Universities and colleges offer non-repayable bursaries and other financial support to students. The amount of support varies, depending on the place of study and personal circumstances. Universities and colleges in England and Northern Ireland, who are charging the full tuition fee, have to provide bursaries worth at least £319 a year to all students receiving the full Maintenance Grant or Special Support Grant.
DirectGov provides a useful ‘bursary map’ for information on all English university and college bursaries. The map contains a link to the bursary information webpage of each institution. It is a quick and easy way to find out what each institution can offer. The map is divided into regions to make searching easier. It also has information about Open University bursaries.
For further information visit:
http://bursarymap.direct.gov.uk
The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) has added bursary and tuition fee information to its online course search listings. Potential applicants will be able to see at a glance how much the university is charging for tuition fees as well as how much they are offering in student financial support. The UCAS bursary and scholarship comparator allows applicants to select and view bursaries and scholarships for up to six universities or colleges and compare them on a single screen.
For further information visit:
http://www.ucas.co.uk
The Open University (Supported Distance Learning)
Several financial schemes are available to assist Open University students with household incomes of up to £30,000 (more if the student has dependants). Income thresholds for the schemes vary, but the support available includes:
- A fee grant – up to £785 for students studying between 30 and 60 credit courses or £1,180 for those studying 90 credit courses
- A course grant towards study costs up to £255
- Access to Learning Fund for students who experience financial difficulties
- Grants towards the purchase of a PC and internet access
For further information visit:
http://www.open.ac.uk/financial
Email: financial-support@open.ac.uk or telephone 01908 653411
