UWE Bursary

Each year the bursary scheme that we offer varies slightly, although we always allocate based on specific criteria. Please refer to the bursary information below for the year you commenced study.

• We pay both new and returning students a bursary each year subject to meeting the below eligibility. Please ensure you read the correct eligibility based on when you started at UWE Bristol.
• We assess students during the first term of the academic year. We inform students if they have been allocated a bursary during the first term of their course.
• Payment of the bursary is subject to completion of registration checks.

You do not need to repay the UWE Bursary.

If you began study from September 2020 onwards

This information is only for new students commencing study from September 2020 onward.

• Low Income Bursary £500 – You will be assessed in each academic year and paid the bursary if you meet the eligibility criteria (see below). This means you could become eligible for the bursary in later years of your course (or vice versa).
• UWE Childcare Bursary £1,650 – Students must meet the criteria for the UWE Bursary (see below) and also be in receipt of the Childcare Grant from student finance for the 23/24 academic year. If you wish to be considered for the Childcare Bursary, please email a copy of your Childcare Grant Award Notification Letter from student finance to uwe.bursary@uwe.ac.uk.
• UWE Cares Bursary £1,650 – Further details about this bursary can be found at UWE Cares.

Undergraduate Home students who began studying the first year of their UWE Bristol course in September 2019 or later will be considered for the UWE Bursary each year.

You will need to meet a number of eligibility criteria in order for the University to assess you. Eligible students will be:

• entitled to student finance
• from a household with an income of £25,000 or less as assessed by student finance
• without any HE qualification such as a certificate of Higher Education, a Foundation Degree, HND and so on (this rule does not apply to students registering on previously NHS-funded courses)
• on a qualifying Undergraduate course. 

Students who are registering on an eligible undergraduate course, and are entitled to apply for funding from Student Finance England, Student Finance Wales, Student Awards Agency Scotland and Student Finance NI will be assessed. Students will be assessed at the start of each academic year.

Please note: Students are only awarded one bursary, even if you meet the criteria for more than one.

Important things to consider

• If you continue to meet the eligibility criteria then you will continue to get paid in subsequent years of study.
• If you fail to meet the eligibility criteria, you will no longer be eligible to receive bursary.
• Payment will stop if you are no longer registered on an undergraduate course.

Ineligible students

UWE Bursaries will not be available to students who are:

• undertaking a postgraduate qualification including PGCE courses
• studying less than 30 credits per year
• their fees paid for (in part or in full) under a sponsorship arrangement with their employer (such as the Ministry of Defence)
• registered on any type of CPD course (continued professional development).

EU students

EU students are eligible for the UWE Bursary if they receive living cost funding from Student Finance England, Student Finance Wales or Student Finance NI. If you are only entitled to fee support, you are not eligible for the UWE Bursary.

Student finance assess your household income to calculate your entitlement to student funding. With your consent and that of your parents or partner, details of your household income from a previous financial year are sent to the University. Please ensure that consent has been provided in order for UWE Bristol to assess you for a bursary.

Household income details for full-time students

For the 23/24 academic year, UWE Bristol will provide bursaries through the Higher Education Bursaries and Scholarships Scheme (HEBSS).

For allocating the bursaries, HEBSS use the confirmed 2021/22 income figures from student finance. If your household income has dropped below £25,000 since the 2021/22 financial year, it is important to request a ‘current year assessment’ from student finance to increase your funding.

We aim to allocate the bursaries by the first few weeks of term, but payment is not made until a later start date (see below). It is important to apply for your funding from student finance as soon as you can.

If you accepted an offer to UWE Bristol for the academic year 2023/24 and you meet the eligibility criteria, you will automatically be considered for the UWE Bursary through the Higher Education Bursaries and Scholarships Scheme (HEBSS).

The date and amount of bursary payment depend on when you started your course.

2023/24 academic year

The £500 Low Income bursary will be paid in one instalment.

• For September intakes this will be on 26 February 2024
• For January/February intakes this will be on 17 June 2024

The £1,650 UWE Childcare Bursary and UWE Cares Bursary will be paid in three instalments.

For courses starting in September 2023:

• 20 November 2023
• 26 February 2024
• 20 May 2024

For courses starting in January/February 2024:

• 18 March 2024
• 17 June 2024
• 9 September 2024

Please email the Bursary Team at uwe.bursary@uwe.ac.uk, using your UWE Bristol email address. Please make sure that you include your student number in all correspondence and we will respond to your query as soon possible.