Overview
The University of Sunderland is committed to supporting students from groups underrepresented in higher education, who we identify as being in most financial need. Our priority groups include Gypsies, Travellers, Roma, Showmen and Boaters (GTRSB); asylum seekers and refugees; carers; students from lower income households; and mature students. Our bursary awards are valued between £500 – £3,000, depending on the priority group. These are paid over academic years one, two and three.
Priority group 1
Gypsies, Travellers, Roma, Showmen and Boaters, asylum seekers and refugees.
Bursary award valued at £3,000: £2,400 credit and £600 cash.
Priority group 2
Students with caring responsibilities, or students with an annual household income of less than £27,500.
Bursary award valued at £2,000: £1,600 credit and £400 cash.
Priority group 3
Students with an annual household income of between £27,501 and £47,500.
Bursary award valued at £1,000 per year. £1,000 credit.
Priority group 4
Mature students.
Bursary award valued at £500: £500 credit.
Who's eligible?
1. You must be a 'Home' or 'Overseas Island' student on an eligible course
The Government classes all students as ‘Home’ or ‘International’. This status determines which tuition fees you pay, and which scholarships and bursaries you may be eligible to receive.
Overseas Island; Isle of Man and the Channel Islands students are eligible.
EU students with a UK Settled Status at the time of application are eligible.
International students are not eligible.
Students who already hold an undergraduate degree are not eligible.
You must be a first-year or a Top-Up student applying to commence a three or four-year full-time undergraduate course in autumn 2025.
You are not eligible for these bursaries if you have been funded by the Enhanced Learning Credits Administration Service (ELCAS).
You are not eligible for these bursaries if you are in receipt of a Troops to Teaching bursary.
You are not eligible for a University of Sunderland Bursary if you have been awarded a We Care Bursary. This is because the We Care Bursary has the highest financial value of the two awards. You cannot receive both awards. If you are initially awarded a University of Sunderland Bursary and are later found to be eligible for and awarded the We Care Bursary, any funds/credit you have received from the University of Sunderland Bursary will be deducted from any in-year We Care Bursary payments.
2. You must apply for and meet the conditions of your offer, then successfully enrol onto and study an eligible course
You must successfully enrol onto an eligible course in academic year 2025/26.
Some University of Sunderland courses are not eligible due to the additional funding available to students studying these courses. These include:
- Medicine MBChB
- Midwifery Practice
- Occupational Therapy
- Occupational Therapy Accelerated
- Physiotherapy
- Paramedic Science and Out of Hospital Care
- Social Work
- Adult Nursing Practice
- Mental Health Nursing Practice
- Children’s and Young People’s Nursing Practice
- Nursing (Top-up)
How to apply
You can apply from March 2025. The deadline for applications is Sunday 31 August 2025. Once the deadline has passed, we are not permitted to accept any further applications.
You can apply via your myApplication account.
Your username is your student number, which can be found on all correspondence you have received from the University. If you are unsure of your student number, please contact Student Administration at studentadmin@sunderland.ac.uk.
Please note that applying does not guarantee you will be awarded this bursary.
Assessment and awarding process
Successful applicants will be awarded based on one of the under-represented groups as outlined above.
Successful applications will be notified via email to inform them of their provisional award in October 2025. Following enrolment onto an eligible course and confirmation of satisfactory evidence, bursary awards will be confirmed.
Please note, if we need to verify your household income as part of your bursary application, you must have undertaken a means-tested Student Loans Company (SLC) assessment. You must also agree to share your data with the University via the SLC. The University will liaise with the SLC to verify household income.
Bursary awards will be made in termly instalments in academic years one, two and three. Successful applicants will receive the following each year of continuous study:
Priority group 1
Gypsies, Travellers, Roma, Showmen and Boaters, asylum seekers and refugees.
Bursary award valued at £1,000 per year. Successful applicants will receive £333.33 per academic term: £266.67 credit and £66.67 cash.
Priority group 2
Students with caring responsibilities, or students with an annual household income of less than £27,500.
Bursary award valued at £666.67 per year. Successful applicants will receive £222.22 per academic term: £178.78 credit and £66.67 cash.
Priority group 3
Students with an annual household income of between £27,501 and £47,500.
Bursary award valued at £333.33 per year. Successful applicants will receive £111.11 per academic term.
Priority group 4
Mature students.
Bursary award valued at £167.67 per year. Successful applicants will receive £55.56 credit per academic term.
Top-up students awarded a bursary will receive a one-year award.
If you are awarded a bursary, you can spend your credit on materials to support your studies from the online store. You can also top-up your account with additional funds to spend on a range of learning resources and everyday living items.
You will receive your cash and/or credit on the fifth working day of November, February and April each academic year.
Your bursary award is intended to support you with any of the following:
- Travel costs – including public transport, petrol, vehicle costs such as insurance, maintenance, other costs such as parking, tolls.
- Digital – IT equipment including laptops, tablets, specialist software and digital connectivity such as broadband costs.
- Childcare costs – related to additional childcare needs for attending university and/or placement.
- Other expenses – such as books, specialist equipment and essential course materials.
Additional information
If you have not registered on your course within three weeks of the course start date or provided sufficient evidence of eligibility, the scholarship or bursary will be withdrawn and offered to another eligible student.
If you do not supply us with the required information by November 2025, the scholarship or bursary provisional award will be withdrawn.
If you withdraw from your course before receiving a scholarship or bursary payment, the award will be withdrawn. If you withdraw after a payment is made, the University will not seek reimbursement however, you will not receive any further instalments.
The award is conditional on you maintaining satisfactory engagement and making academic progress on your course in the reasonable opinion of the programme team.
The University agrees to pay you, the student, all awards, and payments that are due to you while you are on your course of study. If a scholarship or bursary payment is made to you in error, the University reserves the right to recover any awards or overpayments from you, the student. This may result in you being asked to repay an award if it was paid to you in error. It is also the responsibility of you, the student, to ensure that all awards and payments received are accurate. Any payment discrepancies will be rectified by the University or the student.
If you transfer to another course, or you repeat a year of the same course, the award will not be made in the repeated year. Any payments due to you will continue once you progress onto the following level (s) of study on the course.
If you are on a placement year or studying for a year and not paying full fees, the award will not be paid during that year.
If you take a leave of absence (LOAB), your payments will stop until you return and progress academically.
If you are in debt to the University to the value of £50 or more, you will not receive payment until the debt has been cleared.
All payments will be made into your UK bank account. It is your responsibility to enter your bank details and ensure these are kept up to date. If you fail to enter your bank details to enable payments to be made to you before your course end date (or the date of leaving your course if earlier), all scholarships, bursaries, and payments will be withdrawn.
All credit can be rolled forward to the next academic year (s) up until the end of the course (or date of leaving the course if earlier).
Income assessed bursaries will be based on the Student Loans Company’s definition and assessment of household income. Your declared household income will be checked and verified. Bursaries will only be offered to those students who have a household income of £47,500 or less.
As part of the admissions process, the University will verify various aspects of a UCAS or direct application to determine that you should be classed as ‘Home’. The following criteria will be verified:
- Declared nationality
- Country of birth
- Area of permanent residence
- Date of entry into the UK (if applicable)
- Location of previous education provider
Disclaimer
Every effort is made to ensure that all details included in these guidance notes are correct at the time of writing. They are intended to act as an information source only, and in no way should they be considered legally binding or guarantee an award.
The University will not be deemed to be in breach of any legal or contractual obligations due to changes to eligibility criteria beyond the reasonable control of the University. It should therefore be noted that these guidance notes are regularly reviewed and are naturally subject to change, sometimes without notice. The University’s decision is final.
Appendix
Use the information below to determine what evidence will be required as proof of priority group.
You are a Gypsy, Traveller, Roma, Showman or Boater
This can be verified by one of the following:
- By a teacher or adviser
- Evidence of UK residency
You are an asylum seeker
This can be verified by one of the following
- Currently attending a school, college, community or voluntary group where a teacher or adviser can provide a reference in support of your application
- A letter from an immigration solicitor/legal advisor
- Evidence of eligible immigration status either in your own right or as a dependent of someone with one of the following statuses: UK asylum seeker, UK discretionary leave to remain (because of an asylum application), UK limited leave to remain (because of an asylum application), Granted Humanitarian Protection
- Evidence of UK residency
You are a refugee
Your refugee status can be verified using Home Office documents.
You have caring responsibilities
This can be verified by one of the following:
- By a teacher, adviser or GP that you are a carer who has caring responsibilities for an average of 15 hours per week
- You can provide proof of your average of 15 hours per week caring responsibilities
- You are in receipt of Carer’s Allowance
You have an annual household income of £27,500 or less
If you are a ‘Home’ student who has applied for means-tested loans and grants from the Student Loans Company (SLC), the University will liaise with the SLC to verify your household income.
You have an annual household income between £27,501 and £47,500
If you are a ‘Home’ student who has applied for means-tested loans and grants from the Student Loans Company (SLC), the University will liaise with the SLC to verify your household income.
You are a mature student (aged 21+ on 1 September 2025)
Your student record will evidence this using your date of birth, following your application and enrolment.
Published: 11 December 2024