How do I know if I am eligible for a bursary?

Home UK students on undergraduate programmes, who receive a government maintenance (or special support) grant and whose household income is £50,000 or below will be eligible for a University of Bristol Bursary.

How much is it worth?

A range of bursary amounts will apply between these qualifying household income levels for 2025/26, as shown in this table:

Household income	Bursary entitlement (full-time students)
£10,000 or below	£2,500
£10,001 to £20,000	£2,000
£20,001 to £30,000	£1,500
£30,001 to £40,000	£1,000
£40,001 to £50,000	£500

Bursaries for eligible part-time students will be calculated based on the tuition fee you pay. For example, if your part-time fee is 30% of the full-time fee, your bursary will be 30% of the equivalent full-time bursary.

Is there a deadline date to claim my University of Bristol Bursary?

Yes. You must have claimed your University of Bristol Bursary by the last day of the summer term for each academic year.

How do I get means tested, so you know my household income?

You need to apply to your regional Student Finance provider and request to be assessed for means-tested student finance. They will ask you for details of your household income and check the figures provided by your parents/sponsors. You are automatically opted in to allowing your Student Finance provider to share your household income with us.

Who is my regional Student Finance provider?

That will depend on where you normally live when not at University.

The relevant websites for applying for support are:

• English students: Student Finance England
• Welsh students: Student Finance Wales
• Northern Irish students: Student Finance Northern Ireland
• Scottish students: Student Awards Agency for Scotland

Do I need to complete a separate application form to apply for the bursary?

No. Your regional provider will assess your entitlement to means tested support using details of your household income provided on your application for student funding. They will pass this information to the Student Loans Company.

If you and your parents/sponsors have given your consent to share this information, the Student Loans Company will then confirm your household income with the University of Bristol.

Do I need to give my consent to share this information?

Yes. However, you are automatically opted in when you apply for government funding.

I originally opted out of giving my consent (or my parents/sponsors did), is it too late to give consent now?

No, it isn't too late, but you and your parent/sponsor must call the appropriate number. Consent can be given at any time during the year.

• English students: 0300 100 0607
• Welsh students: 0300 200 4050
• Northern Irish students: 0300 100 0077
• Scottish students: 0300 555 0505

What will happen once the University of Bristol receives details of my household income from the Student Loans Company?

You will be emailed as soon as possible in the first few weeks of term to confirm your bursary award. Your notification of award will be delayed if you were late:

• applying for statutory support
• giving your consent to share information 

Can I provide my household income through other means?

No, we can only accept this information via your student finance provider.

I don’t want to take out a government loan, can I still get the bursary?

Even if you don't want to take out a loan, we require that you are means-tested by your Regional Funding Provider. To do this, you must apply for a loan as normal and then request that the amount is changed to £0.

If you need help, email money-advice@bristol.ac.uk.

How will the bursary be paid?

The bursary will be paid directly into your bank account by BACS payment.

How do I give the University of Bristol my bank details?

Once you have arrived and registered with the University, you will need to supply your bank account details in eVision.

Find instructions on entering your bank details.

When will I receive payment of my University of Bristol Bursary?

The bursary will be paid in three instalments provided you are still registered on your course at the time of payment. 

I am studying medicine/dentistry. If I decide to intercalate as part of my programme, how will my bursary entitlement be affected?

If you decide to intercalate, your NHS funding will start earlier in your programme. This means your University of Bristol bursary entitlement will also stop earlier.

For further information, read our advice on intercalation for students on NHS funded programmes.

If my household income is less than £50,000 and I only give my consent to share part way through the academic year, will this affect payment of my University of Bristol Bursary?

If we receive your household information before the last day of the academic year, you shall receive the bursary and be back-paid any payments you may have missed that academic year. Payments from previous academic years will not be back-paid.

My first year is about to start and I have not yet applied for statutory support from my regional provider. How can I find out if I might qualify for a means-tested support, and is it too late to apply?

You can apply for statutory support up to nine months after the start of your academic year in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Students from Scotland only have until the end of March in any given academic year to apply for support. So students in the 2025/26 academic year must apply by the end of March 2026 for financial support applicable to that academic year.

However, each year you should apply as early as possible to make sure that your funding is in place for the start of the academic year.

Will a late application to my Regional Funding Provider for statutory support affect my entitlement for a bursary from the University of Bristol?

No. Provided your household income is £50,000 or less and you give your consent for the Student Loans Company to share this information, the University of Bristol will still pay you a bursary. However, your payments will be delayed, so apply as soon as you can.

What happens if I supply you with the incorrect bank details?

Make sure that you supply an accurate bank account number and sort code in the first instance. If you supply incorrect bank details or change banks without updating us, your bursary payment will fail.

All payments are made via BACS, therefore we will not be able to make payments to students until they have provided correct bank details.

Can I receive my bursary earlier?

No, we cannot expedite bursary payments. If you are concerned about financing your studies, please have a look at our money advice web page.

I’m receiving the maximum government loan, why am I not receiving the maximum bursary?

The maintenance loan bands and our award bands are different. Either may be changed independently from the other.

Why is my award less than I expected? 

Your award may be less than you expected because:

• your household income is higher than you think it is. We are not able to share this information with you due to GDPR, but it is often the case.
• your Regional Funding Provider has not correctly assessed your household income. In this instance, you will need to reach out to them and request reassessment. Our Money Advisers can help with this. 
• you are studying part-time. If so, you shall receive the percentage of your award that matches the percentage of fees you are paying. If you pay 30% of the fee rate, you shall receive 30% of your award band. In this example, if your household income was between £10,001 and £20,000, you would receive 30% of £2,000 which would be rounded up to £666.67.

For further advice, please contact scholarships-bursaries@bristol.ac.uk.