WP Financial Support for Students

Information about bursaries, scholarships, awards and prizes.

WP Financial Support for Students

WP Financial Support for Students

Information about bursaries, scholarships, awards and prizes.

Ulster University offers a wide range of bursaries, scholarships, awards and prizes as well as an extensive portfolio of outreach targeted activities, initiatives and programmes delivered in partnership with schools, communities and employers specifically for individuals and groups from under represented areas.

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

    Access Bursary (see https://www.ulster.ac.uk/apply/fees-and-finance/bursaries)

    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.

  • Care Leavers' Bursary

    Care Leavers’ Bursary ( see https://www.ulster.ac.uk/apply/fees-and-finance/bursaries)

    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.

  • Accommodation Voucher

    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.

  • Fund for International Travel

    Fund for International Travel (see http://addl.ulster.ac.uk/wap/wa)

    The Fund for International travel provides on-course support to widening access students with a focus on outward mobility and experiencing cultures, environments and countries other than that of their domicile and socio-economic background and without which the financial hurdles are prohibitive.

  • Fee Waivers

    Fee Waivers (see http://addl.ulster.ac.uk/wap/wa)

    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.

AwardValueNo of AwardsEligibility Criteria

Access Bursary

10% of student fee (ie £416 in 2018/19)Unlimited

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.

Note:  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.

Care Leavers Bursary£1,000Unlimited

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.

For further information concerning the UCAS Tick the Box campaign, go to https://www.fostering.net/policy-and-campaigns/campaigns/tick-the-box#.VhwdAkaD4dU.

Accommodation Voucher (currently in pilot phase for one year only)£1,00050This award is only open to students new to the University who have applied for and accepted University-approved accommodation and also meet the criteria for the Access Bursary. The support is in the form of credit to accommodation costs Note: this award is in place of the Access Bursary and is not in addition to it.
Fund for International TravelFund for International TravelDependent on available resource

There are two elements to the Fund for International Travel: 1. University-approved placements to support international travel to enable students to take advantage of work experience opportunities associated with their studies; and 2.  University-arranged International visits to partner institutions. The award contributes to the set up costs for widening access students.

To be eligible, applicants must be a full-time undergraduate registered student at Ulster University, NI domiciled for a period of 3 years or more and must also meet at least one, usually more than one, of the following criteria:

  • be in receipt of an Access Bursary;
  • permanently reside (ie home address as recorded in Banner) in an area of high deprivation/low participation in higher education (applicants can check their deprivation rank by entering their postcode using a  postcode look up tool at https://deprivation.nisra.gov.uk/).  Ranks betwen 1 and 178 are considered Quinitle 1.  Ranks between 179 and 356 are considered Quintile 2;
  • have undertaken secondary education at a state school with a free school meal entitlement rate of 40% or more (applicants can check their eligibility against this criteria on the Department for Education website, see https://www.education-ni.gov.uk/sites/default/files/publications/education/School%20level%20-%20post%20primary%20schools%20data%201819.XLS);
  • be in receipt of benefits which may include: state income support, working tax credit or child tax credit;
  • have declared to the University a background of care;
  • have disclosed a disability to the University or be in receipt of disability living allowance/personal independence payments.
Fee Waivers

Up to £500

(£85k annually)

Dependent on available resource

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).
Approval and ReviewDetails
Authority SLT
Authorising Committee

Fair Access, Participation and Success Sub Committee

Policy Revision

Prof Brian Murphy, Director of Access, Digital and Distributed Learning

Policy Ownership Policy Officer – Mrs Barbara Hunter)

Dates

Draft

Approved (FAPSSC)

Amendment

...

8th October 2018

…

...

Children from care

Dedicated to maintaining the University's position as a sector leader in widening access to higher education.

International Travel

Dedicated to maintaining the University's position as a sector leader in widening access to higher education.