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This bursary is for Home/UK undergraduates ordinarily resident in England who have experience of being in local authority care, are irreconcilably estranged from their family or have unpaid young adult carer responsibilities.

If you are a Home/UK undergraduate student at City St George's and can provide evidence that you fall into any of the following three categories, you may be eligible for the City Cares Bursary:

  • · You are a care leaver or are care experienced
  • You are irreconcilably estranged from your parents
  • You have unpaid young adult carer responsibilities.

In all cases, you must also:

  • Be ordinarily resident in England
  • Have a residual household income of £25,000 a year or less as assessed by Student Finance England (SFE) by the last day of the first term of each academic year. Priority is given to students with the lowest household income
  • Be 25 years old or younger on the 1st September in your first year.

Value

The bursary is worth £3,500 per progressive academic year, for a maximum of three years. Priority is given to students with the lowest household income.

How to apply

There is no formal application form for this bursary however eligible candidates must register with City Cares by reaching out via Support@City.

Receipt of the bursary is dependent on students attending an induction meeting with City Cares and submitting relevant evidence. In addition, students must consent to share their household income with us via Student Finance England by the last day of the first term of each academic year.

Please see further instructions below. After this, please arrange a meeting with City Cares to discuss any mitigating circumstances.

How to share your household income

When applying for student finance through Student Finance England (SFE) you must give your consent to share your financial information with City St George's. Please follow the three steps below:

  • Apply for Student Finance through Student Finance England (SFE)
  • Provide your household income to Student Finance England
  • Both you and your sponsors/parents/partner/guardians must give consent to share your household income with City St George's, University of London.

Household income assessment without taking a maintenance loan

To ensure we receive household income information you will still need to apply for and have your household income assessed by the Student Loan Company (SLC) even if not taking a maintenance loan out. We can’t assess household income for you.

How to apply for an income assessment

You will need to submit a maintenance loan application to the SLC and pass their eligibility checks. However, you will be able to specify in your application to them that you do not want a loan and enter £0, so you won’t borrow any money.

  • Create an online Student Finance account and select that you would like to apply for a maintenance loan. Follow the steps of the application as if you were applying for the loan and provide all the necessary information.
  • When asked ‘Do you want to apply for the higher amount of Maintenance Loan? select ‘Yes, I want to apply for a higher amount of Maintenance Loan’. This lets the SLC know to assess your household income.
  • Later, when asked ‘How much Maintenance Loan do you want to borrow?’ select ‘I want to borrow a specific amount’.
  • When you are asked to input the amount, type ‘NIL’ or £0. This lets the SLC know that you are not taking out any loan.
  • When you have completed the application, your parents/guardian or partner will be asked to submit their household income information, as applicable.

The SLC can then carry out your household income assessment and the outcome of this will be shared with City St George's, University of London.

You may need to call them and make sure they have sent the PFF2 Assessment of Financial Circumstances form to your parent/guardian or partner to be completed.

For any queries on giving your consent please contact Student Finance England directly on 0300 100 0607.

Notification and payment

Students in receipt of the City Cares bursary will be notified of the upcoming payment by January via their City St George's email address. Payments will be made in three instalments in January, April and June each academic year.

Students given the City Cares bursary may be eligible for The Lord Mayor of London Scholarship for Academic Excellence but not the City Education Grant or Sanctuary Scholarship.

Terms and conditions

  1. Students must be full time entrants to City St Georges.
  2. Students must be aged 25 years or younger on 1st September at the commencement of study.
  3. Eligible students must have had their household income assessed by Student Finance England by the last day of the first term of each academic year. After this date, please arrange a meeting with City Cares to discuss any mitigating circumstances.
  4. Eligible students must attend an induction meeting with City Cares and submit relevant evidence.
  5. There are a limited number of bursaries that will be distributed on a first-come first-served basis while prioritising lower household incomes.
  6. Only students who receive the bursary upon registration with City Cares will receive the bursary in successive years. If you were not eligible for the bursary upon registration with the service, you will not be eligible in progressive years.
  7. The bursary is available to undergraduate students who are ordinarily resident in England. Students who normally live in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland are not eligible.
  8. Students whose tuition fee status’ are reassessed in the middle of their degree or who restart a degree will not be eligible
  9. Students awarded the City Cares Bursary are not eligible for Sanctuary Scholarship or the City Education Grant.
  10. Bursaries do not need to be repaid.
  11. The bursary is payable for a maximum of three years and will be paid in three instalments in January, April and June each academic year. You must be enrolled full-time. In each subsequent academic year your household income must remain within the eligible threshold which is £0 to £25,000, as assessed by Student Finance England (SFE), to retain the grant.
  12. If you experience a change of circumstances, including a change of household income, it is your responsibility to inform City Cares
  13. The bursary will not be paid during part-time or full-time repeat academic years, during any dormant/suspended periods, during a placement year or study aboard year.
  14. If a Sanctuary Scholar has a change in status part way through their course and are no longer eligible for the Sanctuary Scholarship, they can become eligible for the City Care Bursary irrespective of their year of study, at the manager’s discretion.
  15. The following categories of students are not eligible:
    • Students directly continuing from one course to another (for example, from a foundation degree or HND on to the final year of an honours degree).
    • Students must not hold an undergraduate/postgraduate degree awarded in the UK and/or abroad
    • Students undertaking a postgraduate qualification.
    • Part-time students.
    • Any other students whose fees are paid or part-paid through a sponsorship arrangement.

Access and Participation Plan

The Access and Participation Plan (APP) are plans set out by higher education providers to improve equality of opportunity for students from disadvantaged backgrounds to access, succeed in, and progress from higher education.

The university submits an APP to the Office for Students in exchange for funding for initiatives and intervention strategies that aim to reduce the gap in access, attainment, and success.

The City Cares service receives its funds for the bursary via the university's APP, which means that we have to abide by the Office for Students' definitions and requirements while distributing the award.

Details can be found on City's APP.