University bursary for student carers
Information on the University of Sheffield bursary for students with caring responsibilities and how to apply.
Undergraduate students
This award is instead of the Sheffield Bursary Scheme. The money is yours to keep, it's non-repayable and won't affect your student finance.
You must meet the eligibility criteria of Student Finance England (or equivalent funding body) and be registered on a full-time or part-time course to be assessed.
The year you started your course will determine which bursary scheme you are eligible for. Bursaries cannot be backdated for previous years.
2024 entry
For students who start their course from September 2024, the bursary award, per level of study, is
- Up to £4,500 for full-time students
- Up to £2,250 for Department of Lifelong Learning part-time students
2015–2023 entry
For students who start their course between September 2015 and September 2023, the bursary award, per level of study, is
- £4,500 for full-time students
- £2,250 for Department of Lifelong Learning part-time students
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.
If 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.
Financial support (Student login required)
If you studied your undergraduate degree with us and you received the Carer's Bursary, you may be asked to provide additional evidence to confirm your current responsibilities.
Alternative sources of postgraduate funding
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 recognised carer.
The evidence should be a supporting letter or statement on headed notepaper from a professional who is involved with your relative's care and is aware of your caring responsibilities. The documentation needs to confirm: the name of the person you care for and your relation, what your role is as a carer, how long you have been a carer, and an overview of your responsibilities.
Your evidence could be from:
- A carer support group
- Social services
- Your local authority
- Your relative's NHS or private support worker
You may be asked to provide additional evidence to confirm your circumstances during your course.
If you do not provide the relevant documentation, we will not be able to progress your application.
Enhanced Support for Students with Caring Responsibilities 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
- The exact payment dates will be confirmed in your bursary confirmation email.
- Your bursary is non-repayable and will not affect your student finance.
- Your bursary will be paid as a direct payment into your bank account to help with your study costs.
- If you withdraw from your course, you may have 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.
- Bursaries must be assessed and paid within the academic year and cannot be backdated for previous years.
- If you receive an enhanced bursary from the University we will contact you each year of your course to confirm you still meet the eligibility criteria. You may also need to provide evidence to confirm this.