Russell Group bursary guide
This guide contains links to some of the bursaries and scholarships which may be currently on offer at the Russell Group universities. We have focussed on support for UK applicants for undergraduate courses in this guide.
Be sure to click the links so that you can find the latest information directly from the University's website. Some bursaries might be available to all students who meet certain criteria, in other cases it is a competitive process and not all students who apply for the bursary or scholarship will be successful.
We aim to keep this information as up to date as possible but with the ever changing availability of funding, some of this information could be out of date when you are viewing it so we recommend always checking the university's website for the bursary you are researching to ensure you are accessing the most accurate information.
If you have any questions about any of the bursaries, please get in contact with the universities directly.
Bursary Guide
General Bursaries/ Scholarships/ Grants
- The Scholarships Hub - scholarships, grants and bursaries for UK and EU undergraduate and postgraduate students
- The Leatherseller's Company Educational Awards - supports students from the UK, in financial need whose circumstances may be preventing their talent from shining through
- NHS Wales Bursary Scheme - for students committing in advance to work in Wales for two years (degree students) or 18 months (diploma students) post qualification
- Main Scholarship – for students who want to study at least 66% (or 80 credits a year) of their degree courses through the medium of Welsh
Subject Specific:
- Academic Achievement Grant - for undergraduate medicine or nursing students who demonstrate outstanding academic success (particularly welcome applications from those on lower incomes or who have overcome significant disadvantage)
- RMBF Medical Student Hardship Fund - to help medical students in exceptional financial hardship as a result of sudden and unexpected factors outside their control
- ICAS Foundation Programme - for students who are planning to study, or who are currently studying, an accountancy or finance related degree
- Scholarship Scheme - UKESF offers scholarships to Electronics undergraduates at our partner universities
- RIBA Part 1 and 2 Bursaries - for architects facing financial hardship
- Fieldwork Apprenticeships - offered annually for first year undergraduate geography students to participate in a fieldwork project led by one of their university lecturers
Based on Home Residence:
- Alderman Newton’s Educational Foundation – provides funding to support individuals from the Diocese of Leicester with education or training opportunities
- Bowlder's Educational Foundation - aimed at helping with fees and educational costs for those living in Shropshire
- Clingan’s Trust - awarded to students with their family home to the North and East of Christchurch to contribute to expenses relating to education/ training for a career
- Spoore Merry & Rixman Foundation - educational grants for low income students from the area of Maidenhead
- The Feryal Rajah Educational Trust – financial support to help Salford women pursue careers in nursing, medicine and allied professions
- The Philological Foundation – for students in the City of Westminster or London Borough of Camden who are in financial need
- Sefton Education & Learning Fund - available to advance the education of young people aged 25 or under, living in Sefton
- Leaner Support Fund – Coventry City Council offer financial support for tuition, exam/accreditation or travel fees if you have a disability or your household income is below a certain threshold
Find out about funding available at our partner universities
University of Birmingham
You may find the following list useful. Please contact the University of Birmingham directly to check the latest details of their bursary and scholarship policies:
General Bursaries/ Scholarships:
- Chamberlain Award - for students with household incomes below a certain threshold
- UBSport Scholarship - provides financial and specialist support awards for talented National and International level athletes
- Sport Scholarships - provide support for approximately 30 individual athletes annually across a range of tailored sport scholarships programmes
Subject Specific:
- Professor HO Thomas Scholarship – an annual scholarship of £2,000 for a Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic undergraduate MBChB student, with a primary focus towards Black students studying Medicine and Medical Sciences
- Computer Science Undergraduate Scholarship - for students who have made Computer Science their firm choice and have performed to a high standard in an interview/aptitude test and in their A Levels
- Entrance Scholarships for Chemical Engineering – for high A level achievers entering their first year of study in the School of Chemical Engineering
- Haworth Scholarship - for the four highest achieving students entering their first year of study in the School of Chemistry
- Materials Science Entry Scholarship - awarded as a contribution to tuition fees for undergraduate students commencing their studies in Metallurgy and Materials
- Physics Entry Scholarship - awarded to academically outstanding students who make the School of Physics their firm choice
- Hannah Bladon Scholarship - contributes towards a project in Theology and Religion
Based on Home Residence:
- Bury Hometown Award - provides financial support to students with household incomes of below £42,600 from the Bury Council geographical area
University of Bristol
You may find the following list useful. Please contact the University of Bristol directly to check the latest details of their bursary and scholarship policies:
- Scholarships, awards and bursaries
- Application for Additional Funding - application for a range of funding provided by donations from friends and alumni
General Bursaries/ Scholarships:
- Access to Bristol Bursary - contributes towards living costs for eligible new students who have completed the Access to Bristol scheme
- Accommodation Bursary - for new undergraduate students living in University allocated accommodation
- Bristol Scholars Bursary - financial support for students on the Bristol Scholars scheme
- Futures Scholarship - employability opportunities and funding for UK applicants in financial need
- Sanctuary Scholarship - for students from asylum-seeking and refugee communities
- Travel Bursary - reimbursment of travel costs for prospective UK students attending interviews or post-offer visit days
- University of Bristol Bursary - for students with household incomes below a certain threshold (thousands of students benefit every year)
- Vice-Chancellor’s Scholarship - supporting students with exceptional musical, dramatic or sporting talent outside their field of academic study
Subject Specific:
- Anne and Peggy Sleigh Bursaries – to help female students from state schools to study physics and biology at the University
- Christopher Fredrick Edwards Bursary - £750 for new UK undergraduate students in their first year of study in the School of Dentistry
- Eileen Drummond and Sheila Anderson Law Bursary - first-year undergraduate students studying single honours Law from low income backgrounds can apply for living cost bursaries
- The Nicholls Arts Bursary - UK first-year undergraduate students studying a single or joint honours theatre course can apply for a bursary towards living costs
University of Cambridge
You may find the following list useful. Please contact the University of Cambridge directly to check the latest details of their bursary and scholarship policies:
- Cambridge Undergraduate Financial Support - includes links to individual college funding
General Bursaries/ Scholarships:
- Cambridge Bursary Scheme - for Home/EU students with household incomes below a certain threshold
Students should look on the websites of the individual Cambridge colleges to find out about other sources of financial support
Cardiff University
You may find the following list useful. Please contact Cardiff University directly to check the latest details of their bursary and scholarship policies:
- Bursaries – the university offer a range of bursaries to help with the costs of studying with them
General Bursaries/ Scholarships:
- Military Experienced Bursary - for full-time students who have served in the armed forces
- Asylum Seekers Opportunity Award - for asylum seekers and children of asylum seekers (two awards available)
- Cardiff University Bursary - for full-time undergraduate students from lower income households who qualify for UK funding for living costs
- Care Leavers Bursary - for students who declare in their UCAS application that they are in care
- Estranged Student Bursary - for young students who are irreconcilably estranged from their families at the beginning of their course (considered on case-by-case basis)
- Next Step Bursary - for students who have participated in the University’s Widening Participation Scheme, and whose household income is below £35,000
- Young Adult Carers Bursary - for young-adult carers who are more likely to incur extra financial costs and greater challenges due to managing a caring role alongside their studies
Durham University
You may find the following list useful. Please contact Durham University directly to check the latest details of their bursary and scholarship policies:
- Scholarships
- Funding Information - search for all funding opportunities available by subject or qualification
University of Edinburgh
You may find the following list useful. Please contact the University of Edinburgh directly to check the latest details of their bursary and scholarship policies:
- Funding for UK Students - funding information for prospective undergraduate UK students
General Bursaries/ Scholarships:
- The Andrea Levy Scholarship - to support Black African and Caribbean heritage applicants from socio-economically challenged backgrounds
Subject Specific:
- School of Physics and Astronomy - awarded annually to new undergraduates who have achieved the best entrance qualifications in Physics
University of Exeter
You may find the following list useful. Please contact the University of Exeter directly to check the latest details of their bursary and scholarship policies:
- Bursaries and Scholarships - details on bursaries, scholarships and awards to help with your tuition fees and living costs
- Funding for Prospective Students – find all the funding for prospective students here
General Bursaries/ Scholarships:
- Choral and Organ Scholarships - the University has close performing relations with Exeter Cathedral and three local churches, each offering scholarship schemes
- Entrance Scholarships – for candidates residing in Cornwall or Devon who also meet the specific requirements of the individual awards
University of Glasgow
You may find the following list useful. Please contact the University of Glasgow directly to check the latest details of their bursary and scholarship policies:
- Scholarships and Funding - filter for scholarships and funding available
Imperial College London
You may find the following list useful. Please contact Imperial College London directly to check the latest details of their bursary and scholarship policies:
General Bursaries/ Scholarships:
- Imperial Bursary - students automatically qualify for this Bursary every year if they are a Home student with a household income that remains below £60,000
- Cowrie Foundation Scholarship - for students who have been assessed with a Home free status
Subject specific:
- Widening Participation Bursary - for students who meet the College criteria for Widening Participation
- A&BK Scholarships in the Department of Chemical Engineering - for students from a 'widening participation' background that meet certain criteria
King's College London
You may find the following list useful. Please contact King's College London directly to check the latest details of their bursary and scholarship policies:
- Undergraduate Funding at King’s - scholarship and bursary opportunities
University of Leeds
You may find the following list useful. Please contact the University of Leeds directly to check the latest details of their bursary and scholarship policies:
General Bursaries/ Scholarships:
- Means Tested Scholarships - based on your personal circumstances
- Laidlaw Scholarships – to support leadership and research skills development
- Enterprise Scholarships - to support aspiring entrepreneurs
University of Liverpool
You may find the following list useful. Please contact the University of Liverpool directly to check the latest details of their bursary and scholarship policies:
- Scholarships and Bursaries
- Other Scholarships and Bursaries - including Departmental Scholarships and Sports Scholarships
General Bursaries/ Scholarships:
- The Liverpool Bursary - for students with household incomes below a certain threshold
- Care Leavers’ Opportunity Bursary - offers additional funds to support students who have been in public care
- The Divock Origi Scholarship – awarded to two students covering tuitions fees plus an annual payment
- Estranged Students Bursary - for students who are identified as estranged by Student Finance England (Wales, Northern Ireland or the NHS).
- The Young Adult Carer's Bursary - for adult carers aged 18 – 25
London School of Economics
You may find the following list useful. Please contact the London School of Economics directly to check the latest details of their bursary and scholarship policies:
- Fees and Funding - find individual scholarships and bursaries offered for the academic year here
General Bursaries/ Scholarships:
- LSE Accommodation Bursary - for students with household incomes below a certain threshold
University of Manchester
You may find the following list useful. Please contact the University of Manchester directly to check the latest details of their bursary and scholarship policies:
- Scholarships and Bursaries - including The Manchester Bursary, Foundation Year Bursaries and Undergraduate Access Scholarships
General Bursaries/ Scholarships:
- Article 26 Scholarship - intended to help sanctuary seekers progress into higher education
University of Newcastle
You may find the following list useful. Please contact the University of Newcastle directly to check the latest details of their bursary and scholarship policies
General Bursaries/ Scholarships:
- Opportunity Scholarships - for students with household incomes below a certain threshold
- Sports Scholarships and Funding – for talented sporting individuals
- St Nicholas' Educational Trust Scholarship – for students from Newcastle and the surrounding area
Subject Specific:
- Subject Scholarships - including scholarships in engineering, computing, mathematics, Statistics and Physics and more
University of Nottingham
You may find the following list useful. Please contact the University of Nottingham directly to check the latest details of their bursary and scholarship policies:
General Bursaries/ Scholarships:
- Core Bursary - offers financial support to students from lower income backgrounds during their time at university
- Nottingham Potential Bursary - to support students from lower income backgrounds whose personal circumstances may have impacted access to higher education
- Care Experienced and Estranged Bursary - to provide additional financial support to students who are care experienced or estranged
- Potential Scholarships - to encourage and develop the potential of students from a lower income background and/or those who have overcome significant difficulties to come to University
- Witty Entrepreneurial Scholarship - for students from lower-income backgrounds who are interested in entrepreneurship
- Travel Scholarships - for students who will be travelling or studying abroad as part of their course
- Sports scholarships - for academy, national or international standard sportspeople to receive financial and training support
- The Stoneygate Award - for academically able students who face or have overcome personal barriers to attend university
- Subject-based scholarships - a range of competitive scholarships based on the subject you are studying to help you excel in your area of interest
- Local scholarships - for students who live and/ or attended school in Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire or the wider East Midlands area
- Scholarships for asylum seekers and refugees - for students who are seeking or have been granted asylum in the UK
- The Helena Kennedy Foundation Bursaries - for students with household incomes below a certain threshold
- Contextual offers - a reduced conditional offer to study at the university based on applicants personal circumstances
University of Oxford
You may find the following list useful. Please contact the University of Oxford directly to check the latest details of their bursary and scholarship policies:
- Oxford Bursaries and Scholarships – Oxford bursaries and scholarships
General Bursaries/ Scholarships:
- Scholarship support for low income UK students – for low-income UK students (based on household income assessment)
- Palgrave Brown UK Scholarship - for students who have been resident or educated in Norfolk or Suffolk
Queen Mary University of London
You may find the following list useful. Please contact Queen Mary University of London directly to check the latest details of their bursary and scholarship policies:
General Bursaries/ Scholarships:
- Asylum Seekers Fee Concession – intended for asylum seekers
- Leverhulme Trade Charities Trust Undergraduate Bursary – for UK residents in financial need who is he child, spouse, widow or widower of a commercial traveller, pharmacist or grocer
- William Spilsbury Scholarship – for permanent residents of the City of London, the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, the London Borough of Newham or the London Borough of Hackney with a household income below a certain threshold
Subject Specific:
- School of Law Scholarships and Bursaries – a range of scholarships and bursaries in the School of Law
- Sanctuary Scholarship – for asylum seekers or those with temporary immigration status studying on degree programmes in the Faculty of Science & Engineering or the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences.
- School of Economics and Finance Scholarships - 15 Excellence Scholarships available to Home, EU and Overseas students
- Science & Engineering Widening Participation Scholarships – for students who have engaged with at least one Queen Mary outreach activity and meet a range of other criteria
Queen's University Belfast
You may find the following list useful. Please contact Queen's University Belfast directly to check the latest details of their bursary and scholarship policies:
- Funding and Scholarships – helps prospective and current students find funding to help cover costs towards a whole range of study related expenses
General Bursaries/ Scholarships:
- University’s Hardship Fund - supports students in financial hardship whilst studying
University of Sheffield
You may find the following information useful. Please contact the University of Sheffield directly to check the latest details of their bursary and scholarship policies.
General Bursaries/ Scholarships:
- Experience Sheffield Scholarship – for students whose household income is less than a certain amount.
- Sports Scholarships - for students who compete at an elite level in their sport
Subject Specific:
- Undergraduate Academic Achievement Scholarships – the Computer Science Department offer scholarships to home students that have achieved certain A levels
- School of Architecture - Fees and funding
University of Southampton
You may find the following list useful. Please contact the University of Southampton directly to check the latest details of their bursary and scholarship policies:
General Bursaries/ Scholarships:
- Sanctuary Scholarship - supports two students per year who are seeking sanctuary in the UK
University College London
You may find the following list useful. Please contact University College London directly to check the latest details of their bursary and scholarship policies:
- Scholarships Finder - UCL offers a range of financial awards aimed at assisting both prospective and current students with their studies
General Bursaries/ Scholarships:
- UCL Undergraduate Bursary - assessed on the basis of household income and residency status
- Estranged Student Bursary – to enable UK students that are estranged from their family to pursue their undergraduate studies
- Care Leaver Bursary - to enable students who live or have lived in care to pursue their undergraduate studies
- The Ernest Hecht Charitable Foundation Scholarship – for UK domiciled students from disadvantaged backgrounds
- Professor Sir Malcolm Grant Undergraduate Scholarship - for UK students in financial need that show leadership potential
- The Watkins Bursary - to enable UK domiciled students from low-income backgrounds to pursue an undergraduate degree
- UCL Access Opportunity Scholarship – for asylum seekers unable to access student finance
University of Warwick
You may find the following list useful. Please contact the University of Warwick directly to check the latest details of their bursary and scholarship policies:
- Student Funding – including links to the Warwick Bursary and Scholarship Opportunities
General Bursaries/ Scholarships:
- Warwick Scholars - for students who have engaged with, and successfully completed, one of our post-16 programmes
- Warwick Hardship Fund - for students experiencing unforeseen financial difficulties
University of York
You may find the following list useful. Please contact the University of York directly to check the latest details of their bursary and scholarship policies:
- Undergraduate Fees and Funding - scholarships and bursaries for UK students to help with tuition fees and living expenses
General Bursaries/ Scholarships:
- Equal Access Scholarships - for undergraduate students who are seeking refuge in the UK
Subject Specific:
- Hull York Medical School Bursary – for students with a household income below a certain threshold
- Chemistry Scholarships – a range of scholarships for UK and International students
- Electronic Engineering Widening Participation Scholarships - to reward academic achievement among students from under-represented groups who may face barriers to entering university
- English Scholarships - for newly-enrolled undergraduate students of English Literature (Q300)
- The Annie Curry Williamson Scholarship – for students in the Department of Mathematics based on academic potential and household income
- Philosophy Bursaries - departmental Academic Excellence or Widening Participation Bursary for eligible students