2016 Undergraduate Funding and Scholarships

Full-time Undergraduate Scholarships & Bursaries for UK students studying in 2016

Please note - the following information is for 'Home' students only and is valid for students entering the University in the 2016/17 academic year.

(If you are looking for 2015/16 entry scholarship criteria, please click here.) 

What is available?

• Definitions
• Northumbria University Bursaries
• Terms and Conditions Bursaries 2016 entry
• Northumbria University Academic Scholarships
• Standard UK Qualifications
• Students from Scotland
• International Baccalaureate Diploma students
• Term and Conditions Scholarship 2016 entry
• Team Northumbria Athlete Scholarships
• Care Leavers Bursary
• Government Funded Support

Definitions 

Home - normally, in order to be classed as a home student, you will need to have been living in the UK for at least three years for purposes other than education and have settled status. Further information can be found by referring to the UKCISA website. 

Bursary – a bursary is a means tested financial award given to students who meet the criteria of the scheme. Not all bursaries are given in cash, but could be services or resources of an equivalent financial value.

Scholarship – a financial award given to students who meet the academic threshold as determined by the scheme.

Sponsorship arrangement - if your fees are being paid in full or part by another sponsor (such as an employer, charity or trust) this will be considered as a sponsorship arrangement.  

Full-time Undergraduate Bursaries 2016 entry

For 2016 we will be offering a means tested bursary of £1,000 to students who have a household income of less than £16,000. The bursary will be for every year of your undergraduate studies, you will be automatically assessed for this bursary and you must be paying full fees of £9,000. The bursary will aid you in your studies at Northumbria University.

Eligibility to receive a bursary from Northumbria University will be determined when you apply for one or more elements of the government's student finance package (Tuition Fee Loan, Maintenance Loan and Maintenance Grant) and will be means-tested annually. You do not need to apply for this bursary and we will notify you if you are eligible.  You will receive 25% in November, 25% in February and 50% in May.

Terms and Conditions Bursaries 2016 entry

Please note the following students will not be eligible to receive a Northumbria Bursary.

• Students funded by the NHS
• Students undertaking PGCE courses leading to QTS
• Students transferring in from another institution 
• Students continuing directly from one course to another (eg from Foundation Degrees or HND to the second or final year of an Honours degree) 
• Students whose fees are paid or part-paid through a sponsorship arrangement
• Students from the Channel Islands/Isle of Man, Gibraltar and the European Union.  

Full-time Undergraduate Academic Excellence Scholarships 2016 entry

For 2016 we will be offering an academic excellence scholarship to eligible Home students who achieve more than 360 UCAS points from their best three qualifications.

The Scholarship will be awarded to enrolled students who achieve the following points from their best three qualifications:

£1,000 for 360-399 UCAS points
£2,000 for 400+ UCAS points

Please note - if you have previously viewed this page and have been advised that you need to opt into the scheme to be eligible, this criterion has now been removed and you will be considered for the scheme automatically.

Which qualifications are applicable?

Standard UK qualifications

The University will consider you for an academic scholarship if you achieve 360 UCAS Tariff points or more from the three qualifications in which you achieve your highest grades.

For example:

• if you study three A levels and achieve three A* grades then you would receive a scholarship of £2000 (3 x 140 UCAS Tariff points = 420)
• if you study a QCF BTEC National Diploma and achieve grades D*D* and a GCE A level and achieve a grade C then you would receive a scholarship of £1000 (1 x 280 UCAS Tariff points + 1 x 80 UCAS Tariff points = 360).

When considering which are your best three qualifications the University will use as its standard the GCE/VCE Advanced level which will count as one qualification at level 3 in the National Qualifications Framework.

Any UCAS Tariff points you achieve from qualifications which are smaller in size than a GCE/VCE A level (for example a GCE AS level) or are at a lower level (for example Key Skills level 2) will not be considered. Two GCE AS levels will not be considered as one A level.

The following table is indicative of the 'size' of different qualification types.  

Students who have studied combinations of qualifications from different qualification groups (eg A level and BTEC) will be considered for the scholarship provided their combination does not exceed three qualifications (for example a student who has studied 2 GCE A levels and a BTEC QCF National Subsidiary Diploma would be considered, but a student who has studied 2 BTEC QCF National Diplomas would not).

List to be used for guidance only.

Scottish Highers Students
The University welcomes applications from students taking Scottish Qualifications Authority examinations. The Scholarship will be awarded to enrolled students who opt into the scheme and achieve the following points:

£1,000 for 360-399 UCAS points
£2,000 for 400+ UCAS points

• 5 Highers
• 3 Advanced Highers
• 2 Advanced Highers and 2 Highers
• 1 Advanced Higher and 3 Highers

International Baccalaureate Diploma students

The University welcomes applications from Home students studying for the International Baccalaureate Diploma. The Scholarship will be awarded to enrolled students who opt into the scheme and achieve the following points:

£1,000 for 29 -30 points
£2,000 for 31+ points

Terms and Conditions Scholarship 2016 entry

In addition to achieving the necessary level of qualifications all students must:

• make an application to Northumbria University via the UCAS main scheme (and choose us as your firm choice), Extra, Adjustment or Clearing and be made an offer of a place
• be ordinarily resident in the UK and be Home for the purposes of fees or be a resident of the Channel Islands/Isle of Man
• make an application to Northumbria University via UCAS
• enrol with Northumbria University on or before the enrolment deadline (anticipated to be 3rd October 2016)
• be applying and studying for your first higher education qualification
• register with Student Finance England (SFE), Student Finance Wales (SFW) or Student Finance Northern Ireland (SFNI) as they administer the payment of the academic scholarship on behalf of the University*. The payment will be made direct to your bank account. 
• make an application to the Students Award Agency for Scotland (SAAS) for maintenance funding, which will enable SAAS to pay the student’s academic scholarship on behalf of the University.  Alternatively, a Scottish student who does not wish to apply to SAAS for maintenance funding will need to provide bank details to the University in order that an individual payment for the academic scholarship can be made.  Scottish students who have not applied to SAAS for maintenance funding but who are eligible for a University scholarship will be contacted by the University in the first semester about the payment of their scholarship.
• eligible applicants from the Channel Islands/Isle of Man/Gibraltar will be paid by cheque.

*Registering with one of the above does not commit you to incur any loan or other commitment unless you wish to do so.

Please note the following students will not be eligible to receive a Northumbria Academic Excellence Scholarship in 2016.

• Students funded by the NHS
• Students undertaking PGCE courses leading to QTS
• Students continuing directly from one course to another (eg from Foundation Degrees, Diploma of Higher Education, BTEC HND to the second, third or final year of an Honours degree)
• Students with Access to HE Diplomas
• Students transferring in from another institution
• Students who do not meet the definition of a home student as specified above.  

You must be a fully enrolled student when each of the payments are made. You will receive 25% in November, 25% in February and 50% in May.

If you owe the University tuition fees or have other outstanding debt during any year of study then payment will not be made until the debt is cleared and you may be withdrawn from the scheme. 

ALL SCHOLARSHIPS ARE AWARDED AT THE DISCRETION OF THE UNIVERSITY AND ELIGIBILITY DECISIONS ARE FINAL.

Team Northumbria Athlete Scholarships

Here at Northumbria University, we are committed to raising the bar and helping you realise your ambitions as a performance athlete.

We recognise that juggling University life and high level sport isn't easy and we're here to help you achieve the perfect balance. The support we provide ensures that you can get the most out your sport, study and life as a student.

Along with excellent scholarship packages which can offer funding towards accommodation and fees, we can also provide a range of support packages offering up to £2,000 of support for Performance Athletes.

EU Scholarship Information

Care Leavers Bursary

£1,000 per year of a full time undergraduate course.

To apply for this bursary you must be a full-time 'Home' undergraduate student.

Any student undertaking a placement year as part of their full time study should discuss with an adviser.

Eligibility Criteria

You must also have at least one of the following: 

• Have 'former relevant care leaver status' according to the Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000. This status applies to people under the age of 25 who were 'looked after' by the local authority for at least 13 weeks since the age of 14 and ending after the age of 16          

• Have been privately fostered up to the age of 18 – this arrangement must be for more a two month period.     

• Have been the subject of a 'special guardianship order' , kinships fostering’ and were 'looked after' immediately prior to the making of the order

The University will consider exceptional cases that do not meet these criteria on an individual basis. Northumbria University's decision on all applications will be final.

For more information and to see if you are eligible please email - sv.welfareandinternational@northumbria.ac.uk

Government Funded Support (Loans and Grants)

For information on student financial support please go to 
https://www.gov.uk or www.moneysavingexpert.com or the University's Student Support and Wellbeing Team.