About the Care Experienced and Estranged Bursary
This bursary has been introduced to provide additional financial support to students who are care experienced or estranged. This is a guaranteed bursary, meaning all students who meet the eligibility criteria will receive the funding.
You don't have to apply* for this bursary and you don't have to pay it back after you graduate. The funding is paid directly to your bank account in three instalments over the academic year for you to spend in any way you like to support your studies.
The amount you receive and the eligibility criteria for the bursary can differ based on your start date. For current students looking for specific details of their bursaries, please see the information below.
If you have any questions about this bursary or your eligibility, please contact us.
*Students may be contacted by the bursaries team to provide evidence confirming they meet the eligibility criteria.
Are you eligible?
Spent at least 3 months in care since age 14 or are estranged from your guardian(s)
Household income of less than £25,000 as assessed by student finance
Paying home fees for an undergraduate, PGCE, GEN or GEM course
Eligibility criteria explained
To receive the Care Experienced and Estranged Bursary in the 2022/23 academic year, you must:
- be registered on a full-time undergraduate degree course (or PGCE/Graduate Entry Nursing/1st year Graduate Entry Medicine) at Nottingham which you commenced in September 2022
- have a household income below £25,000 as assessed by Student Finance England
- be currently or have been in public care for a minimum period of three months, since their 14th Birthday; students who are under special guardianship or kinship care during this period may also qualify or students who have been granted independent status by Student Finance England due to estrangement
However, you will not receive the Care Experienced and Estranged Bursary if you are in receipt of:
- other University of Nottingham scholarships or bursaries (excluding the Core and Nottingham Potential Bursaries)
- the £5,000 NHS Learning Support Fund Training Grant
- an external sponsorship for your course, e.g. from industry/employers
- substantial financial support from your Local Authority (more than the minimum one-off bursary of £2,000)
- the NHSBSA Social Work Bursary
Exceptional circumstances will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Any award made on this basis will be at the discretion of the Financial Support Team.
How to claim your bursary
You don't need to apply* for the Care Experienced and Estranged Bursary. Students who meet the eligibility criteria will be automatically assessed based on the information provided to us by Student Finance.
If you believe you are eligible for the Care Experienced and Estranged Bursary and we have not contacted you by 18th November 2022, please contact us.
Once you have been assessed as eligible for the bursary, it will be paid directly to your bank account in three instalments over the academic year.
*Students may be contacted by the bursaries team to provide evidence confirming they meet the eligibility criteria.
What happens if my eligibility changes while at university?
Once you have been assessed as eligible, you will continue to receive the bursary, even if your current circumstances change.
If you believe your circumstances have changed while at university and you have become eligible based on the above criteria and we have not contacted you about this, please contact us.
Bursaries for current students
The amount of funding our students receive from the Care Experienced and Estranged Bursary, and the eligibility criteria, can change year on year. To find out how much funding you're entitled to receive and whether you're eligible, click on your start date below.
Prospective students starting September 2023 and beyond
Details of the Care Experienced and Estranged Bursary for the 2023/24 academic year and beyond are yet to be confirmed.
Please check back closer to your start date or email us for more information.
Students starting September 2022
Bursary value: £1000 per academic year
Eligibility criteria:
- Be registered on a full-time undergraduate degree course (or PGCE/GEN/ 1st year GEM) at Nottingham which you commenced in September 2022
- Have a household income below £25,000 as assessed by Student Finance England
- Be currently or have been in public care for a minimum period of three months, since their 14th Birthday; students who are under special guardianship or kinship care during this period may also qualify or students who have been granted independent status by Student Finance England due to estrangement
However, you will not receive the Care Experienced and Estranged Bursary if you are in receipt of:
- other UoN Scholarships or bursaries (excluding the Core and Nottingham Potential Bursaries)
- the £5,000 NHS Learning Support Fund Training Grant
- an external sponsorship for their course, e.g. from industry/employers
- substantial financial support from their Local Authority (more than the minimum one-off bursary of £2,000)
- the NHSBSA Social Work Bursary
Exceptional circumstances will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Any award made on this basis will be at the discretion of the Financial Support Team.
More funding options
Students who are eligible for the Care Experienced and Estranged Bursary may also be eligible for other types of funding.
View all scholarships and bursaries