2012 Entry onwards University of Bristol Bursary

UK undergraduate students starting a course from 2012 onwards and who are eligible for a tuition fee waiver, which reduces the amount of fees they are required to pay, can opt to have £2,000 of the fee waiver paid directly to themselves as a non-repayable bursary.

This is known as the University of Bristol Bursary, and gives students the option to use the money for living costs rather than tuition fees.

It is paid directly into a student’s bank account in three instalments. Opting for the £2,000 bursary will reduce the amount of tuition fees that are waived.

Examples of how the tuition fee waiver is affected if a student chooses to take the Bursary are explained below.

Please note, students requesting a tuition fee loan should still request the full £9,000 as the fee waiver will only be applied once a student is registered at Bristol.

Students whose residual household income is £15,000 or below and in receipt of a living cost grant from Student Finance:

Original tuition fee amount £9000
Student is eligible for a £5,500 tuition fee waiver
Student decides to take the £2,000 bursary, which reduces the fee waiver to £3,500
Student liable for £5,500 tuition fees and receives the £2,000 cash bursary

Students whose residual household income is between £15,001 and £20,000, and who receive a maintenance grant from Student Finance:

Original tuition fee amount £9000
Student is eligible for a £4,500 tuition fee waiver
Student decides to take the £2,000 bursary, which reduces the fee waiver to £2,500
Student liable for £6,500 tuition fees and receives the £2,000 cash bursary

Students whose residual household income is between £20,001 and £25,000 and who receive a maintenance grant from Student Finance:

Original tuition fee amount £9,000
Student is eligible for a £3,000 tuition fee waiver
Student decides to take the £2,000 bursary, which reduces the fee waiver to £1000
Student liable for £8,000 tuition fees and receives the £2,000 cash bursary

Please Note:

Students from Wales are eligible for a non means-tested tuition fee grant of £5,535 from Student Finance Wales, which reduces their tuition fee liability to £3,465. Therefore students from Wales will not be eligible to receive a tuition fee waiver or bursary support from the University of Bristol. Students from Wales can apply for the non means-tested tuition fee loan to cover the remainder of their tuition fees.

EU students who are eligible for a fee waiver are not eligible to convert part of their tuition fee waiver into a bursary.

Terms and conditions

Eligibility

1. New UK undergraduate students (but not those domiciled in Wales) who started at the University of Bristol in 2012 and being charged 'home' fees.

2. EU students are eligible for the tuition fee waiver element of the award only.

3. The three tiers of eligibility are split out as follows:

Full (upper tier) Award Eligibility
Partial (middle tier) Award Eligibility
Partial (lower tier) Award Eligibility

Application process

4. No student needs to submit an application form for any award.

5. The University will receive the information relating to a student's household income from the Student Loans Company, and will use this to assess the entitlement to a tuition fee waiver and to make awards accordingly.

Value of award

6. In 2013/14, the full (upper tier) University of Bristol Award is valued at a fee waiver of £5,500, or a reduced fee waiver of £3,500 and a living cost bursary of £2,000.

7.In 2013/14, the partial (middle tier) University of Bristol Award is valued at a fee waiver of £4,500, or a reduced fee waiver of £2,500 and a living cost bursary of £2,000.

8. In 2013/14, the partial (lower tier) University of Bristol Award is valued at a fee waiver of £3,000, or a reduced fee waiver of £1,000 and a living cost bursary of £2,000.

9. The University will review the value of the University of Bristol Award from time to time.

Notification of award

10. During the Autumn Term, students will receive e-mail correspondence from the Student Funding Office (SFO) confirming their award entitlement, provided the Student Loans Company have supplied SFO with the necessary information to generate a fee waiver.

11. UK students will be asked if they wish to convert £2,000 of their award into a living cost bursary.

12. If they choose to do this, they cannot change their mind at a later date, although they will be asked this question each year they are eligible for an award.

Payment of award

13. The fee waiver element of the award will be offset direct against the student’s tuition fees.

14. Bursary payments will be made directly into a student's bank account using the BACS process.

15. No bursary payment will be made until after December 1st each year.

16. Students are required to provide the University with the correct bank details to ensure timely bursary payments.

17. The University reserves the right to use the March and May bursary instalments to offset any debt owed to it by the student.

Changes to your household income or government grant entitlement

18. Students are required to inform the SFO if they receive a re-assessment of their maintenance (or special support) grant entitlement.

19. If a student's entitlement to the Government's maintenance or special support grant changes, the level of award may also change. In the case of an award moving from the higher to the lower level, the University will not normally reclaim any overpayment. Any outstanding payments during the remaining academic year will be adjusted to the partial award level. However, if a student has already received more than the total value of the partial award from their previous instalments, no further payments will be made for that academic year.

20. If a student's entitlement to Government maintenance (or special support) grant ceases during the academic year, the University will not normally reclaim any previous payment, however no further payments will be made from the date of re-assessment of the maintenance or special support grant.

Changes to your course registration

21. Withdrawing/suspending students will not have to repay any bursary payment; as long as the student is in attendance on the date that bursary payments are made, they will receive their bursary instalment. If a student withdraws before the next bursary payment date, they will not receive further payments but the repayment of any previously paid instalments, will not be sought.

22. In the case of a withdrawing or suspending student, the fee waiver will be adjusted according to the withdrawal/suspension date and the amount of fees charged, taking into consideration the maximum loan for tuition fees the student can access.

23. Students repeating a year will not automatically be entitled to repeat bursary funding. However, if the student receives the Government maintenance (or special support) grant for their repeat year, then their entitlement to a bursary will continue. The fee waiver element of the award will not be payable in this instance as fees are not normally charged.

24. Students who have agreement from their Faculty to temporarily suspend their studies, and who can provide written confirmation from SFE that they are still entitled to receive their maintenance grant whilst temporarily absent from their programme, will be entitled to receive bursary element of the University of Bristol award.

Student Funding Office

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