Bursary Award Eligibility, Principles and Rules

Eligibility and target groups

We want all students joining the University of Huddersfield to succeed regardless of their circumstances and the challenges they may face. The scheme supports those students who are at greatest risk of not achieving good academic and career outcomes.

Qualifying Financial Support 

The financial and coaching support is aimed at supporting the achievement of agreed goals, good academic attainment and securing successful graduate opportunities (work or further study). Examples of eligible support may include:

Goal	Example Support
To fully engage in studies including access to online learning resources and preparation of high quality assessed work	£500 to acquire suitable laptop.
To fully engage in studies and access learning resources.	£250 to access essential learning materials (core texts, equipment, desk space at home)
Attend campus learning sessions and study in library on regular basis.	£250 to purchase termly travel card or contribute to travel costs
To participate in academic conference or symposia.	£250 to attend academic conference supporting, travel, registration, and time away from work to attend and write up paper.
To engage in extra curricula activities that would otherwise be unaffordable.	£250 to join sports club, attend extra additional field trip, visit potential employer/industry trip. Engage in international study trip
To engage in dissertation research remote from Huddersfield.	£500 to enhance dissertation research and meet travel costs
To improve academic marks and performance to secure a 2:1 or 1st.	£500 financial support to reducing paid work hours around assessment, exam, or dissertation periods in final or penultimate year of study
To secure a Graduate job after completing undergraduate studies.	£500 interview bursary to attend recruitment activities and acquire work attire and preparation for interview
To recognise and reward exceptional year two- and final-year performance.	A £250 performance bursary for eligible students achieving a 2:1 in year 2 or final year of studies    A £500 bursary for eligible students achieving a 1st in year 2 or final year of studies
To alleviate student hardship after exhaustion of student hardship awards	Up to £500 additional support to attend to student hardship and enable student to sustain engagement in studies and secure positive academic outcome.
To acquire suitable living accommodation to attend university or secure first graduate job opportunity within 6 months of graduation.	Up to £500 to provide accommodation deposit, transition, or relocation support. Examples of ineligible support include

Examples of ineligible support include: 

• Support for general hardship or insufficient maintenance funds will not be supported. Students are expected to a) take up UK government maintenance loans b) make applications to the hardship fund.
• Financial support of credit card or consumer debt.
• Financial support where there is evidence of gambling or expenditure outside reasonable living and study costs during the period of study at the University of Huddersfield.

Principles

1. In 2025/26 up to 800 students will be eligible for participation in the Bursary scheme. 
    
2. Eligibility for the programme will be prioritised as follows: 

1. 1. Students sustaining engagement in the scheme during their first year and achieving high levels of attendance.
   2. Students continuing and sustaining engagement in the scheme after their first year of engagement and achieving high levels of attendance.  
   3. Students with a Mental Health Condition, with Social Communication Impairment or Care Experienced regardless of their year of study or entry qualifications.
   4. Students on courses with a high proportion and large volume of students with combinations of characteristics associated with weaker student outcomes (continuation, attainment, and progression).  
   5. Undergraduates in their first year of study
   6. Undergraduates in their second year of study
   7. Undergraduates in their third or final year of study
   8. Students with the lowest family incomes.  

To be eligible for financial support all participants are normally required to have taken up their full entitlement to student maintenance support as administered through Student Finance England/Wales/Northern Ireland/SAAS who also carry out means testing on behalf of the University of Huddersfield.

Students who have previously received the £1000 Huddersfield Scholarship Award (now discontinued) will not be eligible for the Bursary scheme.  

3. Students not meeting the above criteria, but who would secure significant benefit from the scheme may be nominated for participation. Nominations would be considered and determined by a panel of 3 senior staff selected from Student Services and the Student Finance Office.
 
4. The total value of the Bursary scheme at the University of Huddersfield will not exceed £350,000 in any one academic year. Where the funds are forecast to be fully used, the University reserves the right to suspend applications and awards. 
 
5. A maximum of £1000 will be awarded throughout the duration of undergraduate studies.
 
6. The Bursary scheme will normally be made in units of £250 dependent on needs and circumstances at the time.   
 
7. The Bursary scheme may be made in any year of undergraduate study and up to 6 months post-graduation. 
 
8. The Bursary scheme must be aligned to specific goals agreed with a nominated student support coach and are dependent on actively engaging with their coach, studies, and goal achievement.
 
9. The Bursary scheme will only normally be awarded when attendance is high. 
 
10. The Bursary scheme will apply for full-time undergraduate studies at the University in 2025/26. Only English, Scottish, Welsh, and Northern Irish students will be eligible for the Bursary.  
 
11. The Bursary scheme will not be available to students on one year top-up degree programmes. 
 
12. The Bursary scheme will not be available to part-time students at the University of Huddersfield. 
 
13. Under no circumstances will the Bursary exceed the fee to be charged. 
 
14. Students that already hold an undergraduate honours degree level qualification are normally excluded from the scheme.  
 
15. Students from non-UK countries, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man are excluded from the Bursary scheme. 
 
16. Student Services responsible for the administration of the bursary, Financial Services responsible for distribution of funds.
 
17. The scheme is intended to run from 2025/26 through to 2028/29, each year the scheme rules will be published and updated to reflect the profile of student needs and engagement in the scheme.

Bursary Award Administration Rules

Bursary Award

a. Students who will benefit from bursary support should in the first instance discuss their goals and financial support needs with their Student Support Coach.
 
b. The Student Support Coach will support the student to complete a Bursary application including confirmation of the award required aligns with the students’ agreed goals. 
 
c. The Enhanced Support Team Manager will check all award applications and to ensure they are accurate, and complete information is included to enable the panel to fully consider the award. 

Deadlines

d. At least one Bursary Panel meeting will take place each term. To be considered award applications should be submitted by the following deadlines in each academic year 31st October; 28th February; 31st May; 31st July. 
 
e. A panel will meet within two weeks of the above deadline to determine awards and outcomes will be communicated within three weeks of the original deadline. 

Student Success Coaching and Bursary Panel 

f. The Bursary panel will be responsible for:

1. Annually reviewing award principles, administration rules and criteria for award including exemplifying financial support that will and will not be awarded. 
2. Developing application forms and arrangements. 
3. Considering and determining awards  
4. Monitoring the overall funding, level of disbursement and applying award criteria to maximise the support for positive student outcomes 
5. Making arrangements with the Student Finance Office for the disbursement of awards  

g. The panel will consist of:  

1. 3 x voting members including (2 Student Services managers and one Student Finance manager nominated by the Director of Student Services). 
2. 1 x Enhanced Support Team Manager responsible for advising the panel and providing oversight of the award fund. 
3. 1 x Enhanced Support Team Administrator responsible for administration of meeting and ensuring provision of information and awards. 

h. Students may appeal decisions to not award financial support or decisions to not include a student as eligible Student Success Coaching and Bursary scheme. 

1. Appeals should be made in writing within 5 working days of notification of an outcome. 
2. Appeals should state the grounds of appeal. 
3. An appeal panel chaired by the Director of Student Services, one independent university manager and Students’ Union representative will consider the appeal. 
4. Appeals will normally be considered and responded to within 20 working days of their receipt.