UCL Undergraduate Bursary

This is the main undergraduate bursary scheme available at UCL. It is automatically assessed based on students' applications to their regional funding authority (e.g. Student Finance England).

Key information

Value: Variable (see below)
Available to: Prospective and current students
Selection criteria: Available to all eligible UCL students
Eligible fee status: Home fee status and domiciled in the UK
Eligible programmes: All undergraduate programmes
Application: Students do not need to apply directly for a UCL Undergraduate Bursary. UCL will automatically assess you for a bursary provided you have consented to share your data with us as part of your regional funding authority (e.g. Student Finance England) application. Students who do not wish to take out loans but wish to be considered for a bursary should follow our guidance on how to get a household income assessment without loans

Eligibility

The UCL Undergraduate Bursary scheme will be assessed on the basis of household income and residency status. The scheme is open to those with an annual household income of £42,875 or less. The residency status requirements are for new students to be classified as 'home fee status' by UCL and be domiciled (have been ordinarily resident) in the UK for 3 continuous years before their undergraduate course starts.

All part-time UK students studying at a level of at least 25% of the full-time equivalent will be eligible to receive a pro-rata bursary, provided that their household income is £42,875 or less and they meet the residency requirements.

UCL does not restrict the number of bursary awards available to eligible students.

Value, benefits, and duration for 2024/25 starters

The value of the bursary depends on a student's household income as assessed by their regional authority (i.e Student Finance England).

Bursary rates are as follows*:

Household income	Cash bursary
Less than or equal to £16,000	£3,000
More than £16,000 and less than or equal to £25,000	£2,000
More than £25,000 and less than or equal to £37,000	£1,500
More than £37,000 and less than or equal to £42,875	£1,000

In addition, students in receipt of the UCL Undergraduate Bursary can apply to borrow a laptop for the entire duration of their programme of study.

Continuing students

If you started your programme before 2024/25 please see our page on the UCL Undergraduate Bursary rates for continuing students.

How to apply

Key information

Students do not need to apply directly for a UCL Undergraduate Bursary. UCL will automatically assess you for a bursary provided you have consented to share your data with us as part of your regional funding authority (e.g. Student Finance England) application. Students who do not wish to take out loans but wish to be considered for a bursary should follow our guidance on how to get a household income assessment without loans

Full-time students

You do not have to complete a separate application for the UCL Undergraduate Bursary.

Once you have applied to study an undergraduate course at UCL, you should make an application for student finance - for further information please visit the Government website.

UCL will then receive your student finance household income assessment, as determined by your Regional Funding Authority*. Provided that you do not opt-out of sharing your household income data, when you complete your student finance application form, you will be automatically assessed for a bursary. If your household income assessment changes, your entitlement to a bursary may also change.

*Regional Funding Authorities

NHS funded students

Only those NHS-funded students who started their programmes of study after September 2012 are eligible for the UCL Undergraduate Bursary.

Part-time students

Only part-time students who first entered Higher Education after 2012/13 are eligible. If you are studying PT or if you change your method of attendance from FT to PT, you will receive a pro-rated bursary.

Please Note:

The bursary is not payable to students on a 'Year in Industry' or 'Sandwich' year. It is however payable during the years of normal registration, as well as to students on an integrated Foundation Year.

Results

Bursary award emails will be sent out from mid-September onwards, provided that your household income information is available to us. If your household income assessment is still pending with Student Finance, we will automatically confirm your bursary within 2 weeks of the assessment being completed with payments backdated as necessary.

When the bursary is approved, you will receive an email from Student Finance asking you to log into your Student Finance online account to view your UCL Bursary entitlement letter.

FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions about the UCL Undergraduate Bursary.