Student Funding Office

More financial advice

Access to Bristol bursaries - 2011 entry or earlier

Please note that this information relates to students who started their course in 2011 or earlier.

For students who started their studies in 2012 or later, please see visit our new Access to Bristol Scheme page.

The Access to Bristol scheme is an initiative that provides local students with an opportunity to experience life at the University of Bristol, gaining access to its academic expertise and facilities. The scheme is designed as a curriculum enrichment opportunity for students studying A-levels or equivalents and is open to all students in the first or second year of A-level study.

Priority is given to students in the following categories:

  • Local students (resident in BA or BS postcodes);
  • Those with the academic ability to study at the University of Bristol;
  • Those who are part of the first generation in their family to go to university;
  • Those living in a Low Participation Area (LPA).

Students who have participated in our Access to Bristol scheme are eligible for our enhanced financial support package. Students can choose whether to use the Bursary to offset their tuition fees or have the award paid as a cash bursary directly to them.

Renewal information for those who started their studies in 2012/13 or earlier

You will be contacted by the Student Funding Office just prior to the start of each academic year, to determine how you will wish to use your bursary. Provided that there have been no changes to your circumstances or to your course, you will be given two options:

Option one

Use your bursary to full offset your tuition fee liability for the academic year ahead.

Option two

Your Access to Bristol bursary paid directly to you to assist with living costs and course related expenditure.

If you choose option two for the first time, having used the bursary to offset your tuition fees in any previous academic year, then you will be subsequently contacted to request your bank details to enable payment of the Access to Bristol bursary to be paid directly into your bank account. If you are in receipt of a University of Bristol bursary, and have already submitted bank details, you will not be asked for these details again. Please ensure your bank details are up to date, otherwise the payment will fail and your funding will be delayed.

If there has been a change in your circumstances (eg suspension of studies) or you have changed your course, then your entitlement to the Access to Bristol bursary may be affected. All students are advised to read our full terms and conditions. If you have any queries regarding your Access to Bristol bursary renewal, please contact jon.lightfoot@bristol.ac.uk, Student Funding Officer.

Terms and conditions

Renewal and changes in your circumstances or to your course of study

  • Withdrawing students will not have to repay any bursary payment; as long as the student is in attendance on the date that bursary payments are made, they will receive their bursary instalment. If a student withdraws before the next bursary payment date, they will not receive further payments but the repayment of any previously paid instalments will not be sought.
  • Students repeating a year without any extenuating circumstances will not be entitled to repeat bursary funding but will be able to resume receipt of bursary payments once the repeated year(s) is complete.
  • Students repeating a year due to extenuating circumstances will be entitled to additional bursary funding for the repeat year.
  • Students who lengthen their degree programme (e.g. students who transfer to a longer course or who decide to undertake a year abroad) after they have been notified of their bursary entitlement, will only be eligible for the bursary for the original length of their programme.
  • Students who intercalate on a Medicine, Dental or Veterinary Science course will not be eligible for the Access to Bristol bursary in their intercalation year.
  • The Access to Bristol bursary will be available to students as long as they enrol at the University of Bristol within three years of completing the Access to Bristol Scheme (eg students who undertake a gap year, or transfer into Bristol from another university).

Eligibility

  • New UK undergraduate students who start a programme of study at the University of Bristol between the 2008/09 and 2011/12 academic years (inclusive), who are eligible for 'home' fees.
  • Students who have successfully completed the Access to Bristol scheme (successful completion defined as having attended the majority of sessions provided in one academic year).
  • Students who satisfy a range of widening participation categories as decided by a panel consisting of members from the Student Funding Office, the Widening Participation and Undergraduate Recruitment Office and the Head of Student Administration. The widening participation criteria will include parental occupation, parental experience of higher education, domicile progression data and school performance, as collected in the Access to Bristol application form. For the first time this year household income will also be considered as part of the criteria.

Application process

All students who have successfully completed the Access to Bristol scheme will have any application to the University of Bristol tracked. Any students confirming a place at the University will automatically be eligible for consideration for the Access to Bristol Bursary by the arbitration panel.

Value of award

  • The Access to Bristol Bursary is currently valued at £3,465 for 2012/13. This amount will rise in line with inflation so that the bursary matches the tuition fees to be paid.
  • The Access to Bristol Bursary will be paid in accordance with the student's UK fee liability.
  • The University will review the value of the Access to Bristol Bursary from time to time.

Acceptance

Eligible students must firmly accept their conditional or unconditional offer to go forward for consideration for the Access to Bristol Bursary by the arbitration panel.

Notification and payment of award

  • Students will receive correspondence from the Student Funding Office confirming their Access to Bristol Bursary entitlement prior to the start of their undergraduate studies.
  • Payments will be made directly into a student’s bank account using the BACS process.
  • No payment will be made until after 1 October each year and will be paid in three termly instalments.
  • Students are required to provide the University with the correct bank details to ensure timely bursary payments.
  • The University reserves the right to use the bursary to offset any debt owed to it by the student.

To note

Entitlement to the Access to Bristol Bursary does not preclude entitlement to any other bursary or scholarship scheme run by the University of Bristol.