University of Bristol Bursary for 2010/11 entrants

The University of Bristol Bursary, (including the Local Bursary) was introduced as part of the University's agreement with the Office for Fair Access (OFFA), and forms the main element of additional financial support for undergraduate students starting at the University of Bristol.

The bursary package was revised and improved in light of changes in the statutory support package offered by the government for students starting in the 2009 academic year.

The University's Access Agreement refers to a bursary package at three levels available to all eligible students:

These are cash bursaries paid each year to assist with living expenses and also course costs (students should refer to their programme/faculty handbook for further details).

In addition, the Access Agreement refers to the following bursary:

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Terms and Conditions

Eligibility

1. UK undergraduate students who started at the University of Bristol in 2011/12 and who are eligible for 'home' fees.

2. The University of Bristol Bursary (including the Local Bursary) for the academic year 2011/12 will be paid to eligible students who apply for funding from Student Finance England by 25 May 2012.

Full (upper tier) Bursary eligibility

3. Those students with a household income of £25,000 or less, and in receipt of the full Government maintenance grant (or special support grant) will be entitled to receive the full University of Bristol bursary.

Partial (middle tier) Bursary eligibility

4. Those students with a household income of between £25,001 and £40,000, and in receipt of a Government maintenance grant (or special support grant) will be entitled to receive a partial University of Bristol bursary.

Partial (lower tier) Bursary eligibility

5. Those students with a household income of between £40,001 and £50,020, and in receipt of a Government maintenance grant (or special support grant) will be entitled to receive a partial University of Bristol bursary.

Local Bursary eligibility

6. The local bursary is available to full time, home UK students on undergraduate programmes resident in BA/BS postal code areas at the time of their UCAS application. Students must have a household income of £50,020 or less and be in receipt of either the full or partial maintenance grant or special support grant. (Please note that this bursary is not available to PGCE students).

Application process

7. No student needs to submit an application form for any bursary.

8. The University will receive the information relating to a student's household income via the Student Loans Company and will use this to assess the entitlement to a bursary and to make awards accordingly.

Value of Award

9. In 2011/12, the full (upper tier) University of Bristol Bursary is valued at £1,260.

10. In 2011/12, the partial (middle tier) University of Bristol Bursary is valued at £810.

11. In 2011/12, the partial (lower tier) University of Bristol Bursary is valued at £330.

12. In 2011/12, the Local Bursary is valued at £1,130, regardless of the value of the University of Bristol Bursary for which the student is entitled.

13. The University will review the value of the University of Bristol Bursary from time to time.

Notification and Payment of Award

14. During the Autumn Term, students will receive e-mail correspondence from the Student Funding Office (SFO) confirming their bursary entitlement, provided the Student Loans Company have supplied the SFO with the necessary information to generate the bursary.

15. Payments will be made directly into a student's bank account using the BACS process.

16. No payment will be made until after December 1st each year.

17. Students are required to provide the University with the correct bank details to ensure timely bursary payments.

18. Students are required to inform the SFO if they receive a re-assessment of their maintenance (or special support) grant entitlement.

19. If a student's entitlement to the Government's maintenance or special support grant changes, the level of bursary may also change. In the case of an award moving from the higher to the lower level, the University will not normally reclaim any overpayment. Any outstanding payments during the remaining academic year will be adjusted to the partial bursary level. However, if a student has already received more than the total value of the partial bursary from their previous instalments, no further payments will be made for that academic year.

20. 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.

21. If a student's entitlement to Government maintenance (or special support) grant ceases during the academic year, the University will not normally reclaim any previous payment, however no further payments will be made from the date of re-assessment of the maintenance or special support grant.

22. Students repeating a year will not automatically be entitled to repeat bursary funding. However, if the student receives the Government maintenance (or special support) grant for their repeat year, then their entitlement to a bursary will continue.

23. Students who have agreement from their Faculty to temporarily suspend their studies, and who can provide written confirmation from Student Finance England that they are still entitled to receive their maintenance grant whilst temporarily absent from their programme, will be entitled to receive a University of Bristol Bursary.

24. The University reserves the right to use the March and May bursary instalments to offset any debt owed to it by the student.

To note:

25. PGCE students are eligible for the University of Bristol Bursary package, however they are not eligible for the Local Bursary.

26. Students from Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, with a fee status of Home UK are eligible for the University of Bristol Bursary package, based on the household income levels in points 3, 4 and 5.

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Frequently Asked Questions

The following information relates to Home UK students who entered Higher Education for the first time in 2011/12 and who are being charged £3,375 tuition fees.

University of Bristol Bursaries

Further Questions

University of Bristol Bursaries

How do I know if I am eligible for the University of Bristol Bursary?

Full-time Home UK students on undergraduate programmes, who receive a Government maintenance (or special support) grant and whose household income is £50,020 or below will be eligible for a University of Bristol Bursary.

How much is it worth?

Those students with a household income of £25,000 or less, and in receipt of the full maintenance grant (or special support grant) will be entitled to receive the full University of Bristol Bursary worth £1,260.

Those students with a household income of between £25,001 and £40,000, and in receipt of a Government maintenance (or special support) grant will be entitled to receive a partial University of Bristol Bursary worth £810.

Those students with a household income of between £40,001 and £50,020, and in receipt of a Government maintenance (or special support) grant will be entitled to receive a partial University of Bristol Bursary worth £330.

These are cash bursaries paid each year to assist with living expenses and course costs (students should refer to their programme/faculty handbook for further details).

I have also heard about a Local Bursary, what is this?

As with the main University of Bristol Bursary, the Local Bursary is available to full-time, home UK students on undergraduate programmes resident in BA/BS postal code areas at the time of their UCAS application. Students must have a household income of £50,020 or less and be in receipt of either the full or partial maintenance grant or special support grant. This is a cash bursary of £1,130 paid each year.  (Please note that this bursary is not available to PGCE students).

Is there a deadline date to claim my 2011/12 University of Bristol Bursary?

Yes. Students must have claimed their University of Bristol Bursary and their Local Bursary (if applicable) by 22 June 2012.

Who are Student Finance England?

Student Finance England is a partnership between the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Student Loans Company to provide financial support to students entering Higher Education in the UK on behalf of the UK government.

Do I need to complete a separate application form to apply for these bursaries?

No. Student Finance England (SFE) assesses your entitlement to a maintenance grant or special support grant using details of your household income provided on your application for student funding, called the PR1 form, (if you do not live in England, please see the section regarding 'is it too late to give consent to share' for contact details). As long as you have given your consent to share this information, the Student Loans Company will then provide confirmation electronically to the University of Bristol of your household income.

Yes. If you do not provide Student Loans Company with your consent to share this information, the University of Bristol will not know the level of your household income and whether you qualify for a maintenance or special support grant and will not, therefore, be able to award you a bursary.

The declaration pages on the PR1 form have a consent to share question asking if you and your parents/sponsors wish to give consent to share details of the household income with the institution. If you do not tick these boxes, then you have given your consent to share and the University of Bristol will receive this information electronically from the Student Loans Company.

No, it isn't too late, but you and your parent/sponsor(s) must call the appropriate number. Consent can be given at any time during the year.

What will happen once the University of Bristol receives details of my household income and my entitlement to a maintenance grant or special support grant from Student Finance England?

You will be e-mailed as soon as possible in the first few weeks of term to confirm your bursary award. If you have applied late for statutory support or have given your consent to share your information late, the notification of your award will be delayed.

How will the Bursary be paid?

The Bursary will be paid directly into your bank account via a Bank Automated Credit (BACS) payment.

How do I give the University of Bristol my bank details?

You need to visit the University of Bristol's secure Student Info web page and supply accurate bank account and sort code details. This will enable the University of Bristol to pay the bursary into your nominated account.

When will I receive payment of my University of Bristol Bursary/Bursaries?

The Bursary will be paid in three instalments in December, February and April provided you are still registered on your course at the time of payment.

If you also qualify for the £1,130 Local Bursary, this will also be split into three instalments and paid at the same time as your other bursary payments.

Further questions

If you decide to intercalate, your NHS funding will start earlier in your programme and, as a result, your University of Bristol bursary entitlement will also cease earlier. For further information, please read our advice on intercalation for students on NHS funded programmes, depending on whether you are undertaking the medicine or dentistry programme.

If my household income is less than £50,020 and I qualify for a maintenance grant or special support grant and I only give my consent to share part-way through the academic year, will this affect payment of my University of Bristol bursary?

The University of Bristol Bursary will still be paid in full, but later than the majority of students who gave their consent to share at the outset.

I have not yet applied for statutory support from Student Finance England. How can I find out if I might qualify for a maintenance grant or special support grant and is it too late to apply?

No, it is not too late – but apply now!

You can actually apply for statutory support up to nine months after the start of your academic year. However, each year you should apply as early as possible to ensure that your funding is in place for the start of the academic year.

You can submit an on-line application at the Direct Gov website.

Will a late application to Student Finance England for statutory support affect my entitlement for a bursary from the University of Bristol?

No. Provided your household income is £50,020 or less and you qualify for a maintenance grant or special support grant and you give your consent for Student Finance England to share this information, the University of Bristol will still pay you a bursary. However, your payments will be delayed, so apply as soon as you can.

What happens if I supply you with incorrect bank details?

Please ensure you supply an accurate bank account number and sort code in the first instance. If you supply incorrect bank details or change banks without updating Student Info, your bursary payment will fail.

If the payment fails, we will email to you as soon as possible to confirm the reason why. If you supply incorrect bank details, we may have to pay the first bursary instalment by cheque instead of by BACS, until we receive your correct bank details.

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Information on potential financial support available

The following provides information for new students in 2010/11.

Students in Receipt of the Maintenance Grant

The following table indicates the potential financial help available to new undergraduate students who commence their studies in 2010, and who will receive a maintenance grant in this year.

The potential total financial help available to new undergraduate students
Household Income Maintenance Grant Maintenance Loan (max £4,950) (*) Government Total UoB Bursary UoB Local Bursary (#) Potential UoB Total Potential Total Help Available
£25,000 or less £2,906 £3,497 £6,403 £1,260 £1,130 £2,390 £8,793
£30,000 £1,906 £3,997 £5,903 £810 £1,130 £1,940 £7,843
£34,000 £1,106 £4,397 £5,503 £810 £1,130 £1,940 £7,443
£40,000 £711 £4,595 £5,306 £810 £1,130 £1,940 £7,246
£45,000 £381 £4,760 £5,141 £330 £1,130 £1,460 £6,601
£50,020 £50 £4,925 £4,975 £330 £1,130 £1,460 £6,435
£50,778 £0 £4,950 £4,950 £0 £0 £0 £4,950
£55,000 £0 £4,106 £4,106 £0 £0 £0 £4,106
£57,708 £0 £3,564 (+) £3,564 £0 £0 £0 £3,564
£60,000 £0 £3,564 £3,564 £0 £0 £0 £3,564

(*) The amount of loan for which they are eligible will be reduced by £0.50 for every £1 of maintenance grant to which they are entitled.

(+) is the point at which the 72% non means tested element of the loan is reached.

(#) The University of Bristol Local Bursary is paid to students from the BA/BS postcode areas at the time of their UCAS application and who are in receipt of the University of Bristol Bursary and Government Maintenance Grant.

A student whose income is £50,020 will be eligible for the minimum grant of £50. A student whose income exceeds £50,020 will not be eligible for any grant.

For income between £25,001 and £34,000, the maintenance grant is reduced by £1 for every complete £5 by which the income exceeds £25,000. For income between £34,001 and £50,020, the maintenance grant is reduced by £1 for every complete £15.17 by which the income exceeds £34,400.

For income exceeding £50,778 the loan is reduced by £1 for every complete £5 by which the income exceeds £50,778 up to the point where it reaches 72% of the maximum amount of the maintenance loan (indicated at (+) in the table).

Students in Receipt of the Special Support Grant

UK students who have an underlying entitlement to means-tested benefits such as Income Support and Housing Benefit are eligible for a Special Support Grant of up to £2,906 a year. This will generally be lone parents, other student parents if they have a partner who is a student, and students with disabilities.

The following table indicates the potential financial help available to continuing undergraduate students who commence their studies in 2010, and who may be eligible for the Special Support Grant.

The potential total financial help available to new undergraduate students
Household Income Special Support Grant Maintenance Loan (max £4,950) Government Total UoB Bursary UoB Local Bursary (#) Potential UoB Total Potential Total Help Available
£25,000 or less £2,906 £4,950 £7,856 £1,260 £1,130 £2,390 £10,246
£30,000 £1,906 £4,950 £6,856 £810 £1,130 £1,940 £8,796
£34,000 £1,106 £4,950 £6,056 £810 £1,130 £1,940 £7,996
£40,000 £711 £4,950 £5,661 £810 £1,130 £1,940 £7,601
£45,000 £381 £4,950 £5,331 £330 £1,130 £1,460 £6,791
£50,020 £50 £4,950 £5,000 £330 £1,130 £1,460 £6,460
£50,778 £0 £4,950 £4,950 £0 £0 £0 £4,950
£55,000 £0 £4,106 £4,106 £0 £0 £0 £4,106
£57,708 £0 £3,564 (+) £3,564 £0 £0 £0 £3,564
£60,000 £0 £3,564 £3,564 £0 £0 £0 £3,564

(+) is the point at which the 72% non means tested element of the loan is reached.

(#) The University of Bristol Local Bursary is paid to students from the BA/BS postcode areas at the time of their UCAS application and who are in receipt of the University of Bristol Bursary and Government Maintenance Grant.

A student whose income is £50,020 will be eligible for the minimum grant of £50. A student whose income exceeds £50,020 will not be eligible for any grant.

For income between £25,001 and £34,000, the special support grant is reduced by £1 for every complete £5 by which the income exceeds £25,000. For income between £34,001 and £50,020, the special support grant is reduced by £1 for every complete £15.17 by which the income exceeds £34,400.

For income exceeding £50,778 the loan is reduced by £1 for every complete £5 by which the income exceeds £50,778 up to the point where it reaches 72% of the maximum amount of the maintenance loan (indicated at (+) in the table).