, your family income, and jobs your parents do or if you're a mature student, jobs you've done. If you have a disability or health condition, are from a minority religion or ethnicity, or are the first from your family to go into higher education, it's worth checking if there's financial support for university based on any of these factors.

There are also scholarships and bursaries for refugees and asylum seekers. Having identified criteria that could land you a bursary or scholarship from a charity, trust or company, you'll need to start looking for what might be available. If you're searching a database or on the internet, consider similar words that could be used to describe the same thing.

You don't want to miss out on a grant or bursary because you only searched using the word 'scholarship'. This should be your first stop. Contact the university's student services department or Students' Union welfare office. University student money advisors may know of other funds suitable for your circumstances. A basic sign up lets you search and subscribe to a newsletter or alerts for new funding that match your profile. Turn2Us is a national charity that provides practical help to people in financial need.

The website has a grant search facility and helpful guidance on the information you may need if applying for a charitable grant. The Disability Rights UK factsheet is a useful tool for disabled students to find funding from charitable trusts.

If you live in Scotland, Lead Scotland has useful information on sources of relevant scholarships and bursaries. If you're still at school, see if you can get help there from careers staff or guidance teachers, or check with your local careers service. Ask your library service if they have a recent copy of the Guide to Educational Grants. Focusing on further education — including postgraduate funding — it features over grant-making charities from around the UK.

You may lose time applying for a fund that's less suitable than another where the application deadline is looming. Instead, do your research and generate a list of charities, trusts or companies to approach for scholarships, bursaries or grants.

Note down any application deadlines, as some application windows are very short. Prioritise which you'll apply to first — either an award with a deadline approaching, or one that you fit the criteria for the best. If you already have financial support or means-tested benefits, double-check whether additional scholarship funding will affect this in any way.

Also be wary to avoid scams. As well as fitting the criteria for an award, you'll need to pitch how well you fit the criteria, as you'll be competing against other applicants.

Only include information that's asked for. Try and get a feel for why the money's on offer in the first place.