Pathways to Birmingham Scholarship

What you get

You get about 1,750 EUR per year (£1,500) while you study for your bachelor's degree at the University of Birmingham. The money is paid in two parts, one at the end of January and one at the end of May, straight into a UK bank account. It renews every year as long as you pass into the next year on your first try. A repeated year is not funded. This is a University of Birmingham award for students who reach the university through one of its Pathways to Birmingham (P2B) programmes. These are outreach programmes that help people from disadvantaged backgrounds get into university. You can hold it alongside other Birmingham awards. For 2026 entry, P2B students can receive up to about 4,100 EUR (£3,500) a year in total when combined with the Chamberlain Award.

Who can apply

• Level: You are a new full-time undergraduate (bachelor's) student at the Edgbaston campus.
• Outreach route: You completed one of Birmingham's Pathways to Birmingham programmes: Access to Birmingham, Routes to the Professions, National Access Summer School or Belong at Birmingham. These are for pupils from non-selective state schools who face disadvantages, such as being the first in the family to go to university, low household income or care experience.
• Firm choice: You put the University of Birmingham as your firm (first) choice on UCAS.
• Test result: You scored at least 75% in the Skills4Uni module that is part of the P2B programme.
• Grades: You met the full standard entry grades for your course, not the reduced P2B alternative offer.
• Residence: You live in the UK or Ireland and pay the UK (home) tuition fee rate.
• Student finance: You qualify for maintenance support from the Student Loans Company.

How to apply

There is no separate application. If you meet the criteria, the university contacts you about the award during your first term. If you have not heard by the start of the second term, contact the P2B team yourself.

How realistic are your chances?

You must have come through a P2B outreach programme, hit the full standard grades and qualify as a UK-rate student. This narrows the group sharply. But once you clear those conditions, the award is granted automatically rather than judged against other applicants, so your prospects are strong.