Bursaries for current students

For our current students, there are several university financial support options and bursaries available to help with everything from day-to-day living costs, to funding professional development opportunities.

Take a look at our Bursaries and awards for current students page to find out more.

Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA)

If you have a long-term health condition or disability, you may be eligible to apply for the Disabled Students' Allowance grant, provided by Student Finance England.

For more information, visit our Funding for students with disabilities page.

If you receive Disability Living Allowance or the Personal Independence Payment, please contact Student Advice to discuss your state benefit entitlement.

Charities and trusts

Charities and trusts offer financial support to people in need. Each one has its own eligibility criteria and application process, for example, you may need to live in a certain area and be under a certain age or have an unexpected financial difficulty during your studies. This is a useful option to investigate, but should not be viewed as a way to meet all your financial study needs, as the grants involved are normally minimal.

The Turn2Us website has a free online trust fund search.

The following sites are also useful resources for funding information:

If you are considering postgraduate study, masterscompare has information about funding opportunities for a number of universities.

Student Finance England grants

The following grants are available:

  • A Parents' Learning Allowance of up to £1,915 in 2023/24 to help with additional costs for your child
  • A Childcare Grant towards the cost of Ofsted-registered or Ofsted-approved childcare. This grant can cover up to 85% of your childcare costs, up to a maximum of £188.90 in 2023/24 for one child and £323.85 for two or more children. It will never cover 100% of your childcare costs. When you first apply, you declare your expected costs for the year on form CCG1 and three times a year, your childcare provider confirms the actual costs accrued on a CCG2 form. Tip: always keep receipts/evidence for each childcare payment in case SFE request further evidence during your course
  • An Adult Dependent Grant of up to £3,354 in 2023/24 paid for an adult who is dependent on you financially, for example, a partner with little or no income

    Grants for Dependents, eg for a child or partner, are assessed using household income,  financial dependence on you and do not need to be repaid. These are paid directly to you in three instalments at the beginning of each term. The financial assessment used to calculate your entitlement to these grants differs from the one used for the Maintenance Loan, so receipt of this loan does not guarantee you will also receive these grants.

For more information about the additional grants available, visit Student Finance England.

If you are responsible for a child or young person please contact Student Advice to discuss your state benefit entitlement.

Tax credits

Tax credits may be an option to top up your income and/or help pay for childcare costs if relevant. To check the eligibility rules visit the gov.uk website.

Contact Student Advice if you have a Student Visa or any other type of visa, as you may not be eligible to claim tax credits or state benefits and claiming could break your visa conditions.

Claiming Social Security benefits

Most full–time students cannot claim or continue to claim benefits while they study. However, there are exceptions. For information about who can claim and how student loan income affects benefits, please visit our Benefit pages.

Part-time study does not exclude students from claiming Social Security benefits and you can claim under the usual benefit rules. The part-time Tuition Fee Loan and Disabled Students' Allowance do not count as income and do not reduce the amount of benefit payable to you.

We are waiting for clarification on how the new Maintenance Loan will affect and/or reduce benefit entitlements and will update this once information becomes available.

Funding for architecture students

If you are an architecture student, have a look at the RIBA Hardship Funds.

Funding for postgraduate students

Professional studies loan

Some banks operate loan schemes for postgraduates taking professional courses such as law or accountancy. However, since 2010 most banks have withdrawn these special packages. Interest rates and repayments will vary. Check availability with your bank or other financial organisation. Always make sure you check the interest rates applied and read the terms and conditions carefully.