University Name:
See all universitiesOther cash sources
- Sponsorship
- Career Development Loans
- Jobs
- University scholarships, bursaries and other help
- Educational trusts & charities
- Benefits
- Borrowing more
Sponsorship
Sponsorship is offered by some employers in industry, government and professional partnerships as well as by professional bodies. They are much sought after because they can solve two student problems at a stroke – financing yourself through university and getting a job when you graduate. You are normally responsible for gaining your own admission on to an appropriate degree course.
Competition is fierce for sponsorships, so you need to get cracking early. Several sponsorships are advertised on the UCAS website and the press too. Some firms are offering sponsorship for the final year only; you apply in your second year.
Here are some ideas that it might be worth following up.
| Professional Sponsors | Contacts | |
| Engineering and Physical Sciences | ||
| AMEC Construction | www.amec.com | |
| Balfour Beatty Construction | www.balfourbeatty.com | |
| Bovis Lend Lease Ltd | www.bovislendlease.co.uk | |
| Costain Group Plc | www.costain.com | |
| Defence Engineering and Science Group | www.desg.mod.uk | |
| Faber Maunsell | www.fabermaunsell.com | |
| Frazer Nash Consultancy | www.fnc.co.uk | |
| Hoare Lea | www.hoarelea.com | |
| IEE Power Academy | www.theiet.org | |
| JCB | www.jcb.com | |
| Kier Group | www.kier.co.uk | |
| Mott MacDonald | www.mottmac.com | |
| Sir Robert McAlpine | www.sir-robert-mcalpine.com | |
| Ramboll UK Ltd | www.ramboll.co.uk | |
| Worcester Bosch | www.worcester-bosch.co.uk | |
| The Armed Forces | www.raf.mod.uk www.royalnavy.mod.uk www.army.mod.uk | |
| Medicine/pharmaceuticals | ||
| GlaxoSmithKline | www.gsk.co.uk | |
| Pfizer | www.pfizer.co.uk | |
| Astra Zeneca | www.astrazeneca.co.uk | |
| Johnson & Johnson | www.jnj.com | |
| Computer Science | ||
| IBM | www.ibm.com | |
| Astra Zeneca | www.astrazeneca.co.uk | |
| Viglen | www.viglen.co.uk | |
| Microsoft | www.microsoft.com | |
| Applemac | www.apple.com | |
| Law | ||
| Allen & Overy LLP | www.allenovery.com | |
| Clifford Chance | www.cliffordchance.com | |
| Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer | www.freshfields.com | |
| Linklaters LLP | www.linklaters.com | |
| Slaughter and May | www.slaughterandmay.com | |
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Career Development Loans
You may be able to get a Career Development Loan (CDL), offered by a partnership of the Learning & Skills Council and some high street banks. They are designed to cover vocational education or training for two years. You cannot hold a CDL along with a Student Loan.
The maximum CDL is £8000 – up to 80% of your course fees (maybe 100% if you have been unemployed) and 100% of your living expenses.
You can get information leaflet on the Lifelong Learning website, www.lifelonglearning.co.uk/cdl
back to topJobs
You can work in the vacations to supplement your income – some 90% of students do. And many students also have part-time jobs during term time. The University profiles give some of the local possibilities.
See also Jobs and Work (paid or voluntary)
back to topUniversity scholarships, bursaries and other help
Some universities have scholarships or bursaries open to all students, while at others they are closely targeted. The most common approaches are:
- Bursary help is most often for students from low-income families and/or those from partner schools and colleges.
- Scholarships are usually for high academic performance (or sport, or music). Mostly they require either high entry qualifications (or high marks in the first year assessment). For sports scholarships, you often need to be competing at a national level – or even be in with a chance of a gold medal at the 2012 Olympics. Some scholarships may be specially awarded to students from low-income families, international students etc.
- Hardship funds and access to learning funds usually help disabled students, those with dependent children or adults, those with high costs, or for existing students experiencing unexpected financial difficulties. They may also cover costs of computers, field trips, etc.
Universities have their own priorities and many have ear-marked funds for particular groups of students (mature students, students from the Commonwealth etc) or special expenditure (eg travel, childcare). So you may qualify for help in one university and not in another. The key thing is to talk to someone in the university (student advice, students’ union, your tutor – anyone) as soon as you are in trouble and before you are in real difficulties. UK students do not usually qualify for any help unless they have taken out their full Student Loan entitlement.
As well as the universities’ own funds, they administer government funds to help students on low incomes who may need extra financial support to stay on the course. These funds are only available after you have started the course and, again, come in different guises in each different country, eg Access to Learning funds in England, Financial Contingency Funds in Wales.
Check the individual University profiles and the universities’ own websites.
back to topEducational trusts & charities
There are lots of impoverished students chasing the little money handed out by educational charities, so don’t pin your hopes on getting a lot.
Most charities are very specific about who or what they can help (students from Hackney, cats homes in Derbyshire..............). You need to focus on those whose remit includes you. You can get advice from Educational Grants Advisory Service (EGAS) – see the website, www.family-action.org.uk.
back to topBenefits
Few students qualify for state benefits – some disabled students, student parents and part-time students are exceptions. If you think you qualify, try telephoning your local Jobcentre Plus office (look it up in the phone book). The Department for Work & Pensions (DWP) will give you information or contact your local authority if you think you are eligible for eg housing benefit.
back to topBorrowing more
A fact of student life these days. Consider the costs carefully. A business-like approach is to take the cheapest loan first.
- Free overdraft. Most banks offer interest-free overdrafts to students if you ask for it – though who knows who banks are lending to these days.
- Student loan. Interest at inflation rate only.
- Agreed overdraft (variable interest rate, bank base rate plus).
- Credit cards. Ferocious interest rates.
You could also try a career development loan if you, or your course, are eligible.
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