University of York - Care Leavers and Estranged Students Bursary

What you get

You receive a non-repayable grant (money you never pay back). It is £3,000 (about 3,500 EUR) in your first year, then £2,500 per year (about 2,900 EUR) for each following year. You also get a one-off £1,000 (about 1,200 EUR) in your final semester for graduation and job-interview costs. During a placement, year in industry or year abroad, the payment is £1,250 (about 1,450 EUR). Care leavers and Foyer Federation students also get a rent subsidy of up to £130 per week (about 150 EUR) for all years, applied to your on-campus rent bill or paid to you if you rent privately. This drops to half during a placement or year abroad. The grant comes from the University of York and is paid in three instalments in October, January and April. On top of the money, care-experienced students get extras: a pre-study induction, free off-peak sports membership, a rent guarantee scheme and a dedicated support contact.

Who can apply

• Where you study: You study full time on an undergraduate course at the University of York, including integrated Masters and courses with a foundation year.
• Fee status: You have UK (home) fee status and pay the full tuition fee of £9,790 per year.
• Financial need: Your household income is under £35,000, checked through your means-tested UK Student Finance application. You must let your funding provider share this with the university.
• Age: You are under 25 on the first day of your course.
• Care leaver: You spent at least 13 weeks in the care of a UK local authority, ending on or after your 16th birthday. Or you had at least 13 weeks of support from the Foyer Federation.
• Estranged student: Alternatively, your funding provider treats you as independent because you are estranged from both parents, or both parents have died (confirmed by the support team).
• Who cannot apply: Students from the Isle of Man or Channel Islands, PGCE students, degree apprentices, students on leave of absence, and those already in a second repeat year.

How to apply

There is no application form. You are assessed automatically once you have a complete, means-tested application with a UK student funding provider (usually Student Finance England) and have not blocked data sharing. Awards are checked in October, January and April, and you hear the result by email by the end of October. For the 2026/27 year, your Student Finance application must be approved by the end of December 2026 for full backdated consideration.

How realistic are your chances?

This bursary is not a contest with a fixed number of places. It is a guaranteed award for everyone who meets the criteria. If you study full time at York, have home fee status, a household income under £35,000, and clearly fit the care-leaver or estranged-student definition, you receive it automatically. The main thing that can go wrong is administrative, so complete your means-tested Student Finance application on time and keep the data-sharing consent in place.