Quick facts
- Key general facts and figures for 2009-10
- The numbers of universities/colleges charging the maximum fee in 2009-10
- Bursary facts and figures for 2009-10
- The main types of means-tested bursaries
- Facts and figures about non means-tested bursaries
- Examples of bursary packages in 2009-10
- Numbers of current access agreements
- What universities and colleges spend on bursaries and outreach
- Winners of the Times Higher Education award for ‘Outstanding student support package’
Key general facts and figures for 2009-10
For students starting their studies in the academic year 2009-10:
- the maximum tuition fee is £3,225 (chargeable with an access agreement)
- the basic fee (chargeable without an access agreement) is £1,285
- the minimum bursary is £319
- 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 2009-10:
- 96 per cent of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are charging the maximum fee of £3,225. All HEIs offering full-time undergraduate courses have an approved access agreement
- 46 per cent of Further Education Colleges (FECs) with access agreements are charging the maximum fee
- 80 per cent of HEIs and FECs with access agreements have opted to charge the maximum fee
- 55 per cent of School Centred Initial Teacher Training (SCITT) providers with access agreements are charging the maximum fee
- 75 per cent of all institutions are charging the maximum fee.
Bursary facts and figures for 2008-09
In 2008-09 (the most recent year for which we have such data):
- bursaries ranged from £310 to £3,150
- 79 per cent of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) offered bursaries to students above the statutory level of £310 for students on full state support
- 83 per cent offered bursaries to students beyond the full state support threshold. Of these:
- 60 per cent had a top income threshold somewhere between £25,000 and £60,005
- 18 per cent offered a bursary up to the partial state support threshold of £60,005
- 5 per cent offered 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)
- 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 2008-09:
- 94 per cent of universities and colleges offered additional awards
- 38 per cent had some form of scholarship scheme based on academic attainment. Of these, less than a third of the scholarships were means-tested. A typical scholarship is £1,000
- 20 per cent offered subject-based awards
- 18 per cent offered awards for achievement or progression while at university. Awards ranged from £100 to £10,000 (not all scholarships are paid annually)
- 13 per cent offered awards aimed at students progressing from partner schools
- 18 per cent offered awards aimed at students leaving local authority care
- 14 per cent created discretionary funds or awards or contributed to existing discretionary funds and awards.
Examples of bursary packages in 2009-10
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.
BUCKS Bursary – Buckinghamshire New University offers £500, non-means-tested, to all its undergraduates.
‘Sliding Scale’ bursaries
University of 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 | £25,000 | £1,500 |
| £25,001 | £26,000 | £1,300 |
| £26,001 | £27,000 | £1,100 |
| £27,001 | £28,000 | £900 |
| £28,001 | £29,000 | £750 |
| £29,001 | £30,000 | £650 |
| £30,001 | £31,000 | £550 |
| £31,001 | £32,000 | £500 |
| £32,001 | £33,000 | £450 |
| £33,001 | £34,000 | £400 |
| £34,001 | £35,000 | £350 |
| £35,001 | £36,000 | £325 |
‘Matched’ bursaries
Guildhall Bursary – 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 areas classed as having relative deprivation, or known to have low participation in higher education.
Salford University 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
As at 31 March 2009, a total of 222 institutions have live access agreements. This number consists of :
- 123 Higher Education Institutions (HEIs)
- 54 Further Education Colleges (FECs)
- 44 School Based Initial Teacher Training (SCITT) providers
- 1 other institution.
What universities and colleges spend on bursaries and outreach
Our most recent monitoring report shows that in 2007-08:
- universities and colleges spent £192 million on bursaries and scholarships for students from lower income and other under-represented groups. This represents 21.8 per cent of the additional income they received from charging higher fees
- more than 70 per cent of this £192 million went to students from the very lowest income group, helping almost 133,000 students with a household income of less than £17,910
- universities and colleges also spent just under £27 million on additional outreach, up £6 million from 2006-07
- overall, more than 205,000 students from lower income and other under-represented groups received a bursary or scholarship.
Winners of the Times Higher Education award for ‘Outstanding student support package’
In 2006, 2007, and 2008 we sponsored the Times Higher Education award for ‘Outstanding student support package’. The winners were as follows:
2006 Winner: Edge Hill University
Sir Martin Harris, Director of Fair Access, said: I’m delighted to see Edge Hill University win this award. The entry was an excellent example of a broad package of financial support tailored to the needs of a number of under-represented groups. I was particularly impressed by the range of creative initiatives designed to encourage retention and achievement.
2006 Highly Commended: University of Leeds
Sir Martin Harris, Director of Fair Access, said: I particularly like the fact that this scheme is an innovative collaboration between the university, business and the local Council. It demonstrates a good understanding of the needs of a specific under-represented group and how financial support will make a real difference to their lives.
2007 Winner: Portsmouth University
Sir Martin Harris, Director of Fair Access, said: I’m delighted to see Portsmouth win this award. Their entry was an excellent example of well targeted financial support aimed at a specific group of chronically under-represented students; in this case care leavers and previously homeless students. I was particularly impressed with Portsmouth’s integrated approach, both in engaging professionals in the field of care and homelessness, and in co-ordinating services across the University. They are already seeing early signs of success in their excellent retention rates and in feedback from the students.
2007 Highly Commended: Wolverhampton University
Sir Martin Harris, Director of Fair Access, said: The Wolverhampton Regional Cashback bursary is an innovative approach to linking and incentivising the involvement of local pupils in Aimhigher or other aspiration and awareness activities, with the promise of an additional bursary in year one of HE. I particularly like the extent to which the regional schools and colleges have engaged with the scheme along with other partners in Aimhigher and Connexions to create maximum awareness amongst the target population.
2008 Winner: Oxford Brookes University
Sir Martin Harris, Director of Fair Access, said: I am delighted to see Oxford Brookes win this award. Their scheme targets local state schools and colleges, inviting them to actively engage with the university by nominating students for their ‘regional participation scholarship’. I am particularly impressed by the way they have used the scheme to form new relationships with local schools and colleges, taking the opportunity to raise aspirations and financial awareness more generally as well as promote their scholarships.
2008 Highly Commended: University of Westminster
Sir Martin Harris, Director of Fair Access, said: The University of Westminster has developed a range of scholarships benefiting a number of particularly disadvantaged groups, including ex-prisoners, care leavers, students with major disabilities and recent immigrant and refugee students. I particularly like the way they identify and develop scholarships in partnership with a range of professional and interest groups in the community.