Quick facts
- Key general facts and figures for 2011-12
- The numbers of universities/colleges charging the maximum fee in 2011-12
- Bursary facts and figures for 2011-12
- The main types of means-tested bursaries
- Facts and figures about non means-tested bursaries
- Examples of bursary packages in 2011-12
- Numbers of current access agreements
- What universities and colleges spend on bursaries and outreach
Key general facts and figures for 2011-12
For students starting their studies in the academic year 2011-12:
- the maximum tuition fee is £3,375 (chargeable with an access agreement)
- the basic fee (chargeable without an access agreement) is £1,345
- the minimum bursary is £338
- the full state maintenance grant is £2,906
- the threshold for the full maintenance grant is a household income of £25,000
- the threshold for a partial maintenance grant is a household income of £50,020
- the typical annual bursary for a student receiving the full maintenance grant is £900.
Please note that there are different state support thresholds for ‘continuing’ students eg those who started university in 2008-09 or earlier. For more detail, see our tables showing Fee and bursary limits (including exceptions) and state support thresholds.
The numbers of universities/colleges charging the maximum fee in 2011-12
- all Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) with full-time undergraduate students have an approved access agreement and are charging the maximum fee of £3,375
- 66 out of 124 (53 per cent) directly funded Further Education Colleges (FECs) have submitted access agreements. Of these, 28 are charging the maximum fee of £3,375 and 38 are charging a lower fee
- 46 out of 59 (78 per cent) School-Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITT) providers have submitted access agreements. Of these, 22 are charging the maximum fee and 24 are charging a lower fee
- 74 per cent of all institutions with access agreements are charging the maximum fee.
Bursary facts and figures for 2011-12
In 2010-11:
- bursaries range from £338 to £3,500
- 110 (89 per cent) Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are giving bursaries above the statutory level of £338 to students on full state support
- 79 (64 per cent) HEIs are offering bursaries to students beyond the full state support threshold. Of these:
- 54 have a top income threshold somewhere between £25,001 and £50,019
- 18 are offering a bursary up to the partial state support threshold of £50,020
- six are offering a bursary above the partial state support threshold or a non-means tested bursary to all their students.
The main types of bursary
There are three main types of bursary:
- a fixed bursary – e.g. where a university gives £1,000 to students on full state support and £500 to students on partial state support (or at a different level determined by the university in question). The bulk of bursaries fall into this category
- a sliding scale – e.g. where a university gives a bursary of between £50 and £2,000 depending on the student’s assessed household income
- a bursary linked to the level of state support provided as a ‘match’ or as a percentage – e.g. where a university gives a bursary equal to 50 per cent of a student’s state support.
Facts and figures about non means-tested bursaries
In addition to core means-tested bursaries, the majority of universities and colleges offer bursaries or scholarships with additional or separate criteria.
In 2011-12:
- Typically, institutions offer two to three additional awards, which on average range from £728 to £2,477 (not all scholarships are paid annually)
- 88 HEIs (72 per cent) of universities and colleges are offering additional awards
- 31 HEIs (25 per cent) have some form of scholarship scheme based on academic attainment.
- 14 HEIs (11 per cent) offer subject-based awards
- ten HEIs (8 per cent) offer awards for achievement or progression while at university.
- 19 HEIs (15 per cent) offer awards aimed at students progressing from partner schools
- 20 HEIs (16 per cent) offer awards aimed at students leaving local authority care.
Examples of bursary packages in 2011-12
Here are some examples of the three main bursary types (see above for explanation of these types) and non means-tested awards. For full details of all the awards offered by the universities and colleges mentioned below, see their individual access agreements.
‘Fixed’ bursaries
Manchester Guarantee Bursary – The University of Manchester offers £1,250 to all students who receive the full maintenance grant, i.e. those with household incomes up to £25,000.
Big Deal Bursary – Buckinghamshire New University offers £500, non-means-tested, to all its undergraduates.
‘Sliding Scale’ bursaries
Kent Bursary – The University of Kent offers bursaries as follows:-
| Household income | Bursary Value | |
|---|---|---|
| From | To | |
| £0 | £25,000 | £1,000 |
| £25,001 | £28,500 | £750 |
| £28,501 | £34,000 | £500 |
| £34,001 | £40,000 | £250 |
Leeds Bursary – The University of Leeds offers bursaries as follows:-
| Household income | Bursary Value | |
|---|---|---|
| From | To | |
| £0 | £25,600 | £1,540 |
| £25,601 | £26,600 | £1,335 |
| £26,601 | £27,600 | £1,130 |
| £27,601 | £28,600 | £925 |
| £28,601 | £29,600 | £770 |
| £29,601 | £30,600 | £665 |
| £30,601 | £31,600 | £565 |
| £31,601 | £32,600 | £515 |
| £32,601 | £33,600 | £460 |
| £33,601 | £34,600 | £410 |
| £34,601 | £35,600 | £360 |
| £35,601 | £36,600 | £335 |
‘Matched’ bursaries
Guildhall Bursary Scheme – Guildhall School of Music and Drama offers a bursary equivalent to 50% of the value of the maintenance grant that a student receives. Therefore, a student on the full maintenance grant of £2,906 will receive a bursary of £1,453. A student on the lowest partial maintenance grant (£50) will receive a £25 bursary.
Location-based awards
Some universities and colleges give awards to students who live locally or in areas classed as having relative deprivation, or known to have low participation in higher education.
The Salford Community Bursary – The University of Salford offers £500 to all students who have a Salford postcode at the time of application and who are entitled to the full maintenance grant. The award is paid pro-rata to students receiving of a partial maintenance grant.
Awards for care leavers
An increasing number of universities and colleges recognise that students leaving local authority care are particularly under-represented in higher education.
Keele Care Leavers’ Bursary – Keele University offers a guaranteed bursary totalling £4,500 to care leavers – £1,000 in year one, £1,500 in year two and £2,000 in year three respectively.
Subject-based awards
Many universities and colleges also give awards to students studying subjects that may be of strategic importance (at a national or institutional level), have particular issues around fair access, or be recognised as under-subscribed subjects.
Liverpool Attainment Scholarships – The University of Liverpool gives a £1,500 attainment scholarship to students who have achieved AAB at A level or equivalent and who are studying subjects in areas including engineering, chemistry, physics, modern languages and geography. Students must achieve an average of 70% or more at the end of their first and second year to continue to qualify for the scholarship.
Numbers of current access agreements
In 2011-12 a total of 235 institutions have live access agreements. This number consists of:
- 123 Higher Education Institutions (HEIs)
- 66 Further Education Colleges (FECs)
- 46 School Based Initial Teacher Training (SCITT) providers
What universities and colleges spend on bursaries and outreach
Our most recent monitoring report shows that in 2009-10:
- HEIs spent £355.7 million on bursaries and scholarships for students from lower income and other under-represented groups. This represents 22.6 per cent of the additional income they received from charging higher fees
- three-quarters (75 per cent) of this £355.7 million went to students from the very lowest income group, helping more than 271,000 students with a household income of less than £25,000
- HEIs also spent £38.3 million on additional outreach
- overall, more than 401,000 students from lower income and other under-represented groups received a bursary or scholarship.