University of Birmingham - Chamberlain Award

Chamberlain Award (University of Birmingham)

You will receive up to about 2,300 EUR per year (up to £2,000) as a cash grant from the University of Birmingham. A grant is a sum of money that you do not have to repay. It is paid in two equal instalments, in January and May of each academic year. The exact amount depends on your household income: you will receive the full amount of £2,000 if your household income is £25,000 or less, and £1,000 if it is between £25,001 and £35,000.. The money will be paid into the bank account you set up for your living costs loan. Your income is reviewed each year, so that the grant can be awarded throughout your studies, provided you continue to meet the eligibility criteria and make normal academic progress.

Who can apply

• Where you study: You are studying at the University of Birmingham’s UK campus (Edgbaston or Selly Oak).
• Degree level: You will be starting your first bachelor’s degree programme in September 2025 or in September 2026.
• Where you live: You are a British citizen or live in the United Kingdom.
• Field of study: All subjects.
• Financial need: Your household income is £35,000 or less, as confirmed by the Student Loans Company (SLC), the body responsible for student finance in the United Kingdom. You must apply for a means-tested maintenance loan and consent to your income details being passed on, but you are not obliged to actually take up the loan.
• Fees: You pay the full standard tuition fees for Bachelor’s students.
• Not eligible: You cannot apply if you are receiving funding from the NHS (with the exception of the MBChB Medicine and BDS Dentistry degree programmes), if you are on a teacher training programme, or if you are transferring from another higher education institution.

How to apply

There is no separate application form. Your eligibility is assessed automatically as part of your regular application for student finance: simply apply for an income-contingent maintenance loan from the SLC. To ensure that a particular academic year is taken into account, the SLC must confirm your eligibility for maintenance support by 31 December of the relevant year.

How realistic are your chances?

This is a needs-based grant with no set number of participants. If you meet the income and enrolment criteria, you will receive the grant; there is therefore no selection process. Grounds for exclusion may include, in particular, the income limit of £35,000 per household, as well as the excluded groups. Simply ensure that the SLC confirms your eligibility before the deadline on 31 December.