The University of Law Care-Experienced/Estranged Bursary

Applicable for: All undergraduate degrees, excluding apprenticeship programmes

Overview

The University of Law Care-Experienced/Estranged Bursary is for students starting their studies with us from September 2025 and January 2026. This bursary intends to provide additional financial support to new full-time undergraduates who have been given independent status by their UK national student funding provider – i.e. Student Finance England/Wales/Northern Ireland/Student Awards Agency Scotland - on the grounds that they are a care-leaver or irreconcilably estranged from their parents.

What is the award amount?

• Awards of £2,000 per progressive academic year of the course (except during any year-long work placement) as long as you retain your independent status with your UK national student funding provider on the grounds that you are a care-leaver/estranged.

What are the eligibility criteria?

You need to:

• Have received an offer for one of our face to face, attendance mode undergraduate degrees programmes (excluding apprenticeships), or for one of our online undergraduate degree programmes and are in receipt of the student maintenance loan as a full-time student
• Not already hold an undergraduate degree
• Be ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom (i.e. not an international student) and fulfil the residence criteria for maintenance support from your UK national Student Finance Service
• Have been awarded independent status by your UK national student finance provider on the grounds that you are a care-leaver or estranged from your parents and have agreed for this information to be shared with the University.

How do I apply?

There is no separate application for The University of Law Care-Experienced/Estranged Bursary. In order for the university to automatically assess your eligibility you will need to follow these three steps:

1. Apply for student finance through one of the following UK national student finance services
   • Student Finance England (SFE);
   • Student Finance Wales;
   • Student Finance Northern Ireland;
   • Student Awards Agency Scotland.
2. Indicate when applying to your UK national student finance service that you are a care-leaver or estranged from your parents.
3. You must give consent for your UK national Student Finance service to share your household income with the University. This is not to verify your household income – it is so the University can access your independent status (on the grounds that you are estranged or a care leaver) via the information held by the Student Loans Company’s Bursary Administration Service. For any queries on giving your consent please contact your national student finance service directly.

What is the application deadline?

There is no application deadline.

When will I found out if I have been awarded the Bursary?

If you meet the eligibility criteria, you will be allocated the Bursary and you will receive written confirmation to your university email address in November 2025 (September 2025 starters) or March 2026 (January 2026 starters).

Please contact our Money and Housing Team at studentsupportfunds@law.ac.uk if you think you meet the Bursary eligibility criteria but haven’t received the email communication by December 2025 or April 2026 as applicable.

Payments will be made in three termly instalments each year (£700 in term 1; £700 in term 2 and £600 in term 3). Students must remain enrolled throughout the academic year to retain the Bursary.

Please see the terms and conditions for The University of Law Care-Experienced/Estranged Bursary.

Please read our FAQs document for further information on The University of Law Care-Experienced/Estranged Bursary.