University Bursaries

Closed. Expected to re-open: April 2025

Grant details

Grant size:A bursary from £300 to £1,500 a year for up to 3 years.
Typical grant:Most bursaries are £300 per year, up to 3 years.

Who is it for?18 - 24 year olds who will be starting the first year of an undergraduate degree at a UK university, are experiencing financial pressures and live in Somerset (or are care experienced and live in Bristol, BANES, North Somerset or South Glos.).

What is it for?To help with the cost of accommodation, equipment, books, travel or other costs for your degree course (excludes course fees).

What can I use this money for?

Bursaries can be used to help with the costs of:

• accommodation
• books and equipment
• travelling
• any other costs that are part of your degree course.

You can’t apply for:

• course fees
• things that have already been paid for before starting your first year at university.

Who can apply?

The money we have to award bursaries come from different Funds, each with its own criteria.

Huish Exhibition Fund awards bursaries to young people who are students at Wellington College, Richard Huish College, Taunton School, Kings College, Queens College Taunton.

Dyke Exhibition Foundation awards bursaries to young people who were born in Somerset, have lived in Somerset for at least 3 years at the time of applying, or have attended a school in Somerset for at least 2 years at the time of applying.

The Hobhouse Memorial Fund awards bursaries to young people who were born in, have lived in for at least 3 years at the time of applying or have attended a school for at least 2 years at the time of applying in the former districts of Mendip and South Somerset.

Eagle House Trust awards bursaries to young people who are care leavers of, or have received significant involvement from, Somerset, Bristol, BANES, North Somerset or South Gloucester Children’s Services.

You can apply for money from this Fund if you:

• are aged 18 to 24
• will be entering the 1st year of an undergraduate degree at a UK university
• are experiencing financial pressure

And you meet at least one of the following:

• were born in Somerset
• have been resident in Somerset for at least 3 years before the date of your application
• have been attending a school in Somerset for at least 2 years before the date of your application
• are a care leaver or have received significant support from either Somerset, BANES, Bristol, North Somerset or South Gloucestershire Children’s Services.

Anyone who meets the above criteria can apply. If you’re unsure, please contact Kirsty (see the section Get Help With This Funding Programme).

When do I have to apply?

Our university bursary programme opens once each year in April.

Do I need to provide any documents?

We may ask for further information or evidence to confirm the information within your application.

This could be a letter or email from your school that you have been a student there for the last 2 years, a copy of your passport showing your place of birth, a letter from your leaving care worker, or something else, such as the contact details of a referee. A referee is a person who can tell us about your character or abilities and can confirm your circumstances. This might be a tutor, or someone who you’ve worked for.

If we need to ask you for further information or evidence, we’ll email you.

How likely am I to get a bursary?

We award as many bursaries as we can, however, we never have enough money to support everyone who applies to us. When we have lots of applications, we’ll consider an applicant’s financial situation as well as how closely the application fits the bursary eligibility criteria.

We are usually able to award 8 to 10 bursaries each year, but we receive many more applications.

How are decisions made?

Your application will be assessed by one of our team. We’ll read through what you’ve written and look at your supporting documents. We may contact you if we have any questions.

A recommendation will usually then be made, and a Panel will make the final decision.

How do I apply to this programme?

The next step is to fill in our online application form.

Clicking on ‘Apply Now’ will take you to the online application form. If you select the box ‘save my progress and resume later’ you will be asked to enter your email address and a password and will receive an email so you return to the form. Each time you want to leave the form tick ‘save my progress and resume later’.

At the end of the form, you have the option to attach documents. You can use this to attach proof of Universal Credit, for example. You can request proof of Universal Credit through your journal on your online account or by contacting the benefit office that pays you.

You need to click ‘Submit’ at the end of the form to send your completed application to us.

Please contact Kirsty if you’re unable to use the online form or can’t attach a document. She can support you to make your application in another way.

Get help with this funding programme

If you’d like to find out more about this funding programme, want to ask us any questions or need help with an application, get in touch. You can also book a time to chat to us online.

Kirsty Campbell (She/Her)
Senior Programmes Manager
Working days: Mon - Fri, 8am - 1pm
Closed. Expected to re-open: April 2025

Grant details

Grant size:A bursary from £300 to £1,500 a year for up to 3 years.
Typical grant:Most bursaries are £300 per year, up to 3 years.

Who is it for?18 - 24 year olds who will be starting the first year of an undergraduate degree at a UK university, are experiencing financial pressures and live in Somerset (or are care experienced and live in Bristol, BANES, North Somerset or South Glos.).

What is it for?To help with the cost of accommodation, equipment, books, travel or other costs for your degree course (excludes course fees).