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University of York bursaries

A bursary is a grant given by the University that does not have to be repaid. 

This bursary has been partly funded through kind donations from York alumni and supporters to the University of Opportunity fund.

How to apply

There is no application process for an undergraduate bursary.

We use the information from your UK student funding provider to automatically assess if you are eligible for a bursary for each year of your course.

So that we can assess your eligibility, please ensure you have had your household income assessed by your UK student funding provider.

If you, or your sponsor(s), opt out of your student funding provider sharing information with the University, we won’t be able to assess your eligibility for a bursary.  

Eligibility

To be eligible for a bursary, you must:

  • Be studying an undergraduate level course (including integrated Masters programmes and undergraduate courses with a foundation year)
  • Be studying full-time
  • Have a UK Home fee status
  • Be liable for the full £9,535 tuition fees for the year
  • Have a means tested UK Student Finance application
  • Have a household income of less than £35,000 unless otherwise stated in the additional criteria under the specific bursary types

Additional information and responses to some frequently asked questions can be found on the Bursary FAQs page.

How the York Bursary Schemes are administered may vary slightly each academic year, therefore, please ensure you review the procedure relevant for the current academic year for specific details.

The value of the award may also vary year-on-year, however for the value of the award you may be entitled to, please review the procedure/guidance document for the year you commenced your studies. For students starting their studies in 2025/26, please refer to the following:

For students who started in a previous year, please refer to the Guide to the University of York Bursary Schemes for the year that you began your course:

If you require an earlier copy of the York Bursaries Guide, please contact sfsu@york.ac.uk

Assessment process

  • Bursaries are automatically assessed on the first working day of each of the following months, October and January. Any change to circumstances after the assessment date will be administered and actioned at the next scheduled assessment.
  • A third assessment is completed on the first working day of April, this is the final assessment for the academic year. 
  • If you are awarded a bursary, we will notify you by email to your University account.
  • We aim to let students know by the end of October if they are eligible for a bursary. If you don’t hear from us before 1 November and think you may be eligible, please contact your student funding provider to check that your household income has been assessed correctly, and that your household income was shared with the University.
  • If your student funding provider has confirmed your household income is correct and that the information has been shared with the University, please email sfsu@york.ac.uk from your University email address, quoting your nine digit student reference number, and we can investigate for you.

Receiving your bursary

Bursaries are awarded in two ways - cash payment or offset against on-campus accommodation. Bursaries are usually paid in three installments - please see the award letter on your e:Vision account for your payment dates and amounts.

If your bursary is due to be paid as a cash payment, please submit your bank details using the University’s secure bank detail collection system using your University username and password. Please email us at sfsu@york.ac.uk to confirm this has been done, and we can then arrange the payment. Please do not email us your bank details.

If you are due a cash payment and have not submitted your details, we will not be able to pay you. Not all awards include cash payments, the Bursary Guides provide further details on how bursaries are paid.

Further details

If you have a question about any of our bursaries, please check our FAQ page in the first instance.

For other bursary related enquiries, please contact Student Financial Support (sfsu@york.ac.uk).

  • We are unable to discuss details about a student's circumstances with third parties (such as parents, guardians or partners).
  • We cannot disclose any detailed household income information to anyone, including the student.

For any other financial queries, please see the Useful Finance Contacts page.