Criteria
Students must satisfy the following criteria in order to qualify for the BGU Bursary:
Basic eligibility:
- Studying a full-time undergraduate course which began on or after 1st September 2023 with a minimum fee of £6,165
- Have a household income (as assessed by an awarding authority such as Student Finance England) of £30,000 or less
Students who satisfy the above as well as being in one of the following groups will be awarded a Bursary at the following rates according to the programme of study on which they are enrolled:
| Group | BA Hons Award Annual Amount | FdA Award Annual Amount |
| Mature (over 21 on Entry) | £800.00 | £600.00 |
| Polar Q1 (young entrant, low participation neighbourhood) | £800.00 | £600.00 |
| Student Parent | £1000.00 | £750.00 |
| Student Carer | £1000.00 | £750.00 |
| Estranged Students (as assessed by funding body) | £1000.00 | £750.00 |
| Care Leavers | £3600.00 | £3600.00 |
Payments are made in three instalments, usually in November (25%), January (25%) and April (50%)
Student Parents
Please provide evidence you are financially responsible for a child to Student Advice. Once you have provided it, we will process the parental rate bursary for you.
Care Leavers
Students who can provide evidence of care leaver status (see our Care Leavers section for more details) can apply for an enhanced BGU Bursary. This provides an annual amount of £3,600, designed to remove the need for students from care to apply for the Maintenance Loan from the Student Loans Company (although they remain eligible to apply for the loan if they wish to do so). Please ensure you provide evidence of your care leaver status to Student Advice. Once you have provided it, we will process an enhanced bursary for you in the same way that we process the standard awards.
Stand Alone Bursary
BGU’s Stand Alone Bursary is a £1,000 Bursary for students who are irreconcilably estranged from their parents. This funding is aimed at supporting estranged students with additional funds they might require to secure accommodation during their studies. Please ensure you provide evidence of your estranged status to Student Advice. Once you have provided it, we will process the Stand Alone bursary for you in the same way that we process the standard awards.”
Students with Caring Responsibilities
An enhanced bursary of £1000 is available to student carers. Please ensure you provide us with evidence and complete the BGU Bursary form. For more information please contact Student Advice. Please note if you are a carer in receipt of Carers’ Allowance you will be unable to continue claiming this support when in full time studies at university. Other benefits may also be affected by full time funding.
PLEASE NOTE: You can only qualify for one bursary even if you identify with more than one of the above groups. The bursary you receive will be the one at the highest rate.
How to Apply
Standard Awards:
- Make an application for your core funding (Loans/Grants) via Student Finance England (or SFW, SFNI, SAAS for the rest of the UK)
- Indicate you wish to share your information with your University in order to be considered for bursaries (look out for this check box when filling in your application)
- Ensure anyone supporting your application with household income information (e.g. your parent(s) or partner) also agrees for their information to be shared with the University
- Await confirmation of your BGU Bursary – usually in October
- Receive payment – payments are made in three instalments in November (25%), February (25%) and April (50%)
If you are unsure whether you have done this, you should contact SFE (or its alternative for Wales, N. Ireland and Scotland). If you qualify for a BGU Bursary, we will contact you by email. You will receive a payment from the BGU Bursary in each term (subject to your continued attendance on the programme), paid directly to the bank account you use for your student loan/grant.
Contact us
For more information or if you are unsure about your options please contact our Student Advice team on studentadvice@bishopg.ac.uk or phone 01522 583600.
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