Bursaries to help low-income students go to uni

Grant recipients say the money helps ease financial worries so they can focus entirely on their studies

University bursaries are being made available for students from families struggling to afford higher education.

A programme from Wiltshire Community Foundation is giving out grants of up to £1,600 for each academic year to help under 25s from low-income families go to university.

The money can be put towards general living expenses, tuition costs, travel, books and equipment.

Former recipient, Kathryn Gadd, said: "Knowing that I could have that support at the start made me motivated to actually go in and try.”

Ms Gadd said the grant enabled her to pursue her dream career in film

The programme has been running since 2008, and last year awarded £348,000 in grants to 68 young people from across Wiltshire and Swindon.

People whose families are receiving two elements of Universal credit, are eligible to apply.

Ms Gadd, who went on to study a higher national diploma of Film and TV at New College Swindon, says the money "helped massively" with commuting expenses.

"Although I did receive some money from student loans to cover course fees, my job didn’t pay enough for me to consistently be able to travel to and from the college, and get to the different places that I needed to," she said.

“The grant has made a complete difference to me, I wouldn’t have been able to attend higher education otherwise."

'Fulfil their dreams'

According to the National Student Accommodation Survey 2024, the average monthly rent for students is £550, with those living in university accommodation paying on average £596 a month.

The Sutton Trust Cost of Living survey, conducted in January 2023, also revealed that 33% of students from a lower socio-economic background reported skipping meals to save money.

Wiltshire Community Foundation grants manager, Nicola Hillier, said: “We are so proud of our University Bursary programme, as it allows us to make a difference to so many young people’s lives in our community every year.

“It is absolutely heartbreaking that so many young people miss out on the chance to go to higher education and fulfil their dreams, through situations out of their control."

Ms Hiller added that in their latest round of bursary applications, they saw a success rate of 84.5% of students being awarded a grant.

"We encourage all those who are eligible to apply. We are here to support with the application every step of the way."

Those who are eligible can now register their interest for the academic year 2025/26.