Northumbria Undergraduate Award

Northumbria Undergraduate Award

You get a total of about 4,650 EUR (£4,000) in cash, paid in instalments across your first three years at Northumbria University in Newcastle upon Tyne. In the first year the money comes in three parts: 25% (about 390 EUR / £335) by the end of November, 25% by the end of February, and the last 50% (about 775 EUR / £665) by the end of May. The award renews each year for up to three years, as long as you move up into the next year of your degree. The university runs it to help students who are under-represented or disadvantaged in higher education. It does not pay out during a placement year or if you repeat a year.

Who can apply

• Degree level: You start the first year (Level 4) of a full-time undergraduate degree in September at the Newcastle upon Tyne campus. A Foundation Year (Level 3) does not qualify.
• Field of study: All subjects are open.
• Where you live: You are a UK/Home student. This includes Ireland, the Isle of Man, Jersey, Guernsey and the Channel Islands.
• One of three backgrounds: You must fit at least one of these. You live in an area where few people go to university (checked by postcode); you are from a Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic background; or you declared a physical or mental health condition, long-term illness or learning difference on your UCAS form.
• How you pay: You fund your own studies (no employer sponsors you) and you apply for at least one part of the government Student Finance package, such as a tuition fee or maintenance loan.
• Firm choice: You confirm Northumbria as your firm choice through UCAS.

How to apply

You submit an online application answering one question in up to 500 words: how the award would support your goals in higher education. You can send a video answer instead. Applications for September 2026 close at 16:00 on Monday 31 August 2026. You hear the result by the end of September, after results day.

How realistic are your chances?

Every eligible self-funded applicant is shortlisted and considered, so this is not a small elite contest. You do need to clearly fit one of the three background criteria and be a Home student starting at Level 4. If you meet those conditions, fund your own studies and give a genuine answer to the question, your prospects are solid. Apply before the August deadline to stay in the running.