Saving money at University: Bursaries & Scholarships!

There is no question that the cost of University is absolutely a major consideration when going to University. Almost all Universities offer some form of additional funding through Bursaries and Scholarships but you might never know about them without proactively seeking them! Typically you will have do some of your own digging with your own Universities to find what they have available as they more than likely won't be heavily advertised.

So what sorts of Bursaries and Scholarships can you find?

Income assessed scholarships: Based on a household income assessment similar to one you might have done with Student Finance England. They may also take into account other variables such as if you are going to University with a young child. These can provide excellent supplementary funding for those who need it. Definitely worth looking into as you have nothing to lose!

Regional/Constituency based Scholarships: Some Universities will offer Scholarships for students local to that geographical region or county. Sometimes these will be in partnership with local governments or large companies looking to take on professional graduates. Sometimes they may also be entirely University led to provide local students with an opportunity. A good example is our 5 counties scholarship at the University of Buckingham. If you were interested feel free to take a look here: http://www.buckingham.ac.uk/admissions/scholarships

Performance and Subject Scholarships: Some Universities will offer you a lump sum based on your performance before University. All Universities would ideally like to take the very best candidates to be a part of there establishment so they offer real incentives for students who do exceedingly well before coming to University. You may also find Bursaries available for students who decide to enrol on specific courses. Many niche Science and Technology courses may have bursaries available for students who meet the requirements. Note: Never base your study choices around these scholarships but do consider them if you are looking for a career in the fields within which they are available.

External Scholarships: Organisations in both the private and public sector want the very best graduates to work for them. If your right for them during University and your on track to meet there requirements you can score some serious support towards your funding as well as a fast track to a great career through a graduate position. From Microsoft to Ralph Lauren you can find them all over the place with private sector companies but some of the best and most stable scholarships can be found with public sector establishments. The British Armed forces, NHS and local governments may all have excellent graduate opportunities and funding to be found. Note: Be aware of what you are getting into with these scholarships and what will be expected of you. They can offer some of the highest paid scholarships and even pay for an entire Masters degree after you graduate but you will be committed to that organisation for a length of time and may be subject to scholarship penalties if you fail to meet there expectations.

Ultimately we want to make students aware of the variety of extra funding options available to you. Everybody should be entitled to an opportunity at University. Just make sure you do your own research into whats available at your University! We still have courses available through Clearing for those interested: http://www.buckingham.ac.uk/clearing

Best wishes and good luck to those starting this September!

Jack
University of Buckingham Team

Great post thanks - I've got a question and I don't know if it relates to this. If you are a mature student, but say, you come from an area where there are few uni students from colleges, are you entitled to the same bursaries or funding?

Do you know what sort of funding will be available to mature students. (I ask this as someone who has never had anyone in their family go to uni so I'm unsure how this works).

Thanks

It's a tricky one to provide a definitive answer as it will largely depend on the University you plan to attend. Many local governments will offer scholarships if they have a particularly low number of University students from there area so it might be worth contacting them for sure! Although uncommon, some Universities will offer bursaries if you are the first person from your family to attend University.

All the best,
Jack
University of Buckingham

You mention external organisations. Could you please give me some more examples?