UWE Bursary

The UWE Bristol Bursary provides financial support to eligible undergraduate students each academic year. You do not need to repay this funding.

We offer bursaries to both new and continuing students, provided you meet the eligibility criteria for your year of entry. The exact offer can vary slightly from year to year, so it’s important to check the information that applies to when you started your course at UWE Bristol.

If you started in September 2020 or later

If you began your studies from September 2020 onwards, you may be eligible for one of the following bursaries:

• Low Income Bursary (£500) – assessed in each academic year against the eligibility criteria. You may become eligible for the bursary in later years of your course or no longer qualify if your situation changes.
• UWE Childcare Bursary (£1,650) – students must meet the bursary eligibility criteria and receive the Childcare Grant from Student Finance for the current academic year. To be considered, email a copy of your Childcare Grant Award Notification Letter from Student Finance to uwe.bursary@uwe.ac.uk.
• UWE Cares Bursary (£1,650) – find further details at UWE Cares.

If you started between September 2012 and February 2019

If you began your course between September 2012 and February 2019 and you received a UWE Bursary in your first year, you will continue to receive it in subsequent years of study. For more information, visit Progression Bursary.

You are eligible for the UWE Bursary if you:

• are entitled to student finance from a UK funding body (Student Finance England, Student Finance Wales, Student Awards Agency Scotland or Student Finance NI) 
• have a household income of £25,000 or less as assessed by the Student Loans Company
• do not already hold a higher education qualification, such as a CertHE, Foundation Degree or HND, except if you are registering on a previously NHS-funded course
• are studying on a qualifying undergraduate course.  

You will only receive one bursary, even if you meet more than one set of criteria.

You will not be eligible for a UWE Bursary if you are:

• studying a postgraduate course, including PGCE
• studying fewer than 30 credits in an academic year
• registered on a continuing professional development (CPD) course
• have a household income above £25,000
• not fully enrolled on your course.

If you are a postgraduate student experiencing financial difficulties, you may be able to access other support funds or you can get advice from the Student Money Service.

You do not need to apply for most of the UWE Bursaries. If you accept an offer for the academic year 2026/27 and you meet the eligibility criteria, you will be automatically assessed using information from Student Finance.

To make sure you can be considered, you need to:

• apply for student finance each year
• give consent for your household income information to be shared with UWE Bristol.

If you continue to meet the eligibility criteria then you will continue to get paid in subsequent years of study, however:

• if you fail to meet the eligibility criteria, you will no longer be eligible to receive a bursary
• payment will stop if you are no longer registered on an undergraduate course.

We assess students during the first term of the academic year. If your household income changes, you can request a current year assessment through Student Finance so that your funding and bursary eligibility can be reviewed. 

Bursaries are paid via Student Finance and take place once registration checks are completed.  

You will not receive a separate confirmation from UWE Bristol, so please check your Student Finance account portal for updates and make sure your bank details are up to date.

2026/27 academic year

Low income bursary

The £500 bursary is paid in one instalment:

• 15 February 2027 (September starters)
• 14 June 2027 (January/February starters)

UWE Childcare Bursary and UWE Cares Bursary

The £1,650 bursary is paid in three instalments.

September 2026 starters:

• 16 November 2026
• 15 February 2027
• 17 May 2027

January/February 2027 starters:

• 15 March 2027
• 14 June 2027
• 23 August 2027

Payments will stop if you no longer meet the eligibility criteria or are no longer registered on your course.

For the 2026/27 academic year, UWE Bristol will provide bursaries through the Bursary Administration Service (BAS). The BAS uses confirmed 2024/25 household income figures assessed by Student Finance and shared with UWE Bristol (with your consent).  

If your household income has reduced since 2024/25, you should request a 'current year assessment' through Student Finance to increase your funding and so that you are considered for the UWE Bursary. Applying for student finance as early as possible will help avoid delays to any bursary payments.

For further information about household income, please visit Student Finance.

If you have any questions, email the Bursary Team at uwe.bursary@uwe.ac.uk, using your UWE Bristol email address. Please include your student number in all correspondence.

We are only able to discuss your details directly with you unless we have your consent to speak to someone else on your behalf.