University of the West of England - UWE Cares Bursary

UWE Cares Bursary

You receive £1,650 per academic year (about 1,900 EUR), paid in three instalments across the year, for the whole length of your first undergraduate degree. When you graduate, you get a further one-off £500 (about 580 EUR). You never have to repay any of it. The money is part of a wider support package from the University of the West of England (UWE Bristol) for students who study without a family safety net. That package also includes year-round university accommodation with no advance rent to pay, a named contact who stays with you from application to graduation, and extra careers coaching.

Who can apply

• Your situation: You fit one of three groups. You spent time in care before turning 18 (care leaver or care experienced). Or you are permanently cut off from both parents, or both have died. Or you are an unpaid carer for a family member, partner, friend or neighbour who cannot cope without you.
• Household income: Your household income is under £25,000, as assessed by your student finance body.
• Level: This is your first undergraduate degree, and you study at least 30 credits per year.
• Status: You are a Home (UK) student.
• Age: Care leavers and estranged students must be under 25 when the course starts. Care-experienced students and student carers have no age limit.
• Proof: You can document your situation, for example with a letter from your local authority, a death certificate, or a carer's allowance letter.

How to apply

There is no separate bursary form. Apply for student finance as early as possible so your income is assessed, make UWE Bristol your firm choice on UCAS, and email your evidence to UWE Cares. Your eligibility is then worked out automatically from the income check and your documents.

How realistic are your chances?

This is not a competitive award, and you are not scored against other applicants. If you belong to one of the three groups, your household income is under £25,000, and you can document your situation, you qualify. The main risk is missing the evidence or the income assessment, so apply for student finance and contact UWE Cares early.