Futures Scholarships

Three Futures Scholars laughing and smiling as they walk through Royal Fort Gardens.

Futures Scholarships ensure that a Bristol education is available to all. They offer support to talented students who have experienced hardship and who may not have considered university to be accessible to them.

This support is more important than ever to open doors for all students. One fifth of students in the UK are considering dropping out of their courses because they can’t afford to continue, and over 55% of students have stopped taking part in extracurricular activities due to increasing financial pressures (Russell Group Students’ Unions). Bristol’s students particularly need your support, as Bristol is now the most expensive city to live in outside of London, according to research by NatWest.

The Futures Scholarship provides comprehensive financial, pastoral and career support to help students thrive at Bristol and beyond.

By donating to the Futures Scholarship programme today, you can help reduce the financial burden associated with pursuing higher education. This increased financial security allows students to focus on their studies. It also gives them the time and space to enjoy extracurricular activities as well as to become active, engaged members of the Bristol community. In turn, our students leave Bristol ready to have a positive impact on the world.

How the Futures Scholarship supports students

Financial assistance

The Futures Scholarship supports students with flexible funding up to £7,000. This includes £2,000 a year in their first, second and third years to help them with essentials and enable them to make the most of university life, and a total of £1,000 in employability funding.

Pastoral support

A dedicated Futures Scholarship Coordinator offers guidance, builds community and provides opportunities for scholars to explore careers, develop skills, and discover what they want out of their university journey.

Employability funding

Students receive £1,000 in funding to use towards an internship, placement or other employability-focused activity during their time at Bristol and for up to a year after they graduate. It can be used in a number of ways, whether that’s covering travel costs for an internship, buying a suit for interviews, or purchasing equipment required for their field.

Your support in numbers 

275 Futures Scholarships have been awarded since 2019 
36 Futures Scholars graduated in 2024 

Read more

Three Futures Scholars pose together on the green lawn of Royal Fort Gardens smiling.

Read more about how you can enable all students, regardless of background, to come to university and thrive.

Three students walk through Royal Fort Gardens and laugh.

Read stories from across campus and learn more about the ways alumni and friends support students and research.