Additional financial support for students at university (outside tuition and maintenance loans)

Grants, scholarships, bursaries, allowances, funds – there is so much available to your students it can be difficult to keep track of it. I explain it all here.

Universities aoffer incentives to students in the form of scholarships and bursaries. These might be based on academic, sporting or musical achievements, household income or subject specific relevant to the course they are applying for.

Types of incentives include discounted course or accommodation costs, iPads and laptops, money towards travel expenses and books.

Scholarships and bursaries don’t need to be paid back and applications are made directly to the university. Students should check individual university websites to research what is available. It is not just universities that offer scholarships and bursaries though - so students should be encouraged to check other oppoprtunities out as well.

Various funding is available to students studying specific health and social care courses. Applications for funding are made directly to the NHS learning support fund and include:

• exceptional support fund
• parental support
• training grant
• travel and dual accommodation expenses.

Terms and conditions apply so students need to research eligibility criteria. Further information can be found on the NHS Learning Support Fund website.

Students with children or adult dependants might be entitled to additional financial support. How much they are eligible for depends on household income and what other types of funding and support they receive. These grants don’t have to be repaid in the future and are applied for as part of their main student finance application. Funding includes:

• adult dependants’ grant
• childcare grant
• parents’ learning allowance

This funding is designed to support students with specialist equipment, non-medical helpers, travel and day-to-day costs during their studies. Students may need to submit evidence and attend an assessment to discuss what support is required. Applications are made to Student Finance England after the main student finance application has been submitted.

Students who have been in care, or consider themselves estranged from their parents, could be eligible for additional funding through their local authority. Some universities, such as Teesside, offer care leaver bursaries to support students during their studies and also provide assistance with travel costs to open days and campus visits.

These are the main sources of additional financial support available for students, but there are others that are sector specific. Encourage your students to research what is available as early as possible to avoid them missing out. Open days are a great opportunity for students to find out more.

Universities will have a team of finance advisers on hand to offer support and guidance to students. They can discuss what the student might be eligible for, how and when they apply and even support them when completing their application.