This information is intended as a guide for further education and higher education students to enable you to make the most of the resources and opportunities available to you whilst studying. The information is a guide only, not all the resources described may be available to all students, and there may be further opportunities and resources not mentioned here. We value your feedback; if you have further information, comments or amendments, please email us at [email protected].
Bursaries and Grants
A good resource for all students looking for additional financial support is the Turn2Us website. It has a Grant Search tool that you can use to see if there is grant support available to you.
- Bursaries for further education college students – bursaries are available for 16-19 year olds who are the most financially disadvantaged and for specific other groups of learners such as care leavers and learners with disabilities. Some colleges offer childcare bursaries and there is also a Free Meals in Further Education scheme. General information can be found on the financial support for students 16-19 section of the Gov.uk website. Further education colleges manage their own bursary funds and funds are limited. As such, an award is not guaranteed, even where a learner meets the criteria. The childcare bursaries in particular get taken up very quickly and once funds are spent they are no longer available for that academic year. Learners who think you may qualify for a bursary should complete an application form within the first few weeks of starting their course to maximise the chance of receiving an award. You will need to contact your college for details of how to apply.
- Bursaries, scholarships and awards for university students – students in higher education can apply for bursaries, scholarships and awards directly from their university on top of any other student finance. This is money that you don’t have to pay back. Each university has their own rules on who qualifies, how much they award and how to apply. Talk to your student support service to find out what is available at your university. If you’ve been looked after as a child, you can apply for a one-off bursary of up to £2,000 from your local authority and a bursary from your university. A very useful website for university students is The Scholarship Hub.
- Travel discounts – There are various discounts available for student travel for local travel and journeys further afield. Many local bus and train operators have a discount scheme for students, for example in London the TfL 18+ Oyster card, and for long distance travel the 16-25 railcard and discount coach tickets are available. Some of the schemes require you to sign up and apply for your discount card in advance of travel so don’t wait till the day of travel to check out student ticketing and discount options.
- Other student discounts – many shops, restaurants, gyms and other services offer discounts for students so always check at the point of sign-up/payment whether your student ID card entitles you to a discount.
Work experience, internships and career development
You may be considering undertaking work experience or a summer internship during your time at college or university, but it may not be at the forefront of your mind as you commence your first term of study. However, internship opportunities fill up fast and if you leave it too long, you may struggle to find a placement or an internship that matches well with your chosen area of study and career aspirations. Start looking into opportunities in the first term of the new academic year and you will have more choice of good quality placements.
Do:
Even if you’re not in a position to undertake work experience or an internship, you can give your career a head start by getting to know your tutors/lecturers and speaking to academic staff during your studies. This can present opportunities and valuable insight into your chosen field of work.
Plus, if you want careers advice at any time during your studies the Walcot funded Student Advance programme remains available to you. If you would like to speak to a careers advisor at any stage, simply contact us via [email protected] and don’t worry if you’re studying away from home, they can provide telephone as well as face to face advice.
Do:
- Make the most of any industry and institute connections you may have and also go directly to websites of companies and organisations that might have placement opportunities;
- Look at RateMyPlacement - Internships for good information regarding internships, how to get them, who to contact and even how to build contacts;
- Use online resources and job sites to begin your search. Graduate specific websites that also have internship opportunities are a good place to start. For example:
Even if you’re not in a position to undertake work experience or an internship, you can give your career a head start by getting to know your tutors/lecturers and speaking to academic staff during your studies. This can present opportunities and valuable insight into your chosen field of work.
Plus, if you want careers advice at any time during your studies the Walcot funded Student Advance programme remains available to you. If you would like to speak to a careers advisor at any stage, simply contact us via [email protected] and don’t worry if you’re studying away from home, they can provide telephone as well as face to face advice.
Advice and support whilst studying
All colleges and universities have student support services. They can provide support in many different ways, including financial advice, practical help, study help, counselling and emotional and psychological support services. Each college and university service is different (and yours may not be called Student Services at all) so you will need to contact your college or university team to find out what help they can provide.
For university students, the transition from school or college to university and possibly living away from home for the first time can be challenging. There is less structure at university, learning through lectures and self-guided study is very different from school and you may be living independently for the first time; leaving family and friend support networks behind. It can be a daunting and lonely experience and although it may not be obvious, many of your fellow students will be struggling in the same way. It’s important to remember that you are not alone, that everyone is adapting to a new life at university, and that there are support services available to you. Some online resources we’ve come across include:
For university students, the transition from school or college to university and possibly living away from home for the first time can be challenging. There is less structure at university, learning through lectures and self-guided study is very different from school and you may be living independently for the first time; leaving family and friend support networks behind. It can be a daunting and lonely experience and although it may not be obvious, many of your fellow students will be struggling in the same way. It’s important to remember that you are not alone, that everyone is adapting to a new life at university, and that there are support services available to you. Some online resources we’ve come across include:
- Save the Student
- What Uni
- The Complete University Guide
- Hello Grads for advice and support with life, jobs, money and housing after university
- Walcot Foundation funded financial/debt advice also remains available to you whilst you study. If you would like to speak to a debt/financial advisor at any stage, simply contact us via [email protected] and don’t worry if you’re studying away from home, they can provide telephone as well as face to face advice.