Care experienced and estranged bursary

This bursary has been introduced to provide additional financial support to students who are care experienced or estranged. This is a guaranteed bursary, meaning all students who meet the eligibility criteria will receive the funding. 

You don't have to apply* for this bursary and you don't have to pay it back after you graduate. The funding is paid directly to your bank account in three instalments over the academic year for you to spend in any way you like to support your studies.

Bursary criteria and amounts are reviewed each year, so the amount you receive and the eligibility criteria for the bursary can differ based on your start date. If you are applying to join us in September 2026, please scroll down to ‘Bursary information by academic year’ to check the amount and eligibility criteria for your year of entry.

If you have any questions about this bursary or your eligibility, please contact us.

*Students may be contacted by the bursaries team to provide evidence confirming they meet the eligibility criteria.

Are you eligible?

To receive the Care Experienced and Estranged Bursary as a student starting in September 2025, you must:

• be joining the university for the first time in September 2025
• be under the age of 25 at the start of your course (1 September 2025)
• be registered on a full-time undergraduate degree course (or PGCE/Graduate Entry Nursing/Graduate Entry Medicine) at Nottingham which you commenced in September 2025/26
• have a household income between £0-£35,000 and had a full financial assessment carried out by Student Finance
• have UK home status for funding purposes
• be liable for the tuition fee set in 2025/26
• be currently, or have been in public care for a minimum period of three months since your 14th birthday; if you were under special guardianship or kinship care during this period may also qualify or if you have been granted independent status by Student Finance England due to estrangement

However, you will not receive the Care Experienced and Estranged Bursary if you are in receipt of:

• other University of Nottingham scholarships or bursaries (excluding the University of Nottingham Core Bursary and University of Nottingham Accommodation Bursary)
• an external sponsorship for your course, e.g. from industry/employers
  

Students in receipt of the Nottingham Potential Bursary will be able to claim £1,000 of the Care Experienced and Estranged Bursary per year of study, if they meet the eligibility criteria. 

If you joined the university prior to September 2025, please scroll down to ‘Bursary information by academic year’ to check the amount and eligibility criteria for your year of entry.

Part-time students - The university offers financial support through the Care Experienced and Estranged Bursary on a pro-rata basis for part-time undergraduate students from September 2025. You will need to have a means-tested assessment carried out by Student Finance (SF) in order for us to assess your eligibility for the bursary. Your award will depend on your household income taken from the SF assessment and the number of credits you are taking. Further information can be found on our web page 'Funding for part-time undergraduates'.

How to claim your bursary

You don't need to apply* for the Care Experienced and Estranged Bursary. Students who meet the eligibility criteria will be automatically assessed based on the information provided to us by Student Finance. 

If you believe you are eligible for the Care Experienced and Estranged Bursary and we have not contacted you by November, please contact us.

Assessments will close for the 25/26 academic year on Friday 19 June 2026. 

Once you have been assessed as eligible for the bursary, it will be paid directly to your bank account in three instalments over the academic year. 

If you are experiencing difficulties in obtaining evidence for this bursary, please contact us before assessments close.

* Students may be contacted by the bursaries team to provide evidence confirming they meet the eligibility criteria.

What happens if my eligibility changes while at university?

Your circumstances will be assessed for the bursary each academic year to establish whether you will continue to receive the bursary (i.e. if your independent status due to estrangement is removed by Student Finance you will no longer be entitled to the Care Experienced and Estranged Bursary).

If you believe your circumstances have changed while at university and you have become eligible based on the above criteria and we have not contacted you about this, please contact us.