BU Care Leavers Bursaries

Am I eligible for the BU Care Leavers Bursary?

The BU Care Leavers Bursary is available if you have been in full-time care for a period of three months or more in the last five years.

In addition to this you will also need to meet the following criteria:

Your family income is less than £25,000* per annum
You are a new full or part-time** undergraduate student starting university for the first time in 2012, studying a course at BU or one of our Partner Institutions (there are some exclusions, please see the criteria below)
You (and/or your family) are responsible for your own fees and living expenses, and not sponsored by a company or charity.

* as per student finance data recorded as at 16 June 2012

** part-time students must be studying a minimum of 25% of the course in each academic year.

You can only apply for a BU Care Leavers Bursary if you have chosen Bournemouth University as your Firm choice through UCAS (i.e. your status on UCAS track is showing as U/F or C/F).

Are any students excluded?

The criteria set out by the Government exclude students:

on courses that have been funded by the NHS
funded by the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish Governments
who are from outside of England (i.e. from other parts of the EU or international students)
who have previously studied in Higher Education (including students enrolling onto top-up degrees).

Am I guaranteed to receive this bursary if I apply?

Students who meet the criteria for the Care Leavers Bursary are guaranteed to receive the bursary.

What will I get if I'm awarded a BU Care Leavers Bursary?

Foundation / Honours Degree (FdA/FdSc/BA/BSc/LLB) Care Leavers Students	1st Year	2nd Year	Final Year
Cash payment into bank account	£900	£300	£300
Accommodation Discount or Fee Waiver	£4500	£4500	£4500
Living expenses Vouchers*	£600	£200	£200
Total	£6000	£5000	£5000

* The University is working with suppliers to ensure bursary recipients receive vouchers which suit their needs. Details will available at the time of application.

^ Please note Foundation Degrees are only two year courses.

Additional Information
Cash payment into bank account	This payment is divided into three instalments and paid directly into your bank account each term to help pay for the costs of university study and life.
Accommodation Discount or Fee Waiver	You can elect to have this sum of money as a fee waiver (which means we will charge you a reduced tuition fee) or as an accommodation discount whilst living away from home. Students cannot have a combination of accommodation discount and fee waiver. If you are in University managed accommodation (such as the Student Village, Cranborne, Hurn House or a UniLet property), each rent instalment will be discounted (for example, if you receive a £2,000 Accommodation Discount, each termly rent instalment will be reduced by £666). If you live in privately managed accommodation (such as Corfe House, Chesil House, Lyme Regis House or Purbeck House), and for students living at home, this sum of money must be taken as a fee waiver.
Living expenses Vouchers	This is an additional way to support you in paying for the costs of study. The University is exploring the most effective form of voucher system, and full details will be available shortly.

Can I get a bursary for every year of my course?

BU Bursary holders will need to meet eligibility criteria in each year of the award. There is no direct financial support during the placement year.

Additional Information for Care Leavers

The University is committed to supporting care leavers and will guarantee year-round accommodation for care leavers for the duration of their programme.

For the first year, the University will provide accommodation in University halls of residence free of charge and then guarantee accommodation in University-managed housing for subsequent years.

For students at Partner Colleges, where accommodation is not managed by the University, the University will contribute to the cost of accommodation with a bursary for that purpose.

Find Out More:

Bournemouth University