Unlike student loans, education grants and bursaries never have to be paid back, yet many students never apply simply because they do not realise how many are available or assume the process is too complicated to bother with.
This guide explains the main types of non-repayable funding available to UK students, who typically qualifies, and how to actually find and apply for them.
Grants vs Bursaries vs Loans: What’s the Difference?
These terms are often used interchangeably, but understanding the distinction helps you know what you are actually applying for.
- Grants: Non-repayable funding typically awarded based on financial need, course subject, or specific personal circumstances.
- Bursaries: Also non-repayable, usually offered directly by universities and often based on household income, though some are merit-based or tied to specific circumstances such as being a care leaver.
- Hardship funds: Emergency, non-repayable cash from your university for unexpected financial difficulty during your course, not something you can plan for in advance.
- Loans: Must eventually be repaid, usually once your income rises above a set threshold after graduation.
In practice, it matters less what a specific fund is called and more whether it genuinely suits your circumstances.
Types of Education Grants Available
| Grant Type | Who Qualifies | Where to Apply |
|---|---|---|
| University bursaries | Students below a household income threshold | Automatically assessed via your Student Finance application, or directly through the university |
| Care leaver and estranged student bursaries | Students who have been in local authority care or are estranged from their family | University student support or welfare office |
| Subject-specific bursaries (NHS, teaching) | Students on nursing, midwifery, allied health, or teacher training courses | NHS Learning Support Fund or Department for Education bursary schemes |
| Disabled Students’ Allowance | Students with a disability, long-term health condition, or specific learning difficulty | Applied for alongside your student finance application |
| Charitable trust grants | Varies widely, often tied to hometown, parents’ profession, or subject area | UK Charity Commission database or Turn2us grants search tool |
| University hardship funds | Students facing unexpected financial difficulty during their course | University student support or welfare office |
How to Find Grants You Are Eligible For
- Consent to share your income data on your main Student Finance application, since this automatically flags you for many university bursaries without a separate application.
- Check your specific university’s bursary page directly, since schemes and eligibility thresholds vary considerably between institutions.
- Search charity and trust databases using keywords relevant to your hometown, your parents’ professions, or your degree subject, since many niche educational trusts offer relatively small but genuinely useful grants.
- Ask your university’s student support office directly about hardship funds and any less well-publicised funding, since these are not always prominently advertised.
Applying for a Grant or Bursary
Applications vary by fund, but most require some combination of:
- Evidence of household income or financial circumstances
- A short written statement explaining your situation and how the funding would help
- An academic reference, particularly for charitable trust applications
- A clear, honest budget showing your income and expected costs, especially for hardship fund applications
Charitable trusts in particular want to see specific detail about how their money will genuinely help you, so generic, vague applications tend to perform poorly compared to detailed, honest ones.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Assuming you will not qualify without checking, when eligibility criteria vary widely between funds
- Missing the consent step on your Student Finance application that automatically flags you for many university bursaries
- Only looking at university-run schemes and overlooking smaller charitable trust grants
- Treating a hardship fund as something to plan around in advance, when it exists specifically for unexpected circumstances
Frequently Asked Questions
Do education grants have to be paid back?
No. Grants, bursaries and hardship funds are non-repayable, unlike student loans, which must eventually be repaid once your income rises above a set threshold.
How do I know which university bursaries I might qualify for?
Consenting to share your household income on your main Student Finance application automatically flags you for many university bursaries, though it is still worth checking your specific university’s bursary page directly.
Can international students apply for UK education grants?
Eligibility varies significantly by fund, with many grants restricted to UK students, though some university scholarships and charitable trusts do accept international applicants, so it is worth checking individual eligibility criteria.
What is a hardship fund and how is it different from a grant?
A hardship fund provides emergency, non-repayable support for unexpected financial difficulty during your course, whereas most grants and bursaries are assessed and awarded before or at the start of your studies.
Non-repayable funding exists in far greater variety than most students realise, but it rarely finds you automatically. If you are also weighing up competitive, merit-based funding, our guide to UK scholarships covers that side of the funding landscape in detail.
