University Bursary (Tower Hamlets)

Tower Hamlets University Bursary

You get a one-off payment of about 1,730 EUR (£1,500) for the academic year to help with living costs at university, such as books, learning materials and rent. It is paid by the London Borough of Tower Hamlets council. The bursary covers one year at a time, so you apply again each year for the next academic year. In the most recent round the council handed out 800 of these bursaries, up from 400 the year before.

Who can apply

• Where you live: You have lived in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets for at least three years. Refugees on the Ukraine or Afghan scheme can apply after a shorter stay.
• Level of study: You are an undergraduate, meaning you are doing your first degree at a UK university.
• Enrolment: You study full time.
• Age: You are over 18 at the start of the academic year your course began.
• Household income: Your household's yearly income is below £25,000 (about 28,800 EUR). Housing benefit and council tax reductions do not count towards this.
• Attendance: You keep at least a 95% attendance record, checked at the end of your first term.
• No double funding: You do not get the Canary Wharf Education Trust fund at the same time.

How to apply

You apply online through the Tower Hamlets forms portal and upload proof of income (a P60 or five weeks of payslips) and National Insurance numbers. You can apply once a year. The round for 2026/27 closed on 23 October 2025, so watch for the next annual window. If you are refused, you can appeal online within 21 days of the decision letter.

How realistic are your chances?

This bursary is aimed narrowly at low-income students who have lived in Tower Hamlets for three years, so only local residents qualify. With 800 awards in the last round, the odds are far better than for open national scholarships. If you clearly meet the residence and income conditions and can document them, your prospects are good, so apply as soon as the annual window opens.