Bursaries and awards

You may be entitled to extra financial support from your university or college. This could be a bursary or a scholarship if you meet certain conditions set by your university or college. Some charities and educational trusts also offer grants and awards. Find out what help is available.

Bursaries and award: what are they?

Bursaries are extra sources of financial help available from colleges and universities. They’re paid on top of any Student Loans or grants you may get. Bursaries don’t have to be repaid.

Bursaries

many universities and colleges offer more than the minimum bursary

Universities and colleges decide what’s available, but those based in Northern Ireland have to offer a minimum payment to students who:

get the full Maintenance Grant or Special Support Grant
pay maximum tuition fees- £3,465 for 2012/2013

The minimum payment depends on the tuition fees the university or college charges. Many universities and colleges are offering considerably more than the minimum: in 2011/12 the typical bursary for a student receiving the full Maintenance Grant on a course charging the full £3,375 tuition fees was around £1,000.

Bursaries: started in 2006?

Bursaries form part of the ‘new’ student finance package, generally available to students who started in or after September 2006. But not all students starting from September 2006 will be able to apply. The 2005/2006 rules on funding continue to apply to some students who started in September 2006 - follow the link below if you’re not sure which rules apply to you.

Bursaries: how they’re paid

Usually, you’ll get a direct payment from your college or university. But some provide support in kind, such as:

discounts on accommodation
discounts on books

How to apply for a bursary

Find out how to apply from your university or college. Some administer their own schemes - for others, Student Finance NI handles applications and payments.

The main application for student finance asks you to give your consent for Student Finance Direct to share your application details with your university or college if necessary.

If your university or college handles their own scheme, giving your consent allows them to use this information to assess what you’re entitled to. If you don’t consent, you’ll need to provide this information to your university or college directly.

Is a student loan affected by the amount of Higher Education bursary that I receive?

Students who are entitled to the full £2,000 Higher Education Bursary will have their student loan entitlement reduced by £1,500. Students who receive a bursary of less than the full £2,000 amount will have their loan reduced by the amount of bursary they receive.

This form of support refers to Northern Ireland students who are studying for their degree in the Republic of Ireland and also 'old system' students who started their course before September 2006.

What to do if your circumstances change

If your circumstances change - for example, if your household income goes up or down - it’s important to contact the student support office at your university or college.

Extra help: grants and awards from charitable trusts

There are a number of trusts and charities which provide higher education students with financial help. You may be able to get an award from one of these organisations on top of the student finance package provided by the government.

Get advice from EGAS

You can get assistance finding this type of help from Family Action. Family Action offers students - especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds - expert guidance on getting funding for education and training.

Family Action: check if you're eligible for an educational grant

All Ireland Scholarships (JP McManus)

The All Ireland Scholarship Scheme, which is funded by JP McManus, provides significant financial support to high achieving students from challenging economic backgrounds.

All Ireland Scholarships 2012

Mobility grants from the Socrates-Erasmus programme

As part of the Socrates-Erasmus programme of European study, mobility grants are available to eligible students who want to do part of their higher education course in one of the 31 countries taking part in the scheme.