Funding your law course
The University of Bristol Law School has a number of scholarships, grants, and bursaries available to its students, both to support students from low-income households and to award academic brilliance. Below you will find details of financial support for undergraduate and postgraduate applicants and students.
25 per cent discount for University of Bristol Graduates*
University of Bristol Alumni Scholarship - * graduates (who have successfully graduated within the past ten years) are eligible to receive a 25 percent discount on their tuition fees when a place is secured on any of our postgraduate programmes within the Law School. Offer-holders classed as either Home/EU or overseas tuition fee payers, and either full or part-time students, are all eligible for this award. This award is automatically awarded and no further application process is required.
Undergraduate funding options
Access to Bristol Scheme
As part of the University's Access to Bristol Scheme, students who complete the Pathways to Law programme at the University of Bristol will be considered for an enhanced financial support package, provided they have firmly accepted an offer to study at the Law School, and have a residual household income of £25,000 or below.
Eileen Drummond and Sheila Anderson Law Bursary
The EDSA Fund supports undergraduate students in the first year of study. Successful applicants receive £9,000 to cover first-year tuition fees. The £1.5 million pledge has created a permanent scholarship fund for law students.
Hogan Lovells Bursary
- more information coming soon Law firm Hogan Lovells make an annual donation of £1,000 to the Law School to be put towards bursaries. The bursaries reflect the firm's commitment to fostering diversity and social mobility within the legal profession and are intended to ensure that prospective university students are not deterred from studying law. In 2015-16, Hogan Lovells Bursaries of £500 were awarded to two UoB law students.
Postgraduate taught funding options
Postgraduate Master's loan scheme
The Government has introduced loans to help towards the costs of Masters-level study for UK residence. Read more about the benefits and your eligibility for a postgraduate loan.
Think Big about Global Justice Postgraduate Scholarship
The Think Big about Global Justice Scholarship is funded by the Law School for international postgraduate students studying law. One scholarship of £13,000 and one scholarship of £6,500 are available. These awards must be used towards the cost of tuition fees for an LLM qualification. Applications are now open - the deadline is 10am (UK time) on Monday 24 April 2023. Successful applicants will be contacted on or before 21 May 2023.
Wellcome Trust Scholarships for LLM in Health, Law, and Society
Applicants to the University of Bristol’s groundbreaking LLM in Health, Law, and Society can apply to a scholarship scheme that is generously funded by the Wellcome Trust. Included in the scholarship is: payment of tuition fees (at UK level, or international level for applicants from countries with low- or middle-income economies), an annual stipend of £16,000 and a research budget. Applications are now closed for the 2021 intake.
University of Bristol Santander Masters Scholarship
Applications from Central and South America students who demonstrate the highest level of academic achievement can apply for a UoB Santander Masters Scholarship. Please view the website for full details.
ESRC Studentship (SWDTP)
Exclusive for students wanting to study MSc Socio-Legal studies or MRes Sustainable Futures and take a further 3 years of doctoral research. The Economic and Social Sciences Research Council (ESRC) studentship will either partially of fully fund the student's postgraduate research programme. The scheme is open to UK, EU and international students, full time or part time.
Internal deadline - noon 9 December 2022. ESRC deadline - noon 13 January 2023.
If you have any questions about the socio-legal pathway, please contact the MSc pathway lead Professor Devyani Prabhat or MRes pathway lead law-pgr-admissions@bristol.ac.uk.
Bristol Master’s Scholarship
The Bristol Master's Scholarship awarded 50 talented home/UK students from widening participation backgrounds £2,000 each towards their taught postgraduate study (MA, MSc or MRes) at the University of Bristol for 2022/23 entry.
Applicants must have already applied for a postgraduate taught programme at Bristol to start an application.
Applications for 2023 will open in winter 2022.
Casual employment
Some casual employment within the University may be available, both in term-time and in vacation, provide that this is compatible with the academic requirements of your programme. For further details about part-time employment opportunities please visit the Careers Service website, where you can log into 'mycareer' (once you are a current student). Guidance is also available on the Fees and Funding page.
Guidance on 'Working whilst Studying' is available for International Students.
Opportunity Bristol
Opportunity Bristol provides financial support to UK students from Black backgrounds to undertake a fully-funded research-related Masters degree.
The scheme is part of the University of Bristol's Black Bristol Scholarship Programme, which is supported by philanthropic donations and seeks to address the lack of representation of the Black community at every level of study in higher education, from undergraduate students to those completing PhDs.
Application deadline: Monday 30 January 2023.
Postgraduate research funding options
Student Loans
A Government Student Loan is now available for PhD students. Please visit our Fees and Funding webpage for more information, including eligibility criteria.
University of Bristol and Alumni Postgraduate Research Scholarships
A number of fully-funded PhD scholarships to UK, EU and international applicants showing exceptional research potential. Please note that this scheme is open to home/EU and international students (for new full-time students only).
More information
Application Deadline: 12pm 21 February 2023.
There is a strict 1,000 word limit inclusive of everything except references. This includes all the written text, quotes, in-line citations, section headers, captions, the contents of tables and any foot-/endnotes. Each figure/graphic should be counted as equivalent to 200 words. Tables should be counted as the number of words they contain.
ESRC Studentship (SWDTP)
Exclusive for students studying MSc Socio-Legal studies and MRes Sustainable Futures who want to take a further 3 years of doctoral research. The Economic and Social Sciences Research Council (ESRC) studentship will either partially of fully fund the student's postgraduate research programme. The scheme is open to UK, EU and international students, full time or part time.
More information
Internal deadline - noon 9 December 2022. ESRC deadline - noon 13 January 2023.
If you have any questions about the socio-legal pathway, please contact the MSc pathway lead Professor Devyani Prabhat or MRes pathway lead law-pgr-admissions@bristol.ac.uk.
AHRC/South West & Wales Doctoral Training Partnership
AHRC/South West & Wales Doctoral Training Partnership
The SWW DTP doctoral studentships applications are currently closed.
University of Bristol Law School Graduate Teaching Assistant
Applications for the full-time research studentship/Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) leading to the degree of PhD are currently open. The deadline for applications is 21 April 2023.
More information: GTA Advert 2023 (Office document, 30kB)
China Scholarship Council - Bristol Joint Scholarship Programme
China Scholarship Council - Bristol Joint Scholarship Programme
The University of Bristol has a collaborative agreement with the China Scholarship Council to further the development of research collaborations between the UK and Chinese Universities and Research Institutions. Chinese PhD (or LLM/MSc and PhD, 1yr+3yrs) applicants can apply for up to four years of tuition Fees (paid by the University centrally) and a stipend (paid by the CSC).
More information
Applications are currently closed.
Becas Chile (Conicyt) Scholarship
Becas Chile (Conicyt) Scholarship
Currently offers full scholarships to cover tuition fees, living expenses, airfare and English language courses to Chilean postgraduate students. Please visit their website for more information.
Postgraduate Scholarships
The University of Bristol Faculty of Social Sciences and Law offers a number of fully-funded and/or half-funded PhD scholarships to UK, EU and international applicants showing exceptional research potential. PhD students from low income families often struggle to get funding at this critical stage in their research.
Casual employment
Some casual employment within the University may be available, both in term-time and in vacation, provide that this is compatible with the academic requirements of your programme. For further details about part-time employment opportunities please visit the Careers Service website, where you can log into 'mycareer' (once you are a current student). Guidance is also available on the Fees and Funding page.
Guidance on 'Working whilst Studying' is available for International Students.
Teaching assistant posts
For postgraduate research students, a number of part-time teaching assistant posts are available within the Law School. These vary from year to year. All current research students who have completed one year of study are eligible to apply. Appointments are made on the basis of merit and subject specialism.
The thought behind helping those from more modest backgrounds to take the opportunity of a world-class education is one that I will be forever thankful for.
Law School Hardship Fund
Country-specific finances
Browse the University's country-specific pages to find out more about scholarships and bursaries available for each region.
Other awards, bursaries, and scholarships
There are a number of other funding opportunities available. Students and prospective students alike are encouraged to search our funding database to discover more opportunities.
Advice on fees and funding
The University provides plenty of advice on fees and funding, including details on the living expenses you can expect to budget for while you study. There is also a useful guide for managing your finances.
Contact us
For further information on fees and funding, please contact us.
Tuition Fees
Tel: +44 (0)117 954 6372
Email: student-fees@bristol.ac.uk
Funding
Tel: +44 (0)117 331 7972
Email: student-funding@bristol.ac.uk
Postgraduate funding enquiries
Email: ChooseBristol-PG@bristol.ac.uk
Director of Widening Participation (Law)
Dr Gemma Short
Gemma.Short@bristol.ac.uk