New Cross Fire Bursaries

New Cross Fire Bursaries

You get a cash bursary of about 5,300 EUR (£4,500), paid across the three years of a bachelor's degree, so roughly 1,780 EUR (£1,500) per year. Up to five bursaries go to students starting in 2026. Goldsmiths, University of London funds them with support from Lewisham Council, in memory of the 14 young people who died in the New Cross Fire of 1981. If you win, you join a reception with the other recipients and the victims' families, and you help promote the award in future.

Who can apply

• University: You have accepted a place at Goldsmiths through UCAS or MyGoldsmiths. Online University of London degrees do not count.
• Degree: This is your first bachelor's degree, taught in person on campus.
• Where you live: You have lived in the London Borough of Lewisham for at least three years before you apply.
• Nationality: You are a UK citizen and pay Home (UK) tuition fees.
• Financial need: Your household income is under about 47,000 EUR (£40,000) per year, as shown in your Student Loans Company application.
• Ethnicity: You are from a Black, Asian, Mixed, Arab, or Gypsy/Irish Traveller background (for example African, Caribbean, Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Chinese, or a mixed background such as White and Black Caribbean).

How to apply

You apply through the online form on the programme page. Applications open on 14 August 2026 and close on 16 October 2026 at midnight GMT. A coordinator checks your eligibility first. A panel from Admissions, Widening Participation and Lewisham Council then weighs your academic record and your answers to the application questions equally.

How realistic are your chances?

This bursary is cut very narrowly. You must live in Lewisham, meet the income limit, hold UK citizenship and fit one of the listed ethnicity categories, so few people qualify. With only five awards a year it stays competitive. But if you clearly meet every condition and give thoughtful answers on the form, your prospects are solid. The panel judges what you say, not how well you write it.