Chester Bursaries Terms and Conditions

Academic Year 2027/28

We provide several financial bursaries to support certain student groups studying at the University of Chester.

The bursaries we offer are:

  • Estranged Student Support Package.
  • Care Leaver and Care Experienced Support Package.
  • Carer Support Package.
  • Gypsy, Roma, Traveller, Showman, Boater Support Package.

Our bursaries will be awarded to students who meet the eligibility criteria at the time of allocation. Please note, meeting the eligibility criteria does not guarantee you’ll receive a bursary.  We have a limited number of bursaries available each year. Eligible students are considered in the order that complete applications and supporting evidence are received. Once all available awards have been allocated, further eligible students may not receive funding.

The full details and eligibility criteria of each bursary can be found at the end of this document; however, the below guidance applies to all our bursaries.  

You will need to complete a form for every bursary. For some bursaries this is an application form; for others it is a contact preferences form confirming your details. The section for each bursary tells you which form you need. By completing it, you confirm that you agree to the terms and conditions of the bursary.

Definitions

  • Bursary: Cash payment made to eligible students as part of the support package.
  • Fee waiver: Reduction applied directly to tuition fees as part of the support package.
  • Accommodation support: Discount on university accommodation or alternative accommodation support where applicable as part of the support package. 
  • Academic level: Foundation Year (Level 3), First Year (Level 4), Second Year (Level 5), Final Year (Level 6).
  • Your Money Team: The team in Student Services that assesses and pays these awards. You can contact us at studentservices@chester.ac.uk or 01244 511550.
  • Pro rata: A proportion of an award, based on the time you are studying with us.
  • Partner College: an institution that has a formal partnership agreement with the University to deliver, support, validate, or provide progression routes into higher education programmes

Assessment of awards

For all bursaries, application forms / contact preferences forms and evidence must be received by 31 January in the academic year you are applying for. If your estrangement assessment with Student Finance is still ongoing, it must have started by 31 January and be completed by 30 May in the academic year for us to make the award. 

For awards made after the start of the 2026-27 academic year, your eligibility will be reassessed each academic year and you will be asked to provide up to date evidence each year.

Payment dates

We’ll pay bursary cash payments in three instalments; the expected dates of these payments are:

  • Instalment 1: 3 December 2027
  • Instalment 2: 18 February 2028
  • Instalment 3: 19 May 2028

The dates are the earliest dates payments will be made, however please be aware there may be occasions when payments are unavoidably delayed.

For applications approved after instalment dates, payments will be made as soon as possible.

All our awards are paid through the JS Group Aspire Cash system, which will require you to have an Aspire Cash account. If you don’t already have one, we’ll create it for you when your first payment is processed.  You can read the JS Group privacy policy for information about their data handling.

Interruption of studies

Should you take an interruption of your studies, we’ll stop the payment of any bursary during this time.

Any unpaid instalments will be reinstated when you return to university and will be paid in line with the published payment dates for that academic year. Any fee waivers will be applied on a pro rata basis, dependent on when your interruption begins and ends.

It’s your responsibility (the student’s) to advise the Your Money Team of your return to studies.

Interruption or suspension of studies

Should you take an interruption / suspension of your studies, or your studies are interrupted / suspended, we’ll stop the payment of any bursary during this time.

Any unpaid instalments will be reinstated when you return to university and will be paid in line with the published payment dates for that academic year.  Any fee waivers will be applied on a pro rata basis dependent on when your interruption/suspension begins and ends.

Please tell the Your Money Team when you return to your studies, so that we can restart your payments.  You can contact us via studentservices@chester.ac.uk.

We understand that interruptions often follow difficult circumstances. If you would like to talk about the support available to you, including hardship funds, please contact the Your Money Team via studentservices@chester.ac.uk.

Withdrawal from programme of study

If you withdraw from your programme of study before receiving your full bursary award, you won’t be entitled to any further payments after the date of your withdrawal.  Any fee waivers will be applied on a pro rata basis dependent on the date your withdrawal starts.

If you are thinking about withdrawing or would like to talk about the support available to you, including hardship funds and wellbeing support, please contact the Your Money Team via studentservices@chester.ac.uk.

Change of programme of study

If you change your programme of study (within the same academic year) but remain on a programme eligible to receive a bursary, your bursary and/or fee waiver will be transferred to your new programme of study as long as there has been no break in your studies.

If you change programme at the end of an academic year, without leaving the University for academic reasons, you can be considered for a bursary again at the same level of study if you have not already received the full award for that level.

Bursaries are only available to students studying full time. If you change to a part-time programme, you will no longer receive a bursary, and any further payments will stop.

If you change your programme of study to a programme of study not eligible to receive a bursary, you will not be entitled to any further payments after the date you changed your programme.

Please inform us at studentservices@chester.ac.uk if you change your programme of study.

Transfer in from another institution

If you’ve transferred from another institution to the University of Chester, you may be eligible to receive our bursaries in line with our eligibility criteria.  

Any bursary will be paid as a proportion of the amount of time you study with us.  If you join in term 2, you will receive instalments 2 and 3 only.

Taking an extra year to complete a level

If you’re eligible to receive support, the bursary and/or fee waiver will be applied once in each level of your study.  This means you’ll receive your award once during each academic year (level 3, level 4, level 5, level 6).

Should you take an extra year to complete any level of your studies, you won’t be entitled to receive any award during this extra year. 

If you need to repeat a year or take longer to complete a level because of difficult circumstances, please contact the Your Money Team to talk about the support available to you, including hardship funds.

Placement years

If you’re on a placement year, which is classed as an additional sandwich year to your studies, you won’t receive a bursary payment or fee waiver during your placement year.

If you undertake a year out of the university as a replacement for a year of university-based study, you’ll continue to receive your bursary payments.

Recovery of debt owed to the University.

If you owe tuition fee or accommodation-related debts to the University, we may use part of your award to reduce this debt. We will contact you beforehand and explain what this means for your remaining award.

If this happens, we’ll tell you before your award is paid that the debt will be recovered in this way. If you are worried about how this will affect you, please contact the Your Money Team to discuss your options.

Request for Review

You can read our bursary review procedure. This page requires you to log in to the university portal. If you cannot log in, or would like to request a review another way, please email studentservices@chester.ac.uk.

When an Award May be Withdrawn

We reserve the right to withdraw a bursary from you if you knowingly give the university false or misleading information about any aspect of your application or eligibility for an award. Before we decide, we will give you the opportunity to explain.

We’ll seek repayment of any monies paid to you in this instance.

Overpayments

If an overpayment occurs, we will contact you to explain what has happened and discuss an affordable way to repay the amount owed.

If this happens, we’ll contact you to advise an overpayment has been made and agree an affordable repayment arrangement with you.

Changes to a bursary

We reserve the right to change how our bursaries are made up (for example, the split between cash, fee waiver and accommodation reduction) at any time during the academic year 2027/2028.

Where possible, we will give reasonable notice of any changes and explain how they affect current recipients.

If we change how our bursaries are made up, the total value of your bursary will stay the same. 

Other information

We treat all applications fairly and consistently under the terms we have set out in this document.

We’re required to regularly evaluate all our bursaries to measure the effectiveness of this support scheme. 

To support this work, if you’ve received a bursary from the university, you’ll be required to complete an evaluation form to measure the impact of the bursary on your student experience. We strongly encourage you to complete the evaluation because it helps us improve support for future students.

Please complete it as soon as you receive the request. If you need the form in a different format, or would like help to complete it, please contact us.

Alternative formats and support to apply

If you would like this document in another format, or you need adjustments to apply for a bursary or to provide evidence, please contact us at studentservices@chester.ac.uk to arrange an appointment where we will talk through the options with you.

How we use your information

Applying for a bursary may mean sharing sensitive personal information, such as details about your family circumstances, care experience or caring responsibilities. We will keep this information confidential, use it only to assess and administer your bursary, and share it only with those who need to see it. We explain how we use and manage your information in our privacy notice.

Bursary Eligibility Criteria 2027-2028

The criteria listed below will only apply to students starting their studies in the academic year 2027/28.  Students holding awards from previous academic years will continue to be considered under those terms and conditions.

You cannot receive more than one bursary, and you cannot receive any of these bursaries if you have previously received a bursary from the University of Chester in an earlier academic year (other than the continuing award under these terms).  

General eligibility requirements

  • Students at any full-time undergraduate level may apply (including foundation degrees)
  • Paying a tuition fee of £10,050 for 2027/28 entrants, including foundation degrees and foundation year for Creative and Performing Arts, Engineering, Medical subjects and Science courses.
  • Or paying a tuition fee of £5,760 for a foundation year in mainly Business, Humanities or Social Sciences for 2027/28 entrants (Level 3 only; you move to the £10,050 rate for Levels 4 to 6).
  • Ordinarily resident in England, Wales, Scotland, or Northern Ireland.

General Exclusion Criteria

  • Students who have their fees paid (in full or in part) through a sponsorship / apprenticeship arrangement.  Self-funded students may be eligible. Please contact StudentServices@chester.ac.uk. Note: support from your Local Authority is not considered sponsorship.  
  • Students who are studying at Partner Colleges.
  • Students studying at University Centre Reaseheath (except students on the BSc Animal Behaviour and Welfare, who are eligible) 
  • EU and international students
  • Studying at postgraduate level (including Graduate Entry Medicine)
  • Studying a PGCE

Students who do not meet the formal care leaver definition may still qualify as care experienced.

Award

Up to £7,500 award (£10,000 if you are first awarded the bursary at Level 3) paid as follows:

  • Level 3    £1500 cash, and £1000 fee waiver
  • Level 4    £1500 cash, and £1000 fee waiver
  • Level 5    £1500 cash, and £1000 fee waiver
  • Level 6    £1500 cash, and £1000 fee waiver

This bursary also includes a 50% reduction in university owned accommodation fees (should this benefit not be used there will be no alternative offer available).

We may not be able to offer you your first choice of accommodation. You may be offered an alternative accommodation (e.g., standard room, shared bathroom, non-catered).

Where our sites offer no university-owned accommodation or we have no more spaces within university-owned accommodation, students will be offered £2,500 towards alternative accommodation. This cash award towards alternative accommodation only applies for those who have applied to university-owned accommodation.

Eligibility Criteria: 

All students

  • Under 25 on 1st September of the first academic year of your current course with a minimum of 3 months spent in care before your 18th birthday.

Care Leavers

  • Confirmation that you are a care leaver from the Student Loans Company (Student Finance England/Northern Ireland/Wales or the Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS)).
  • Contact preference form must be completed.

Care Experienced

  • Evidence of care experienced status is required:
    • Living in a residential children's home
    • Being looked after at home under a supervision order
    • Living with foster carers
    • Living with relatives or friends in kinship care, either through a formal arrangement e.g. Special Guardianship Order or informal arrangement without local authority support
    • Adoption
  • Bursary application form must be completed 

Students must have an approved estrangement assessment from their student funding authority. Alternative evidence cannot be accepted

Award

Up to £4,500 award (£6,000 if you are first awarded the bursary at Level 3) paid as follows:

  • Level 3    £1500 cash
  • Level 4    £1500 cash
  • Level 5    £1500 cash
  • Level 6    £1500 cash

This bursary also includes a 50% reduction in university-owned accommodation fees 

We may not be able to offer you your first choice of accommodation. You may be offered an alternative accommodation (e.g., standard room, shared bathroom, non-catered).

Where our sites offer no university-owned accommodation or we have no more spaces within university-owned accommodation, students will be offered £2,500 towards alternative accommodation. This cash award towards alternative accommodation only applies for those who have applied to university-owned accommodation.

Eligibility Criteria

  • Under 25 on 1st September of the first academic year of your current course and irreconcilably estranged from your family for more than 12 months. This will be evidenced by your Student Loans Assessment with Student Finance England/Northern Ireland/Wales or the Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS).
  • Contact preferences form must be completed

Award 

£4,500 award (or £6,000 if you are first awarded the bursary at Level 3) paid as follows:

  • Level 3    £1500 cash
  • Level 4    £1500 cash
  • Level 5    £1500 cash
  • Level 6    £1500 cash

Eligibility Criteria

  • With a declared household income of £40,000 or less.  This is assessed using your Student Loans Assessment with Student Finance England/Northern Ireland/Wales or the Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS).

Evidence of carer status is required. You need to provide any one of the following:

  • Working with a recognised Carer’s Organisation in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland. Examples include local authority carers' services, Chester and Wirral Carers Trust, and other registered carers' organisations
  • If you are in your first year at the university, previously in receipt of Carer’s Benefits (up to the point you started university). Note: You cannot claim Carer's Allowance if you are in full-time education – including school, college or university.
  • Notification letter or section B of University of Chester application form completed by your family GP, social worker or staff member from your Carer Network
  • Your Universal Credit statement showing you are a carer
  • a copy of an award letter showing that the person you care for is in receipt of one of the following:
    • Attendance Allowance
    • Council Tax Reduction or Housing Benefit that includes a disability premium as part of the assessment
    • Disability Living Allowance
    • Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
  • Contact preferences form must be completed

Award

£4,500 cash award (£6,000 if you are first awarded the bursary at Level 3) paid as follows:

  • Level 3    £1500 cash
  • Level 4    £1500 cash
  • Level 5    £1500 cash
  • Level 6    £1500 cash

Eligibility Criteria

  • You have identified as Gypsy, Roma, Traveller, Showman, Boater on your UCAS / enrolment / application.
  • Application form must be completed

Definitions:

Gypsy

  • Gypsies are a recognised ethnic minority with an identifiable culture and language which has threads in common with Gypsies across the globe
  • Gypsies speak Romany which has its roots in Sanskrit and has some words in common with Hindi

Roma

  • Roma are a recognised ethnic minority
  • Roma are a relatively new group who have migrated to the UK from across Europe
  • Roma are Gypsies and come to the UK to work as do many other migrants from across Europe and the world
  • Roma are often tri-lingual and speak the language of their country of origin, Romanes and English
  • Unlike UK Gypsies, Roma do not usually seek accommodation in caravans or on sites but live in houses as in their country of origin
  • Roma from across Europe have often experienced high levels of prejudice and persecution in their country of origin and in the UK and will not ascribe as Roma in the first instance but as Romanian, Hungarian or whatever their country of origin is

Irish Travellers

  • Irish Travellers are a recognised ethnic minority group and although they may have their origins in Ireland, many are UK-born and raised
  • Irish Travellers have a unique culture and language distinct from Gypsies and other Travellers but are often confused with Gypsies because both groups can be seen travelling around the county in caravans
  • Irish Travellers are transient in caravans and move around the county but are also housed and not all travel

Showmen

  • Showman travel with fairs from place to place during the summer months. The traditional season runs from Easter until November, but economic needs are extending it and many do Christmas fairs and pop-up shops during the winter
  • Showman families are long-established in Hampshire and there are sites, or yards, in many locations across the county
  • Showmen adhere to the rules of the Showman’s Guild and although their work and jobs are becoming more diverse in response to tough economic climes, their culture and values remain fixed
  • Showmen are not an ethnic minority although the Showmen culture can trace its roots through the centuries to the Frost Fairs of the 17th century

Boaters

  • Boaters are not an ethnic minority; it is seen as a lifestyle choice although many Boater families have lived on the water for generations.
  • May be members of the National Bargee Travellers Association
  • Historically travelled for work and live on boats and may refer to themselves as Bargee Travellers

New Travellers

  • New Travellers are the newest group of Travellers and is drawn from a group of people who have elected to leave the aspects of society and to live a freer, simpler life travelling
  • Often travelling in converted buses and coaches as well as caravans, New Travellers are often very environmentally aware and focused and will make their values and concerns known at protests
  • Many New Travellers prefer rural settings and may work as artists and artisans
  • New Travellers are not an ethnic minority and it is seen as a lifestyle choice

References

https://www.hants.gov.uk/educationandlearning/emtas/travellers/traveller-groups-guide

Morgan, Julia and Rogers, Carol (2024) Supporting Gypsy, Traveller, Roma, Showmen and Boaters (GTRSB) in Higher Education: A Handbook for University Staff in the United Kingdom on Developing Good Practice. Report. University of Greenwich, London. https://gala.gre.ac.uk/id/eprint/47118/

Archived Documents

We provide several financial bursaries to support certain student groups studying at the University of Chester.

The bursaries we offer are:

  • Care Experienced.
  • Carers Support.
  • Estranged
  • Gypsy, Roma, Traveller, Showman, Boater.

Our bursaries will be awarded to students who meet the eligibility criteria at the time of allocation. Please note, meeting the eligibility criteria does not guarantee you’ll receive a bursary.

The full details and eligibility criteria of each bursary can be found at the end of this document; however, the guidance below applies to all our bursaries.

Application forms are required for some bursaries, and we will ask you to complete a form for all awards, confirming your address and contact preferences.

Students can only receive one bursary.

Assessment of awards

Application forms/contact preferences forms and evidence must be received by 31st January each year. Where the assessment for Estrangement is ongoing with Student Finance, this must be in progress by the 31st of January and completed on the 30th of May in the academic year for us to make the award.

For awards made after the start of the 2025-26 academic year, you will be reassessed each academic year and will need to reapply and provide up to date evidence

Payment dates

We’ll pay bursary cash payments in three instalments:

  • Instalment 1: 5 December 2025 (TBC)
  • Instalment 2: 20 February 2026 (TBC)
  • Instalment 3: 22 May 2026 (TBC)

The dates are the earliest dates payments will be made; however, please be aware that there may be occasions when payments are unavoidably delayed.

Interruption of studies

Should you take an interruption of your studies, we’ll stop the payment of any bursary during this time.

Any unpaid instalments will be reinstated when you return to university and will be paid in line with the published payment dates for that academic year. Any fee waivers will be applied on a pro rata basis, dependent on when your interruption begins and ends.

It’s your responsibility (the student’s) to advise the Your Money Team of your return to studies.

Withdrawal from the programme of study

If you withdraw from your programme of study before receiving your full bursary award, you won’t be entitled to any further payments after the date of your withdrawal. Any Fee waivers will be applied on a pro rata basis, dependent on the date your withdrawal starts.

Re-admission and Change of programme of study

If you change your programme of study (within the same academic year) but remain on a programme eligible to receive a bursary, your bursary and/or fee waiver will be transferred to your new programme of study as long as there has been no break in your studies.

If you change programme at the end of an academic year, without leaving due to academic failure, you can be considered for a bursary again at the same level.

If you change to a part time programme, you will no longer receive a bursary, and any further payments will stop.

If you change your programme of study to a programme of study not eligible to receive a bursary, you won’t be entitled to any further payments after the date you changed your programme.

Please inform us at StudentServices@chester.ac.uk if you change your programme of study.

Transfer in from another institution

If you’ve transferred from another institution to the University of Chester, you may be eligible to receive our bursaries in line with our eligibility criteria.

Any Bursary will be paid as a proportion of the amount of time you study with us.

Failure to progress to the next level of your study

If you’re eligible to receive support, the bursary and/or fee waiver will be applied once in each level of your study. This means you’ll receive your award once during each academic year (level 3, level 4, level 5, level 6). 

Should you take an extra year to complete any level of your studies, you won’t be entitled to receive any award during this extra year.

Placement years

If you’re on a placement year, which is classed as an additional sandwich year to your studies, you won’t receive a bursary payment or fee waiver during your placement year.

If you undertake a year out of the university as a replacement for a year of university-based study, you’ll continue to receive your bursary payments.

Recovery of debt owed to the University.

If, at the end of an academic year, you’re in debt to the university for the payment of accommodation fees or tuition fees (including reassessment fees), we may recover this debt from your award.

If this happens, we’ll let you know the debt will be recovered in this way, prior to your award being paid.

Request for Review

Our review procedure page requires you to log into the university portal. Please email studentservices@chester.ac.uk if you have any questions.

Removal of a Bursary

We reserve the right to withdraw a bursary from you if you mislead the university about any aspect of your application or eligibility for an award.

We’ll seek repayment of any monies paid to you in this instance.

Overpayments

We reserve the right to recover any overpayment of a bursary and/or fee waiver made to you in error.

If this happens, we’ll contact you to advise that an overpayment has been made and agree on the repayment arrangement.

Changes to a bursary

We reserve the right to change the composition of our bursaries at any time during the academic year 2025/2026.

If the bursary composition is changed, the total value of the bursary will stay the same.

Other information

In line with the principles of good administration, we treat all applications fairly and consistently under the terms we have set out in this document.

We’re required to undertake a regular evaluation of all our bursaries to measure the effectiveness of this support scheme.

To support this work, if you’ve received a bursary from the university, you’ll be required to complete an evaluation form to measure the impact of the bursary on your student experience. Completing this evaluation is a condition of any award made, and we’d be grateful if you could respond to this request as soon as possible when it’s made.

Bursary Eligibility Criteria 2025-26

The criteria listed below will only apply to students starting their studies in the academic year 2025-26.

Please note that students studying Apprenticeship Programmes or at Partner Colleges are not eligible for bursaries (except for students studying BSc Animal Behaviour and Welfare at Reaseheath College).

Care Leaver and Care Experienced Bursary

Award

Up to £7,500 award (£10,000 if studying at Level 3) paid as follows:

  • Level 3    £1500 cash, and £1000 fee waiver
  • Level 4    £1500 cash, and £1000 fee waiver
  • Level 5    £1500 cash, and £1000 fee waiver
  • Level 6    £1500 cash, and £1000 fee waiver

This bursary also includes a 50% reduction in university owned accommodation fees (should this benefit not be used, there will be no alternative offer available). 

  • We may not be able to offer you your first choice of accommodation. You may be offered an alternative accommodation (e.g., standard room, shared bathroom, non-catered).
  • Where our sites offer no university-owned accommodation, or we have no more spaces within university-owned accommodation, students will be offered £2,500 towards alternative accommodation. This cash award towards alternative accommodation only applies to those who have applied to university-owned accommodation.

Eligibility Criteria: All students

  • Students at any full time undergraduate level may apply (inc FD). Payments will be pro rata, based on the year of application and level of study.[1]
  • Paying a tuition fee of at least £6,355 for 2025/26 entrants, including foundation degrees and foundation year for Creative and Performing Arts, Engineering, Medical subjects and Science courses

Or £3,835 for the foundation year, used mainly for Business, Humanities, and Social Sciences for 2025/26 entrants (level 3 only before being moved to the above for Levels 4-6).

  • Under 25 on 1st September of the first academic year of your current course with a minimum of 3 months spent in care before their 18th birthday.
  • Ordinarily resident in England, Wales, Scotland, or Northern Ireland.

Applications and evidence must be received by 31st January

Eligibility Criteria: Care Leavers

  • Confirmation that you are a care leaver from the Student Loans Company.
  • Contact preference form must be completed

Eligibility Criteria: Care Experienced

  • Evidence of care experienced status is required:
    • Living in a residential children's home
    • Being looked after at home under a supervision order
    • Living with foster carers
    • Living with relatives or friends in kinship care, either through a formal arrangement, e.g. Special Guardianship Order or an informal arrangement without local authority support
    • Earlier or shorter experiences of care, such as those who left care through adoption.
  • Bursary application form must be completed

Exclusion Criteria

  • Students who have their fees paid (in full or in part) through a sponsorship/apprenticeship arrangement. Self-funded students may be eligible. Please contact StudentServices@Chester.ac.uk for support from your Local Authority is not considered sponsorship. 
  • Students Studying at Graduate or Postgraduate level
  • Students who are studying at Partner Colleges, including the Hammond
  • Students studying at University Centre Reaseheath, BSc Animal Behaviour and Welfare, are eligible.
  • EU and international students

 Estranged Student Bursary

Award

Up to £4,500 award (£6,000 if studying at Level 3) paid as follows:

  • Level 3    £1500 cash
  • Level 4    £1500 cash
  • Level 5    £1500 cash
  • Level 6    £1500 cash

This bursary also includes a 50% reduction in university-owned accommodation fees 

We may not be able to offer you your first choice of accommodation. You may be offered an alternative accommodation (e.g., standard room, shared bathroom, non-catered).

Where our sites offer no university-owned accommodation, or we have no more spaces within university-owned accommodation, students will be offered £2,500 towards alternative accommodation.  This cash award towards alternative accommodation only applies to those who have applied to university-owned accommodation.

Eligibility Criteria

  • Students at any full-time undergraduate level may apply (inc FD). Payments will be pro rata, based on the year of application and level of study[1]
  • Paying a tuition fee of at least £6,355 for 2025/26 entrants, including foundation degrees and foundation year for Creative and Performing Arts, Engineering, Medical subjects and Science courses Or £3,835 for foundation year for mainly Business, Humanities, Social Sciences for 2025/26 entrants (level 3 only before being moved to the above for Levels 4-6).
  • Under 25 on 1st September of the first academic year of your current course and irreconcilably estranged from their family for more than 12 months.  we require confirmation of this from the Student Loans Company.
  • Ordinarily resident in England, Wales, Scotland, or Northern Ireland
  • Contact preference form must be completed

Exclusion Criteria

  • Students who have their fees paid (in full or in part) through a sponsorship/apprenticeship arrangement. Self-funded students may be eligible. Please contact StudentServices@Chester.ac.uk
  • Support from your Local Authority is not considered sponsorship.
  • Students Studying at the Graduate or Postgraduate level
  • Students who are studying at Partner Colleges, including the Hammond
  • Students studying at University Centre Reaseheath, BSc Animal Behaviour and Welfare, are eligible.
  • EU and international students.

Carer Support Package

Award 

£4,500 award (or £6,000 if studying at Level 3) paid as follows:

  • Level 3    £1500 cash
  • Level 4    £1500 cash
  • Level 5    £1500 cash
  • Level 6    £1500 cash

Eligibility Criteria

  • Students at any full-time undergraduate level may apply (inc FD). Payments will be pro rata, based on the year of application and level of study. [1]
  • With a declared household income of £40,000 or less.
  • Paying a tuition fee of at least £6,355 for 2025/26 entrants, including foundation degrees and foundation year for Creative and Performing Arts, Engineering, Medical subjects and Science courses

Or £3,835 for the foundation year, mainly Business, Humanities, and Social Sciences for 2025/26 entrants (level 3 only before being moved to the above for Levels 4-6).

  • Ordinarily resident in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland

Evidence of carer status is required:

  • Working with a recognised Carer’s Organisation in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland or
  • Previously in receipt of Carer’s Benefits (up to the point you started University). Note: You cannot claim Carer's Allowance if you are in full-time education – including school, college or university. or
  • Notification letter or section B of UoC application form completed by the student’s family GP, social worker or staff member from the student’s Carer Network or
  • Your Universal Credit statement showing you are a carer, or
  • a copy of an award letter showing that the person you care for is in receipt of one of the following:
    • Attendance Allowance
    • Council Tax Reduction or Housing Benefit that includes a disability premium as part of the assessment
    • Disability Living Allowance
    • Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
  • Contact preference form must be completed

Exclusion Criteria

  • Students who have their fees paid (in full or in part) through a sponsorship/apprenticeship arrangement. Self-funded students may be eligible, please contact StudentServices@Chester.ac.uk.
  • Students Studying at Graduate or Postgraduate level
  • Students who are studying at Partner Colleges, including the Hammond
  • Students studying at University Centre Reaseheath, BSc Animal Behaviour and Welfare, are eligible.
  • EU and international students

Gypsy, Roma, Traveller, Showman, Boater Bursary

Award

£4,500 cash award (£6,000 if studying at Level 3) paid as follows:

  • Level 3    £1500 cash
  • Level 4    £1500 cash
  • Level 5    £1500 cash
  • Level 6    £1500 cash

Eligibility Criteria

  • Students at any full-time undergraduate level may apply (inc FD). Payments will be pro rata, based on the year of application and level of study.
  • Paying a tuition fee of at least £6,355 for 2025/26 entrants, including foundation degrees and foundation year for Creative and Performing Arts, Engineering, Medical subjects and Science courses Or £3,835 for foundation year for mainly Business, Humanities, Social Sciences for 2025/26 entrants (level 3 only before being moved to the above for Levels 4-6).
  • You have identified as Gypsy, Roma, Traveller, Showman, Boater on your UCAS / enrolment/application.
  • Application form must be completed

Exclusion Criteria

  • Students who have their fees paid (in full or in part) through a sponsorship/apprenticeship arrangement. Self-funded students may be eligible; please contact StudentServices@Chester.ac.uk.
  • Students Studying at Graduate or Postgraduate level
  • Students who are studying at Partner Colleges, including the Hammond
  • Students studying at University Centre Reaseheath, BSc Animal Behaviour and Welfare, are eligible.
  • EU and international students

[1] Alex receives a bursary at level 4 – their first year, they are studying French with a year abroad, they will get bursary payments as follows:

  • Level 4 - £1500 cash / £1000 fee waiver / 50% reduction on rent in university owned accommodation
  • Level 5 - £1500 cash / £1000 fee waiver / 50% reduction on rent in university owned accommodation
  • Year abroad – no bursary
  • Level 6 - £1500 cash / £1000 fee waiver / 50% reduction on rent in university owned accommodation

Sam receives a bursary at level 6 – their final year, they will receive a bursary of £1500 cash / £1000 fee waiver / 50% reduction on rent in university owned accommodation for that year only.

 

We provide several financial bursaries to support certain student groups studying at the University of Chester.

The bursaries we offer are:

  • Care Experienced.
  • Carers Support.
  • Gypsy, Roma, Traveller, Showman, Boater.

Our bursaries will be awarded to students who meet the eligibility criteria at the time of allocation.  Please note, meeting the eligibility criteria does not guarantee you’ll receive a bursary.

The full details and eligibility criteria of each bursary can be found at the end of this document; however, the below guidance applies to all our bursaries.  

Application forms are required for some bursaries, and we will ask you to complete a form for all awards confirming your address and contact preferences.

Assessment of awards

For all bursaries, application forms / contact preferences forms and evidence must be received by 31st January each year. Where the assessment for Estrangement is ongoing with Student Finance, this must be in progress at the 31st of January and completed by the 30th May in the academic year for us to make the award.

For awards made after the start of the 2026-27 academic year, you will be reassessed each academic year and will need to reapply and provide up to date evidence.

Payment dates

We’ll pay bursary cash payments in three instalments:

  • Instalment 1: 4th December 2026 (TBC)
  • Instalment 2: 19th February 2027 (TBC)
  • Instalment 3: 21st May 2027 (TBC)

The dates are the earliest dates payments will be made, however please be aware there may be occasions when payments are unavoidably delayed.

All our awards are paid through the JS Group Aspire Cash system, which will require you to have an Aspire Cash account. If you don’t already have one, we’ll create it for you when your first payment is processed. You can view the JS Group Privacy Statement.

Interruption or suspension studies

Should you take an interruption / suspension of your studies, or your studies are interrupted / suspended, we’ll stop the payment of any bursary during this time.

Any unpaid instalments will be reinstated when you return to university and will be paid in line with the published payment dates for that academic year.  Any fee waivers will be applied on a pro rata basis dependent on when your interruption/suspension begins and ends.

It’s your responsibility (the student’s) to advise the Your Money Team of your return to studies.

Withdrawal from programme of study

If you withdraw from your programme of study before receiving your full bursary award, you won’t be entitled to any further payments after the date of your withdrawal.  Any Fee waivers will be applied on a pro rata basis dependent on the date your withdrawal starts.

Re-admission and Change of programme of study

If you change your programme of study (within the same academic year) but remain on a programme eligible to receive a bursary, your bursary and/or fee waiver will be transferred to your new programme of study as long as there has been no break in your studies.

If you change programme at the end of an academic year, without leaving due to academic failure, you can be considered for a bursary again at the same level.

If you change to a part time programme you will no longer receive a bursary, and any further payments will stop.

If you change your programme of study to a programme of study not eligible to receive a bursary, you won’t be entitled to any further payments after the date you changed your programme.  

Please inform us at StudentServices@chester.ac.uk if you change your programme of study.

Transfer in from another institution

If you’ve transferred from another institution to the University of Chester, you may be eligible to receive our bursaries in line with our eligibility criteria. 

Any Bursary will be paid as a proportion of the amount of time you study with us.

Failure to progress to the next level of your study

If you’re eligible to receive support, the bursary and/or fee waiver will be applied once in each level of your study.  This means you’ll receive your award once during each academic year (level 3, level 4, level 5, level 6). 

Should you take an extra year to complete any level of your studies, you won’t be entitled to receive any award during this extra year.

Placement years

If you’re on a placement year, which is classed as an additional sandwich year to your studies, you won’t receive a bursary payment or fee waiver during your placement year.  

If you undertake a year out of the university as a replacement for a year of university-based study, you’ll continue to receive your bursary payments.

Recovery of debt owed to the University.

If, at the end of an academic year, you’re in debt to the university for the payment of accommodation fees or tuition fees (including reassessment fees), we may recover this debt from your award.

If this happens, we’ll let you know the debt will be recovered in this way, prior to your award being paid.  

Request for Review

You can find our review procedure here. This page requires you to log into the university portal, please email studentservices@chester.ac.uk if you have any questions.

Removal of a Bursary

We reserve the right to withdraw a bursary from you if you mislead the university about any aspect of your application or eligibility for an award.

We’ll seek repayment of any monies paid to you in this instance.

Overpayments

We reserve the right to recover any overpayment of a bursary and/or fee waiver made to you in error.

If this happens, we’ll contact you to advise an overpayment has been made and agree the repayment arrangement. 

Changes to a bursary

We reserve the right to change the composition of our bursaries at any time during the academic year 2026/2027.

If the bursary composition is changed, the total value of bursary will stay the same.  

Other information

In line with the principles of good administration, we treat all applications fairly and consistently under the terms we have set out in this document.

We’re required to undertake a regular evaluation of all our bursaries to measure the effectiveness of this support scheme. 

To support this work, if you’ve received a bursary from the university, you’ll be required to complete an evaluation form to measure the impact of the bursary on your student experience. Completing this evaluation is a condition of any award made, and we’d be grateful if you could respond to this request as soon as possible when it’s made.

Bursary Eligibility Criteria 2026/27

The criteria listed below will only apply to students starting their studies in the academic year 2026-27.

Please note, students studying Apprenticeship Programmes or at Partner Colleges are not eligible for bursaries (except for students studying BSc Animal Behaviour and Welfare at University Centre Reaseheath).

Students are required to complete an application /contact form which agrees to the terms and conditions of the bursary.

Students cannot receive more than one bursary and cannot receive any of these bursaries if they have previously received a bursary from the University of Chester.  The exception to this is the Carer bursary which can be awarded in conjunction with the Chester Bursary.

Care Leaver and Care Experienced Bursary

Award

Up to £7,500 award (£10,000 if studying at Level 3) paid as follows:

  • Level 3    £1500 cash, and £1000 fee waiver
  • Level 4    £1500 cash, and £1000 fee waiver
  • Level 5    £1500 cash, and £1000 fee waiver
  • Level 6    £1500 cash, and £1000 fee waiver

This bursary also includes a 50% reduction in university owned accommodation fees (should this benefit not be used, there will be no alternative offer available). 

  • We may not be able to offer you your first choice of accommodation. You may be offered an alternative accommodation (e.g., standard room, shared bathroom, non-catered).
  • Where our sites offer no university-owned accommodation, or we have no more spaces within university-owned accommodation, students will be offered £2,500 towards alternative accommodation. This cash award towards alternative accommodation only applies to those who have applied to university-owned accommodation.

Eligibility Criteria: All students

  • Students at any full time undergraduate level may apply (inc FD). Payments will be pro rata, based on the year of application and level of study.[1]
  • Paying a tuition fee of at least £6,525 for 2026/27 entrants, including foundation degrees and foundation year for Creative and Performing Arts, Engineering, Medical subjects and Science courses

Or £3,835 for the foundation year, mainly Business, Humanities, and Social Sciences for 2025/26 entrants (level 3 only before being moved to the above for Levels 4-6).

  • Under 25 on 1st September of the first academic year of your current course with a minimum of 3 months spent in care before your 18th birthday.
  • Ordinarily resident in England, Wales, Scotland, or Northern Ireland.

Applications and evidence must be received by 31st January

Eligibility Criteria: Care Leavers

  • Confirmation that you are a care leaver from the Student Loans Company.
  • Contact preference form must be completed.

Eligibility Criteria: Care Experienced

  • Evidence of care experienced status is required:
    • Living in a residential children's home
    • Being looked after at home under a supervision order
    • Living with foster carers
    • Living with relatives or friends in kinship care, either through a formal arrangement, e.g. Special Guardianship Order or an informal arrangement without local authority support
    • Earlier or shorter experiences of care, such as those who left care through adoption.
  • Bursary application form must be completed.

Exclusion Criteria

  • Students who have their fees paid (in full or in part) through a sponsorship/apprenticeship arrangement. Self-funded students may be eligible Please contact StudentServices@Chester.ac.uk  for support from your Local Authority is not considered sponsorship. 
  • Students Studying at Graduate or Postgraduate level
  • Students who are studying at Partner Colleges, including the Hammond
  • Students studying at University Centre Reaseheath, BSc Animal Behaviour and Welfare, are eligible.
  • EU and international students.

 [1] Alex receives a bursary at level 4 – their first year, they are studying French with a year abroad, they will get bursary payments as follows:

  • Level 4 - £1500 cash / £1000 fee waiver / 50% reduction on rent in university owned accommodation
  • Level 5 - £1500 cash / £1000 fee waiver / 50% reduction on rent in university owned accommodation
  • Year abroad – no bursary
  • Level 6 - £1500 cash / £1000 fee waiver / 50% reduction on rent in university owned accommodation

Sam receives a bursary at level 6 – their final year, they will receive a bursary of £1500 cash / £1000 fee waiver / 50% reduction on rent in university owned accommodation for that year only.

Estranged Student Bursary

Award

Up to £4,500 award (£6,000 if studying at Level 3) paid as follows:

  • Level 3    £1500 cash
  • Level 4    £1500 cash
  • Level 5    £1500 cash
  • Level 6    £1500 cash

This bursary also includes a 50% reduction in university-owned accommodation fees 

We may not be able to offer you your first choice of accommodation. You may be offered an alternative accommodation (e.g., standard room, shared bathroom, non-catered).

Where our sites offer no university-owned accommodation or we have no more spaces within university-owned accommodation, students will be offered £2,500 towards alternative accommodation.  This cash award towards alternative accommodation only applies to those who have applied to university-owned accommodation.

Eligibility Criteria

  • Students at any full-time undergraduate level may apply (inc FD). Payments will be pro rata, based on the year of application and level of study[1]
  • Paying a tuition fee of at least £6,525 for 2026/27 entrants, including foundation degrees and foundation year for Creative and Performing Arts, Engineering, Medical subjects and Science courses Or £3,835 for foundation year for mainly Business, Humanities, Social Sciences for 2026/27 entrants (level 3 only before being moved to the above for Levels 4-6).
  • Under 25 on 1st September of the first academic year of your current course and irreconcilably estranged from your family for more than 12 months.  We require confirmation of this from the Student Loans Company.
  • Ordinarily resident in England, Wales, Scotland, or Northern Ireland
  • Contact preference form must be completed

Exclusion Criteria

  • Students who have their fees paid (in full or in part) through a sponsorship/apprenticeship arrangement. Self-funded students may be eligible. Please contact studentservices@chester.ac.uk
  • Support from your Local Authority is not considered sponsorship.
  • Students Studying at the Graduate or Postgraduate level
  • Students who are studying at Partner Colleges, including the Hammond
  • Students studying at University Centre Reaseheath (BSc Animal Behaviour and Welfare) are eligible.
  • EU and international students.

[1]  Alex receives a bursary at level 4 – their first year, they are studying French with a year abroad, they will get bursary payments as follows:

  • Level 4 - £1500 cash / 50% reduction on rent in university-owned accommodation
  • Level 5 - £1500 cash / 50% reduction on rent in university-owned accommodation
  • Year abroad – no bursary
  • Level 6 - £1500 cash / 50% reduction on rent in university-owned accommodation

Sam receives a bursary at level 6 – their final year, they will receive a bursary of £1500 cash / 50% reduction on rent in university-owned accommodation for that year only.

Carer Support Package

Award 

£4,500 award (or £6,000 if studying at Level 3) paid as follows:

  • Level 3    £1500 cash
  • Level 4    £1500 cash
  • Level 5    £1500 cash
  • Level 6    £1500 cash

Eligibility Criteria

  • Students at any full-time undergraduate level may apply (inc FD). Payments will be pro rata, based on the year of application and level of study. [1]
  • With a declared household income of £40,000 or less.
  • Paying a tuition fee of at least £6,525 for 2026/27 entrants, including foundation degrees and foundation year for Creative and Performing Arts, Engineering, Medical subjects and Science courses

Or £3,835 for foundation year for mainly Business, Humanities, and Social Sciences for 2026/27 entrants (level 3 only before being moved to the above for Levels 4-6).

  • Ordinarily resident in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland

Evidence of carer status is required:

  • Working with a recognised Carer’s Organisation in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland or
  • Previously in receipt of Carer’s Benefits (up to the point you started University). Note: You cannot claim Carer's Allowance if you are in full-time education – including school, college or university. or
  • Notification letter or Carer Declaration Form 2026-27 completed by the student’s family GP, social worker or staff member from the student’s Carer Network, or
  • Your Universal Credit statement showing you are a carer, or
  • a copy of an award letter showing that the person you care for is in receipt of one of the following:
    • Attendance Allowance
    • Council Tax Reduction or Housing Benefit that includes a disability premium as part of the assessment
    • Disability Living Allowance
    • Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
  • Application form must be completed

Exclusion Criteria

  • Students who have their fees paid (in full or in part) through a sponsorship/apprenticeship arrangement. Self-funded students may be eligible, please contact studentservices@chester.ac.uk.
  • Students Studying at Graduate or Postgraduate level
  • Students who are studying at Partner Colleges, including the Hammond
  • Students studying at University Centre Reaseheath, BSc Animal Behaviour and Welfare, are eligible.
  • EU and international students

[1] Alex receives a bursary at level 4 – their first year, they are studying French with a year abroad, they will get bursary payments as follows:

  • Level 4 - £1500 cash
  • Level 5 - £1500 cash
  • Year abroad – no bursary
  • Level 6 - £1500 cash

Sam receives a bursary at level 6 – their final year, they will receive a bursary of £1500 cash for that year only.

Gypsy, Roma, Traveller, Showman, Boater Bursary

Award

£4,500 cash award (£6,000 if studying at Level 3) paid as follows:

  • Level 3    £1500 cash
  • Level 4    £1500 cash
  • Level 5    £1500 cash
  • Level 6    £1500 cash

Eligibility Criteria

  • Students at any full-time undergraduate level may apply (inc FD). Payments will be pro rata, based on the year of application and level of study.
  • Paying a tuition fee of at least £6,525 for 2026/27 entrants, including foundation degrees and foundation year for Creative and Performing Arts, Engineering, Medical subjects and Science courses Or £3,835 for foundation year for mainly Business, Humanities, Social Sciences for 2026/27 entrants (level 3 only before being moved to the above for Levels 4-6).
  • You have identified as Gypsy, Roma, Traveller, Showman, Boater on your UCAS / enrolment/application.
  • Application form must be completed

Exclusion Criteria

  • Students who have their fees paid (in full or in part) through a sponsorship/apprenticeship arrangement. Self-funded students may be eligible, please contact StudentServices@Chester.ac.uk.
  • Students Studying at Graduate or Postgraduate level
  • Students who are studying at Partner Colleges, including the Hammond
  • Students studying at University Centre Reaseheath, BSc Animal Behaviour and Welfare, are eligible.
  • EU and international students