ICAEW Foundation - The ICAEW Foundation Bursary

The ICAEW Foundation Bursary at Cardiff University

You will receive up to about 14,000 EUR (£12,000) spread over the duration of your entire Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or Finance at Cardiff Business School. This corresponds to approximately three years for a standard BSc programme, or four years if your course includes a year’s work placement. You will receive the funding each year, provided you pass your exams and progress to the next academic year. The funding is provided by the ICAEW Foundation, a charity affiliated with the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, as part of its ‘Changing Futures’ scholarship programme. Previous scholarship recipients have also established contacts with audit firms that support the programme.

Who can apply

• Degree: You are starting a bachelor’s degree in accounting or finance at Cardiff University, such as the BSc in Accounting or the BSc in Accounting and Finance.
• When: You have just left school and are applying at the start of your degree, not during your studies.
• Where you live: You are based in the UK.
• Financial need: Your household income is around £25,000 per year or less.
• No other funding: You are not entitled to any other financial support.
• Ability and motivation: You have an excellent academic record and a genuine desire to build a career in accountancy.

How to apply

Applications are made directly to Cardiff Business School, which runs its own application process. A university panel then selects applicants on the basis of their academic achievements, their professional motivation and their financial need.

How realistic are your chances?

This scholarship is very narrowly targeted: only financially disadvantaged students from the UK who are commencing a degree in accounting or finance at this particular university are eligible to apply, meaning the target group is small. The number of scholarships is also very limited (in a previous awards round, only nine were awarded across the whole of the United Kingdom), meaning that those who meet the criteria will still face competition. If you clearly meet the income and academic criteria and can demonstrate outstanding academic achievement as well as a genuine interest in accountancy, it is worth applying for this scholarship.