Kingston University - Care Leavers Bursary

Care Leavers Bursary at Kingston University

During your Bachelor’s degree, you will receive £1,500 (about 1,740 EUR), which is paid in three instalments. Kingston University awards this amount to students who have grown up in foster care as part of a wider support package for former foster children.

Who can apply

• Study place: You have been offered a place on a Bachelor’s degree programme at Kingston University.
• Care background: Before you started your degree, you were looked after by a local authority, and as a former care home resident, you will continue to receive support from that authority until you reach the age of 25.
• Proof: Your social worker or personal adviser can confirm your status as a former care home resident in writing.
• Fee status: As far as tuition fees are concerned, you are classified as a ‘domestic student’, which means you pay the fees applicable to British students rather than those for international students.
• Field of study: Open to all subjects.
• Nationality: Applicants of all nationalities are eligible to apply, provided they meet the criteria for domestic tuition fee status and are former children in care.

How to apply

Please send an email to the university’s ‘KU Cares’ team. They will provide you with further details and explain the individual steps. No fixed deadline has been announced.

How realistic are your chances?

This scholarship is very narrowly defined: it is aimed exclusively at former care home residents who have been offered a place at Kingston University with ‘Home Fee’ status, meaning that very few people meet the eligibility criteria. If you meet these conditions and your social worker or counsellor can confirm your status, your chances are good. This is a fixed support payment rather than a competitive grant, although the availability of funds may play a role.