University of Bristol Bursary for 2006/07 or 2007/08 entrants

The University of Bristol Bursary, (including the Local Bursary) was introduced as part of the University's agreement with the Office for Fair Access (OFFA), and forms the main element of additional financial support for undergraduate students starting at the University of Bristol from October 2006.

The University's Access Agreement refers to a bursary package at two levels available to all students who started their studies in 2006/07 or 2007/08 and who are in receipt of the Government maintenance grant:

In addition, the Access Agreement refers to the following bursary:

Back to top of page

Terms and Conditions

Eligibility

1. New UK undergraduate students who started in 2006/07 or 2007/08 and who are eligible for 'home' fees.

2. The University of Bristol Bursary (including the Local Bursary) for the academic year 2011/12will be paid to eligible students who apply for funding from their Local Authority by 25 May 2012.

Full Bursary eligibility

3. Students in receipt of the full Government maintenance or special support grant; in 2011/12 this is defined as those students with a household income of £18,360 per annum or less.

Partial Bursary eligibility

4. Students in receipt of the partial Government maintenance or special support grant; in 2011/12 this is defined as those students whose household income is between £18,361 and £39,333 per annum.

Local Bursary eligibility

5. Students who were identified as living in either the BA or BS postal code area at the time of UCAS application, and who are in receipt of any level of Government maintenance or special support grant.

Application process

6. No student needs to submit an application form for any bursary.

7. The University will receive the information relating to a student's household income via the Student Loans Company (SLC) and will use this to assess the entitlement to a bursary and to make awards accordingly.

Value of Award

8. In 2011/12, the full University of Bristol Bursary is valued at £1,130, plus a free sports pass. If a student chooses not to take advantage of the free sports pass, they will not receive a cash alternative.

9. In 2011/12, the partial University of Bristol Bursary is valued at £675, plus a free sports pass. If a student chooses not to take advantage of the free sports pass, they will not receive a cash alternative.

10. In 2011/12, the Local Bursary is valued at £1,130, regardless of the value of the University of Bristol Bursary for which the student is entitled.

11. The University will review the value of the University of Bristol Bursary from time to time.

Notification and Payment of Award

12. During the Autumn Term, students will receive e-mail correspondence from the Student Funding Office (SFO) confirming their bursary entitlement, provided your household income information has been received from the SLC.

13. Payments will be made directly into a student's bank account using the BACS process.

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

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

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

17. If a student's entitlement to the Government's maintenance or special support grant changes, the level of bursary 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 bursary level. However, if a student has already received more than the total value of the partial bursary from their previous instalments, no further payments will be made for that academic year.

18. Withdrawing 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.

19. 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.

20. 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.

21. Students who have agreement from their Faculty to temporarily suspend their studies, and who can provide written confirmation from their Local Authority that they are still entitled to receive their maintenance grant whilst temporarily absent from their programme, will be entitled to receive a University of Bristol Bursary.

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

To note:

23. PGCE students are eligible for the University of Bristol Bursary package, however they are not eligible for the Local Bursary.

24. Students from Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, with a fee status of Home UK are eligible for the University of Bristol Bursary package, based on the household income levels in points 3 and 4.

Back to top of page

Frequently Asked Questions

The following information relates to Home UK students who entered Higher Education for the first time in 2006/07 or 2007/08 and who are being charged £3,375 tuition fees.

University of Bristol Bursaries

Further Questions

University of Bristol Bursaries

How do I know if I am eligible for the University of Bristol Bursary?

Full-time Home UK students on undergraduate programmes who receive a Government maintenance (or special support) grant and whose household income is £39,333 or below will be eligible for a University of Bristol Bursary.

How much is it worth?

Those students with a household income of £18,360 or less, and in receipt of the full maintenance grant (or special support grant) will be entitled to receive the full University of Bristol Bursary worth £1,130.

Those students with a household income of between £18,361 and £39,333, and in receipt of a Government maintenance (or special support) grant will be entitled to receive a partial University of Bristol Bursary worth £675.

These are cash bursaries paid each year to assist with living expenses and course costs (students should refer to their programme/faculty handbook for further details).

Am I entitled to a free sports pass?

An optional free sports pass is available to 2006/07 and 2007/08 entrants only. It is available for students who are eligible for the full or partial University of Bristol Bursary.  If you have pre-paid for a sports pass you will be entitled to a refund for this academic year from the sports centre. Please see sports centre staff in this instance.

If you decide not to take up a sports pass then you are not entitled to receive a cash alternative.

I have also heard about a Local Bursary, what is this?

As with the main University of Bristol Bursary, the Local Bursary is available to full-time, home UK students on undergraduate programmes resident in BA/BS postal code areas at the time of their UCAS application. Students must have a household income of £39,333 or less and be in receipt of either the full or partial maintenance grant or special support grant. This is a cash bursary of £1,130 paid each year.

Is there a deadline date to claim my 2010/12 University of Bristol Bursary?

Yes. Students must have claimed their University of Bristol Bursary and their Local Bursary (if applicable) by 22 June 2012.

Who are Student Finance England?

Student Finance England is a partnership between the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Student Loans Company to provide financial support to students entering Higher Education in the UK on behalf of the UK government.

Do I need to complete a separate application form to apply for these bursaries?

No. Student Finance England (SFE) assesses your entitlement to a maintenance grant or special support grant using details of your household income provided on your application for student funding, called the PR1 form, (if you do not live in England, please see the section regarding 'is it too late to give consent to share' for contact details). As long as you have given your consent to share this information, SFE will then provide confirmation electronically to the University of Bristol of your household income.

Yes. If you do not provide Student Finance England with your consent to share this information, the University of Bristol will not know the level of your household income and whether you qualify for a maintenance or special support grant and will not, therefore, be able to award you a bursary.

The declaration pages on the PR1 form have a consent to share question asking if you and your parents/sponsors wish to give consent to share details of the household income with the institution. If you do not tick these boxes, then you have given your consent to share and the University of Bristol will receive this information electronically from Student Finance England.

No, it isn't too late, but you and your parent/sponsor(s) must call the appropriate number. Consent can be given at any time during the year.

What will happen once the University of Bristol receives details of my household income and my entitlement to a maintenance grant or special support grant from SFE?

You will be e-mailed as soon as possible in the first few weeks of term to confirm your bursary award. If you have applied late for statutory support or have given your consent to share your information late, the notification of your award will be delayed.

How will the Bursary be paid?

The Bursary will be paid directly into your bank account via a Bank Automated Credit (BACS) payment.

How do I give the University of Bristol my bank details?

You need to visit the University of Bristol's secure Student Info web page and supply accurate bank account and sort code details. This will enable the University of Bristol to pay the bursary into your nominated account.

When will I receive payment of my University of Bristol Bursary/Bursaries?

The Bursary will be paid in three instalments in December, March and May provided you are still registered on your course at the time of payment.

If you also qualify for the £1,130 Local Bursary, this will also be split into three instalments and paid at the same time as your other bursary payments.

 

Further questions

If you decide to intercalate, your NHS funding will start earlier in your programme and, as a result, your University of Bristol bursary entitlement will also cease earlier. For further information, please read our advice on intercalation for students on NHS funded programmes, depending on whether you are undertaking the medicine or dentistry programme.

If my household income is less than £39,333 and I qualify for a maintenance grant or special support grant and I only give my consent to share part-way through the academic year, will this affect payment of my University of Bristol bursary?

The University of Bristol Bursary will still be paid in full, but later than the majority of students who gave their consent to share at the outset.

I have not yet applied for statutory support from Student Finance England. How can I find out if I might qualify for a maintenance grant or special support grant and is it too late to apply?

No, it is not too late – but apply now!

You can actually apply for statutory support up to nine months after the start of your academic year. However, each year you should apply as early as possible to ensure that your funding is in place for the start of the academic year.

You should contact SFE establish whether you might be eligible for the maintenance grant or special support grant.

Will a late application to Student Finance England for statutory support affect my entitlement for a bursary from the University of Bristol?

No. Provided your household income is £39,333 or less and you qualify for a maintenance grant or special support grant and you give your consent for Student Finance England to share this information, the University of Bristol will still pay you a bursary. However, your payments will be delayed, so apply as soon as you can.

What happens if I supply you with incorrect bank details?

Please ensure you supply an accurate bank account number and sort code in the first instance. If you supply incorrect bank details or change banks without updating Student Info, your bursary payment will fail.

If the payment fails, we will e-mail you as soon as possible to confirm the reason why. If you supply incorrect bank details, we may have to pay the first bursary instalment by cheque instead of by BACS, until we receive your correct bank details.

Back to top of page

Information on potential financial support available

The following provides information for continuing students in 2011/12.

Students in Receipt of the Maintenance Grant

The following table indicates the potential financial help available to continuing 'new style' undergraduate students who commenced their studies in 2006 or 2007, and who received a maintenance grant in previous years and/or expects to receive one in the 2011/12 academic year.

The potential total financial help available to continuing undergraduate students
Household Income Maintenance Grant Maintenance Loan (max £4,745) (*) Government Total UoB Bursary (**) UoB Local Bursary (#) Potential UoB Total Potential Total Help Available
£18,360 or less £2,906 £3,453 £6,359 £1,130 £1,130 £2,260 £8,619
£20,000 £2,627 £3,453 £6,080 £675 £1,130 £1,805 £7,885
£25,000 £1,773 £3,453 £5,226 £675 £1,130 £1,805 £7,031
£27,819 £1,292 £3,453 £4,745 £675 £1,130 £1,805 £6,550
£30,000 £1,057 £3,688 £4,745 £675 £1,130 £1,805 £6,550
£35,000 £518 £4,227 £4,745 £675 £1,130 £1,805 £6,550
£39,333 £50 £4,695 £4,745 £675 £1,130 £1,805 £6,550
£39,796 £0 £4,745 £4,745 £0 £0 £0 £4,745
£40,000 £0 £4,723 £4,723 £0 £0 £0 £4,723
£45,000 £0 £4,184 £4,184 £0 £0 £0 £4,184
£50,791 £0 £3,559 (+) £3,559 £0 £0 £0 £3,559

(*) Where students are eligible for more than £1,292 of grant, the amount of loan for which they are eligible will be reduced by £1,292.

(**) Please note, these figures do not include the optional sports pass element of the bursary, which is notionally valued at £200. If you decide not to take up a sports pass, then you are not entitled to receive a cash alternative.

(+) is the point at which the 75% non means tested element of the loan is reached.

(#) The University of Bristol Local Bursary is paid to students from the BA/BS postcode areas at the time of their UCAS application and who are in receipt of the University of Bristol Bursary and Government Maintenance Grant.

A student whose income is £39,333 will be eligible for the minimum grant of £50. A student whose income exceeds £39,333 will not be eligible for any grant.

For income between £18,361 and £27,819, the grant is reduced by £1 for every complete £5.86 by which the income exceeds £18,360. For income between £27,820 and £39,333, the grant is reduced by £1 for every complete £9.27 by which the income exceeds £27,819.

Students in receipt of the Special Support Grant

UK students who have an underlying entitlement to means-tested benefits such as Income Support and Housing Benefit are eligible for a Special Support Grant of up to £2,906 a year. This will generally be lone parents, other student parents if they have a partner who is a student, and students with disabilities.

The following table indicates the potential financial help available to continuing 'new style' undergraduate students who commenced their studies in 2006 or 2007, and who may be eligible for the Special Support Grant.

The potential total financial help available to continuing undergraduate students
Household Income Special Support Grant Maintenance Loan (max £4,745) Government Total UoB Bursary (**) UoB Local Bursary (#) Potential UoB Total Potential Total Help Available
£18,360 or less £2,906 £4,745 £7,651 £1,130 £1,130 £2,260 £9,911
£20,000 £2,627 £4,745 £7,372 £675 £1,130 £1,805 £9,117
£25,000 £1,773 £4,745 £6,518 £675 £1,130 £1,805 £8,323
£27,819 £1,292 £4,745 £6,037 £675 £1,130 £1,805 £7,842
£30,000 £1,057 £4,745 £5,802 £675 £1,130 £1,805 £7,607
£35,000 £518 £4,745 £5,263 £675 £1,130 £1,805 £7,068
£39,333 £50 £4,745 £4,795 £675 £1,130 £1,805 £6,600
£39,796 £0 £4,745 £4,745 £0 £0 £0 £4,745
£40,000 £0 £4,723 £4,723 £0 £0 £0 £4,723
£45,000 £0 £4,184 £4,184 £0 £0 £0 £4,184
£50,791 £0 £3,559 (+) £3,559 £0 £0 £0 £3,559

(**) Please note, these figures do not include the optional sports pass element of the bursary, which is notionally valued at £200. If you decide not to take up a sports pass, then you are not entitled to receive the sports pass as a cash alternative.

(+) is the point at which the 75% non means tested element of the loan is reached.

(#) The University of Bristol Local Bursary is paid to students from the BA/BS postcode areas at the time of their UCAS application and who are in receipt of the University of Bristol Bursary and Special Support Grant.

A student whose income is £39,333 will be eligible for the minimum special support grant of £50. A student whose income exceeds £39,333 will not be eligible for any grant.

For income between £18,361 and £27,819, the special support grant is reduced by £1 for every complete £5.86 by which the income exceeds £18,360. For income between £27,820 and £39,333, the special support grant is reduced by £1 for every complete £9.27 by which the income exceeds £27,820.

Back to top of page