Bath Spa Bursaries

This Undergraduate Award Scheme is part of Bath Spa University’s Access Agreement with the government and is aimed at widening access to degree courses by removing financial barriers to education for students from under-represented groups.

There is no application to be completed and submitted to Bath Spa University for our bursaries if you apply for Student Finance and are income assessed.

Bath Spa University is providing awards worth up to £4,000 each, split over three years, to eligible new first year students in 2023/24, who do not hold a first degree or higher qualification.

Students must have a home address in an area of low higher education participation based on POLAR4 or Adult HE (Quintile 1 and 2) as determined by the Office for Students.

The bursary is a cash award based on income.  In years 2 and 3, the continuation of the award under this scheme will be subject to a student continuing to fulfil the eligibility criteria, including the residual household income thresholds, at the start of each academic year. Students who repeat a year will not be entitled to a Bath Spa University Bursary Scheme award in that year.

If requested students may arrange to take their award as a fee waiver. The above yearly amounts are for students on 3 year courses. If you are on a 4 year course, the amounts will be prorated.

Students must be assessed for an award in their first year of study (foundation year if applicable) and this includes any eligible students who were not automatically selected. Students must then also continue to meet the eligibility criteria during subsequent years of study in order to receive payments after their first year of study. The criteria is all of the following:

• Immediately before they started their study, students must live in an area of low higher education participation based on POLAR4 or Adult HE (Quintile 1 and 2) as determined by the Office for Students
• Household income assessed and evidenced by Student Finance as below £15,000, £25,000 or £42,875 when first enrolled on the course
• Domiciled in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland
• You must be a first time undergraduate in the first year (including foundation year) of study
• Do not hold a first degree or higher qualification.

Part-time students, if eligible, will receive a bursary award that is proportional to their intensity of study.

You will NOT be eligible for the award if:

• You're a student from the EU or an international student
• You have any formal sponsorship agreement with anyone other than Student Finance
• You do not have a full tuition fee loan within 2 months of starting the course, unless you have paid your tuition fees already
• You're transferring course, transferring institution or restarting a course.

Bursary supplement for priority groups In each year of study we will provide a number of supplementary awards for bursary award-holders to further support entrants who are also from one or more of the following priority groups:

• Declared care leavers
• Currently living at an accredited Foyer or who have moved out of an accredited Foyer in the past 12 months
• In receipt of the increased loan for living costs.

If you are on a 4 year course, the extra supplementary amounts will be prorated.

The total individual bursary awards for eligible undergraduate entrants are: 

As part of the scheme we will also provide a number of individual bursary awards for undergraduate entrants where their declared household residual income is below £42,875 per annum for the above priority groups if their home postcode is not within the POLAR4 low participation neighbourhoods.

Please note: there is no application to be completed and submitted to Bath Spa University for our bursaries if you apply for Student Finance and are income assessed.

To be considered for a Bath Spa University bursary, you must:

• Complete an "Application for Student Finance" for the academic year, making sure you apply for the full package of means-tested support available and supply all evidence requested. You can find full details from Student Finance.
• Your household income figure will then be automatically sent to the University and used to assess your eligibility for a bursary (consent to share).
• Register with Bath Spa University for the academic year.

If you are successful we will notify you via email by the end of October (if you start in September).

The bursary will be paid in three instalments within each academic year, the approximate payment dates are:

• Payment 1 will be paid in November
• Payment 2 will be paid in February
• Payment 3 will be paid in May.

The above dates are for September starters only, your payment dates will be different depending on when you commence your study. 

The first payment is usually made two to three months after the start date of your course. Then, the remaining payments should correspond with the second and third payments of your student maintenance loan.

Payments cannot usually be made before these dates as they also correspond with the tuition fee liability dates. Also the three instalments may not be equal, please refer to the email you will receive to confirm the payment amounts.

We cannot pay your Bursary unless you provide your bank details via The Hub as explained in the email you will receive to confirm the payment amounts. If you do not respond within our specified timeframe then we will assume you do not require the Bursary.

Students can request their bursary as a fee waiver.

This Undergraduate Award Scheme is part of Bath Spa University’s Access Agreement with the government and is aimed at widening access to degree courses by removing financial barriers to education for students from under-represented groups.

There is no application to be completed and submitted to Bath Spa University for our bursaries if you apply for Student Finance and are income assessed.

Bath Spa University is providing awards worth up to £4,000 each, split over three years, to eligible new first year students in 2022/23, who do not hold a first degree or higher qualification.

Students must have a home address in an area of low higher education participation based on POLAR4 or Adult HE (Quintile 1 and 2) as determined by the Office for Students.

The bursary is a cash award based on income.  In years 2 and 3, the continuation of the award under this scheme will be subject to a student continuing to fulfil the eligibility criteria, including the residual household income thresholds, at the start of each academic year. Students who repeat a year will not be entitled to a Bath Spa University Bursary Scheme award in that year.

If requested students may arrange to take their award as a fee waiver. The above yearly amounts are for students on 3 year courses. If you are on a 4 year course, the amounts will be prorated.

Students must be assessed for an award in their first year of study (foundation year if applicable) and this includes any eligible students who were not automatically selected. Students must then also continue to meet the eligibility criteria during subsequent years of study in order to receive payments after their first year of study. The criteria is all of the following:

• Immediately before they started their study, students must live in an area of low higher education participation based on POLAR4 or Adult HE (Quintile 1 and 2) as determined by the Office for Students
• Household income assessed and evidenced by Student Finance as below £15,000, £25,000 or £42,875 when first enrolled on the course
• Domiciled in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland
• You must be a first time undergraduate in the first year (including foundation year) of study
• Do not hold a first degree or higher qualification.

Part-time students, if eligible, will receive a bursary award that is proportional to their intensity of study.

You will NOT be eligible for the award if:

• You're a student from the EU or an international student
• You have any formal sponsorship agreement with anyone other than Student Finance
• You do not have a full tuition fee loan within 2 months of starting the course, unless you have paid your tuition fees already
• You're transferring course, transferring institution or restarting a course.

Bursary supplement for priority groups In each year of study we will provide a number of supplementary awards for bursary award-holders to further support entrants who are also from one or more of the following priority groups:

• Declared care leavers
• Currently living at an accredited Foyer or who have moved out of an accredited Foyer in the past 12 months
• In receipt of the increased loan for living costs.

If you are on a 4 year course, the extra supplementary amounts will be prorated.

The total individual bursary awards for eligible undergraduate entrants are: 

As part of the scheme we will also provide a number of individual bursary awards for undergraduate entrants where their declared household residual income is below £42,875 per annum for the above priority groups if their home postcode is not within the POLAR4 low participation neighbourhoods.

Please note: there is no application to be completed and submitted to Bath Spa University for our bursaries if you apply for Student Finance and are income assessed.

To be considered for a Bath Spa University bursary, you must:

• Complete an "Application for Student Finance" for the academic year, making sure you apply for the full package of means-tested support available and supply all evidence requested. You can find full details from Student Finance.
• Your household income figure will then be automatically sent to the University and used to assess your eligibility for a bursary (consent to share).
• Register with Bath Spa University for the academic year.

If you are successful we will notify you via email by the end of October (if you start in September).

The bursary will be paid in three instalments within each academic year, the approximate payment dates are:

• Payment 1 will be paid on 11 November
• Payment 2 will be paid on 10 February
• Payment 3 will be paid on 12 May.

The above dates are for September starters only, your payment dates will be different depending on when you commence your study. 

The first payment is usually made two to three months after the start date of your course. Then, the remaining payments should correspond with the second and third payments of your student maintenance loan.

Payments cannot usually be made before these dates as they also correspond with the tuition fee liability dates. Also the three instalments may not be equal, please refer to the email you will receive to confirm the payment amounts.

We cannot pay your Bursary unless you provide your bank details via The Hub as explained in the email you will receive to confirm the payment amounts. If you do not respond within our specified timeframe then we will assume you do not require the Bursary.

Students can request their bursary as a fee waiver.

This Undergraduate Award Scheme is part of Bath Spa University’s Access Agreement with the government and is aimed at widening access to degree courses by removing financial barriers to education for students from under-represented groups.

There is no application to be completed and submitted to Bath Spa University for our bursaries if you apply for Student Finance and are income assessed.

Bath Spa University is providing awards worth up to £4,000 each, split over three years, to eligible new first year students in 2021/22, who do not hold a first degree or higher qualification.

Students must have a home address in an area of low higher education participation based on POLAR4 or Adult HE (Quintile 1 and 2) as determined by the Office for Students.

The bursary is a cash award based on income.  In years 2 and 3, the continuation of the award under this scheme will be subject to a student continuing to fulfil the eligibility criteria, including the residual household income thresholds, at the start of each academic year. Students who repeat a year will not be entitled to a Bath Spa University Bursary Scheme award in that year.

If requested students may arrange to take their award as a fee waiver. The above yearly amounts are for students on 3 year courses. If you are on a 4 year course, the amounts will be prorated.

Students must be assessed for an award in their first year of study (foundation year if applicable) and this includes any eligible students who were not automatically selected. Students must then also continue to meet the eligibility criteria during subsequent years of study in order to receive payments after their first year of study. The criteria is all of the following:

• Immediately before they started their study, students must live in an area of low higher education participation based on POLAR4 or Adult HE (Quintile 1 and 2) as determined by the Office for Students
• Household income assessed and evidenced by Student Finance as below £15,000, £25,000 or £42,875 when first enrolled on the course
• Domiciled in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland
• You must be a first time undergraduate in the first year (including foundation year) of study
• Do not hold a first degree or higher qualification.

Part-time students, if eligible, will receive a bursary award that is proportional to their intensity of study.

You will NOT be eligible for the award if:

• You're a student from the EU or an international student
• You have any formal sponsorship agreement with anyone other than Student Finance
• You do not have a full tuition fee loan, within 2 months of starting the course, unless you have paid your tuition fees already
• You're transferring course, transferring institution or restarting a course.

Bursary supplement for priority groups In each year of study we will provide a number of supplementary awards for bursary award-holders to further support entrants who are also from one or more of the following priority groups:

• Declared care leavers
• Currently living at an accredited Foyer or who have moved out of an accredited Foyer in the past 12 months
• In receipt of the increased loan for living costs.

If you are on a 4 year course, the extra supplementary amounts will be prorated.

The total individual bursary awards for eligible undergraduate entrants are: 

As part of the scheme we will also provide a number of individual bursary awards for undergraduate entrants where their declared household residual income is below £42,875 per annum for the above priority groups if their home postcode is not within the POLAR4 low participation neighbourhoods.

Please note: there is no application to be completed and submitted to Bath Spa University for our bursaries if you apply for Student Finance and are income assessed.

To be considered for a Bath Spa University bursary, you must:

• Complete an "Application for Student Finance" for the academic year, making sure you apply for the full package of means-tested support available and supply all evidence requested. You can find full details from Student Finance.
• Your household income figure will then be automatically sent to the University and used to assess your eligibility for a bursary (consent to share).
• Register with Bath Spa University for the academic year.

If you are successful we will notify you via email by the end of October (if you start in September).

The bursary will be paid in three instalments within each academic year, the approximate payment dates are:

• Payment 1 will be paid on 12 November
• Payment 2 will be paid on 11 February
• Payment 3 will be paid on 13 May.

The above dates are for September starters only, your payment dates will be different depending on when you commence your study. 

The first payment is usually made two months after the start date of your course. Then, the remaining payments should correspond with the second and third payments of your student maintenance loan.

Payments cannot usually be made before these dates as they also correspond with the tuition fee liability dates. Also the three instalments may not be equal, please refer to the email you will receive to confirm the payment amounts.

We cannot pay your Bursary unless you provide your bank details via The Hub as explained in the email you will receive to confirm the payment amounts. If you do not respond within our specified timeframe then we will assume you do not require the Bursary.

Students can request their bursary as a fee waiver.