University of Sunderland - We Care Bursary

We Care Bursary

You receive £2,500 per year (about 2,900 EUR) in cash for each year of full-time study. It is paid in four instalments of £625 in November, January, April and July. Over three years that adds up to £7,500 (about 8,700 EUR), over four years £10,000 (about 11,600 EUR) and over five years £12,500 (about 14,500 EUR). You never repay the money. On top of the cash, the University of Sunderland's We Care Team gives you personal support: help with moving in and settling, advice on budgeting and student finance, help with studies and exams, careers and job-search support, mental-health and wellbeing support, and a check-in at the start of each year.

Who can apply

• Care or family background: You have spent time in care in the UK at any point (foster care, a children's home, private fostering, looked after at home under a supervision order, or kinship care with a friend or relative). OR you are estranged from both parents or carers, meaning no contact for at least 12 months with no likely change.
• Age (estranged applicants only): If you apply as an estranged student, you must be under 25 on 1 September 2025. There is no age limit if you are care-experienced.
• Fee status: You are a 'Home' student, or an 'Overseas Island' student from the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands. International students cannot apply, and neither can students funded by the Enhanced Learning Credits scheme (ELCAS).
• Course: You study a full-time undergraduate degree (including one with an integrated foundation year or a top-up degree) or a full-time taught postgraduate course, paying full tuition fees, at a University of Sunderland campus, a partner college or University of Sunderland in London. PhDs, apprenticeships, CPD, language and most online courses do not count.
• Field of study: Any subject on an eligible course.
• Other bursaries: You cannot combine this with the University of Sunderland Bursary, but you can hold it alongside the Medicine Bursary.

How to apply

You apply through your myApplication account on the university's eVision portal. For courses starting autumn 2025 you can apply from March 2025. After you apply, the We Care Team asks you for proof of your circumstances, then gives you a provisional award and invites you to a welcome meeting at the start of the year. You can apply at any point during your studies, but payments are not backdated.

How realistic are your chances?

This is not a competition but a defined bursary. If you clearly meet the care-experienced or estranged definition, hold the right fee status and study an eligible full-time course, you qualify. What decides it is whether you can document your circumstances. Gather the confirmation from your local authority or Student Finance England early and apply as soon as the window opens, since payments do not run backwards.