Financial Support for Students

University policies for the disbursement of direct financial support to students arising from regulatory compliance with the Higher Education (Northern Ireland) Order 2005.

The polices have been overseen by the Widening Access and Community Engagement Sub-Committee and have been operational for many years.

The new Fair Access, Participation and Student Success Sub-Committee will update these in 2018/19.

They include:

• Access Bursary

  Eligible students will receive a bursary of 10% of the annual student fee to help meet the costs associated with their course. Bursaries, like grants, do not have to be repaid.

  Students must:

  • have a residual family household income, as assessed by Student Finance NI or the Student Finance Services European Team, not greater than £19,203;
  • be permanently resident in NI or the EU (excluding England, Scotland and Wales);
  • be registered on a full-time undergraduate course of the University leading to a first degree, or a course leading to the Postgraduate Certificate in Education.

  Students on the Nursing degree, all Allied Health degrees, and NI students on the Social Work degree are not eligible as additional government support is available for such students.

  Unlimited number of awards.

  • Get more information on the Access Bursary
• Care Leavers' Bursary

  The Care Leavers Bursary of £1,000 per annum forms part of a comprehensive suite of financial and non-financial support under the ‘Fostering Aspirations’ banner.

  The Bursaries are available to students with a background of care and include access to year-round accommodation and assistance with the application process.

  Full-time undergraduate students leaving care, or who have spent time in care for a period of three months, are eligible. Students are advised that when applying through UCAS that it is important they tick the box which asks if they have been in care.

  • Get more information on the Care Leavers’ Bursary
• Accommodation Voucher 

  The Accommodation Voucher scheme has been introduced in pilot during 2018/19 to encourage students from lower income households to apply for university-approved purpose built student accommodation.

  Eligible students will have their Access Bursary (currently of value £416) converted to an accommodation voucher of £1,000.

  Up to 100 Awards available.

• Asylum Seekers' Scholarships

  Ulster University will offer up to three scholarships for students registered as asylum seekers in Northern Ireland.

  Further information is available on the Scholarship Finder.

• Fee Waivers

  Ulster's Flexible Education framework supports access by enabling participation by students of a widening access background to achieve and accumulate academic credit that can lead to University awards in a way that suits their individual circumstances.

  The Fee Waivers apply to individual modules and are offered to overcome financial barriers of participation.

  Applicants must be a Northern Ireland resident and also meet at least one of the following criteria:

  • be unemployed;
  • be aged 16-24 years old and not in education/employment/training (NEET);
  • have an individual income of less than £16,190 gross;
  • be in receipt of one of the following benefits: Income Support, Working Tax Credit, Disability Living Allowance (DLA/personal independence payments), or Carers Allowance;
  • have been in care (fostering/adopted/care home or other supported residential care).

  Value

  Up to £500 (£85k annually)

  Dependent on available resource.

• Technology Fund 

  A Technology Fund has been set up to provide laptops for those students who are least likely to be able to provide the technology themselves.

  Where you receipt of EMA or FSM during you last year at School/College (2021/22) or have a verifiable household income of £22,500?

  If so you may be eligible to apply to receive a Laptop from our Technology Fund.

  It is important for students to have access to technology that will enable them to access their courses.

  Please Note

  Availability of this technology is limited, so we would ask that students only apply if they do not already have access to an appropriate device.

  As resources are limited the laptops will be allocated in stages to eligible groups of students using other criteria also, such as, the ranking of their permanent home address using the Northern Ireland Statistical and Research Agency’s Multiple Deprivation Index.

  • NI Multiple Deprivation Measure Post Code Look up tool

  Applications

  You will need to submit proof of your EMA, FSM entitlement or a verifiable household income of £22,500 or less.

  Applications are still open but will be closing soon.  To apply see: https://www.ulster.ac.uk/about/widening-access/bursaries/technology-fund-application 

  Useful web links

  • Student Wellbeing and Experience
  • Scholarships and Bursaries
  • Ulster University Students’ Union
• Discount to Part-time Undergraduate Student Fee

  A 10% discount will be applied to the student fee for those students who are eligible for a part-time fee grant from Student Finance NI

  Note:

  1. Fee Grants are available to home students, ie Northern Ireland domiciled students and also those from the Republic of Ireland and EU.
  2. Only those EU students commencing their students in 2020/21 will be treated as home students.