Most universities have bursaries, grants and hardship funds you can apply for if you know about them
Going to university is expensive. There are the £9k fees every year and then you’ve got to have some money to live on as well. The average debt for a university student in the UK is £45,600. You can pay this back over a long period of time with minimal interest, but universities understand the financial difficulties of student life and, good news! have all sorts of pots of money to ease the burden.
These are funds outside of your student loans and generally money you don’t have to pay back. You just need to know about them.
Helpfully, Kings College London have collated all of the bursaries, grants, scholarships and hardship funds available to students at universities across the UK. Our friends at the Sixth Form and Colleges Association bring the updated version to our attention every year and we’re very pleased to share this to you.
Every university will have a student welfare department and it’s useful to go and visit them when you start university, to understand how they can help you. They will be able to help you understand any additional funding you may be eligible for, and how to apply for it.
When I was a student at university, I was very grateful for a grant of £900 I received from the University of Leeds when I was in financial hardship and it was affecting my studies. As a working class kid it was hard to pay for everything. But universities want to help students achieve their degrees and break down those financial barriers which is why these pots of money are available.
We know it’s hard just to get to university and it’s still one of the best ways to get into the creative industries. Most companies employ people with degrees so, if you’re going to university, make the most of the support you can get. You’re entitled to it.
