University bursary for care leavers
How to apply to the University of Sheffield bursary available to care leavers.
Eligibility
To be considered for the enhanced bursary, you must
- be a care leaver (see our definition)
- be under the age of 25 on the first day of your course
- be registered on a full-time or part-time course
- meet the eligibility requirements of Student Finance England or equivalent funding body (undergraduate students only)
- have been assessed as independent by Student Finance England or equivalent funding body (undergraduate students only)
You are not considered to be a care leaver if you
- have been adopted
- are under a private foster agreement
- are no longer under a care order as per the Leaving Care Act
If you are estranged from your family or guardian, see our guidance for estranged students.
Undergraduate students
This award is instead of the University of Sheffield Bursary Scheme. The money is yours to keep, it is non-repayable and it won’t affect your student finance.
The year you started your course will determine which bursary scheme you are eligible for. Click on your year of entry below for more information:
- 2023 - 2024 entry
-
For students who start their course between September 2023 and September 2024, the bursary award, per level of study, is
- up to £10,000 for full-time students – see the table below for how the award will be paid
- up to £5,000 for DLL part-time students – paid in four instalments per year of study
If you're a full-time student, the way your award is paid will depend on where you choose to live:
Accommodation
Bursary award per year
University of Sheffield accommodation
£4,500 bursary (paid in two instalments), accommodation fees paid by the University
Private accommodation
£10,000 bursary (paid in four instalments)
Unite accommodation scholarship winners
£10,000 bursary (paid in four instalments), accommodation funded by the scholarship award
University of Sheffield accommodation consists of a single en-suite room in University accommodation. Contracts last 52 weeks. There is no cash alternative available if you choose to take a shorter accommodation contact.
If you have specific needs for accommodation that may increase the cost, contact the Fees and Funding team to discuss this.
- 2020 - 2022 entry
-
For students who start their course between September 2020 and September 2022, the bursary award, per level of study, is
- up to £10,000 for full-time students – see the table below for how the award will be paid
- up to £5,000 for Department of Lifelong Learning part-time students – paid in four instalments per year of study
If you're a full-time student, the way your award is paid will depend on where you choose to live:
Accommodation Bursary award per year University of Sheffield accommodation £4,500 bursary (paid in two instalments), accommodation fees paid by the University Private accommodation £10,000 bursary (paid in four instalments) Catalyst and Unite accommodation scholarship winners £4,500 bursary (paid in two instalments), accommodation funded by the scholarship award University of Sheffield accommodation consists of a single ensuite room in University accommodation. Contracts last 52 weeks. There is no cash alternative available if you choose to take a shorter accommodation contact.
If you have specific needs for accommodation that may increase the cost, contact the Fees and Funding team to discuss this.
- 2015 - 2019 entry
-
If you started your course between September 2015 and September 2019, the bursary award per level of study is
- £4,500 for full-time students
- £2,250 for Department of Lifelong Learning part-time students
- 2012–14 entry
-
If you started your course between September 2012 and September 2014 and you're a full-time student, the bursary award per level of study is £1,600.
Postgraduate students
If you are studying a postgraduate course, you are eligible to apply for an Enhanced Financial Support Award to support your additional costs.
For students who started their course between September 2020 and September 2023 the bursary award, per level of study, is £3,000 for full-time study (£1,500 for part-time study).
For students who started their course between September 2016 and September 2019 the bursary award, per level of full-time study, is £2,000.
For students who started their course from September 2015 the bursary award, per level of full-time study, is £1,600.
Where you are studying by distance learning you will not be eligible for a bursary. If you are facing financial difficulties, we recommend applying for financial support (student login required).
You do not need to provide any additional evidence if you studied your undergraduate degree with us and received the Care Leaver’s Bursary.
How to apply
You will need to complete an application form.
This will involve providing some details about your personal circumstances and relevant documentation to support your application, ie evidence confirming that you are a care leaver.
You will need to provide evidence confirming your care leaver status and (if an undergraduate) a letter or email from the Student Loans Company confirming your independent assessment (if you have had your assessment completed).
Your evidence confirming your care leaver status can be a copy of the evidence that you are using or have used to apply for your student finance, for example:
- A letter from your local authority
- A letter from social services
- Proof of legal guardianship, such as a court order
- A letter from a professional who is aware of the nature of your situation and living arrangements (eg your GP or headteacher)
If you do not provide the relevant documentation, we will not be able to progress your application.
Enhanced Support for Care Leavers application form
You will receive a response within 15 working days of submitting your completed application.
We will not share your personal circumstances or a copy of any of the evidence that you submit as part of your application. However, if we feel that you may benefit from support offered by other University services, then we may ask them to contact you directly.
Contact the Funding team if you are having difficulty obtaining evidence, or if you have any accessibility concerns or issues submitting the form.
You may also wish to speak with an adviser from the Student Advice Centre if you require any additional support.
Contact the Student Advice Centre
Terms and conditions
- Exact payment dates will be confirmed in your bursary confirmation email.
- Your bursary is non-repayable and will not affect your student finance.
- Bursaries must be assessed and paid within the academic year and cannot be backdated for previous years.
- Your bursary will be paid as a direct payment into your bank account to help with your study costs.
- Where you withdraw from your course, you may need to repay a percentage of your bursary that you received in that academic year. Please contact the Fees and Funding team for guidance.
- Where you take a leave of absence during the year, you will not be eligible to receive any further instalments due to be paid.