Student loans aren't the only funding available at university. Scholarships, bursaries and grants usually don't need to be repaid, and there are thousands of awards available across the UK.
Places to look:
| University bursaries | Usually based on household income or personal circumstances | Often worth hundreds or thousands of pounds per year | Check your university's funding pages — some are awarded automatically once your household income is confirmed. |
| Academic scholarships | Strong grades or academic achievement | Cash payments, fee reductions or both | Search the scholarships offered by universities you're applying to. |
| Sports, music and talent scholarships | High-level achievement outside academics | Varies considerably | Particularly common for competitive sport, music and performing arts. |
| Background-specific bursaries | Low household income, care experience, estrangement, refugee status or other circumstances | Varies by university | Check eligibility even if you don't think of yourself as a typical scholarship applicant. |
| Charitable grants | Can depend on where you're from, your course, family circumstances, occupation of a parent or other surprisingly specific criteria | Usually smaller awards, but they can add up | Search the Turn2us Grants Search, which matches applicants with charitable funds they may qualify for. |
| Course-specific funding | Certain degrees and professions | Potentially substantial | For example, eligible healthcare students can currently receive an NHS Learning Support Fund Training Grant of £5,000 per academic year, with another £1,000 available for certain specialist subjects. |
Where should you search?
Start with:
- Your university's scholarships and bursaries page
- UCAS Scholarships, Bursaries & Grants
- Turn2us Grants Search
- Professional bodies related to your subject
- Local charities and trusts
- Employers and industry organisations connected to your degree
Don't just search once before starting university. New awards appear throughout the year, and some are aimed specifically at current students rather than applicants. UCAS's database, for example, currently lists awards with application deadlines extending into the 2026/27 academic year.
And don't assume scholarships are only for straight-A students. Financial circumstances, your course, where you grew up, sporting ability, personal background and career plans can all potentially qualify you for funding.
It can take ten minutes to submit a simple bursary application for an award worth hundreds of pounds. Unlike your Maintenance Loan, that is money you generally won't have to repay.
