University of Surrey Bursary

The University of Surrey Bursary is a cash award for eligible undergraduate students in full-time attendance. The University of Surrey states the amount is determined by your year of entry to the University and your household income.

The University of Surrey Bursary is aimed at undergraduate students with Home (UK) student status. Eligibility criteria vary by year of entry and include household income thresholds, normally resident postcode quintiles under POLAR/IMD, being a UK or eligible EU student, paying full tuition fees, opting to be means-tested, consenting to share relevant information with the University, and submitting an application to Student Finance England.

The University of Surrey states eligibility will be reassessed each academic year using data provided to Student Finance England, and that the criteria used for assessment each academic year matches the criteria for your year of entry to the University, not the current academic year. The University also states the bursary scheme may change subject to OfS approval and that eligibility may be assessed using UCAS data for POLAR/IMD.

The University of Surrey states the bursary amount is split into two payments, usually distributed in December and March. The University states POLAR/IMD eligibility is based on the data it received from UCAS prior to commencing your university programme and will be used to assess eligibility for the duration of your programme.

• Study level: Undergraduate
• Student Home (UK) status required
• Attendance: Full-time attendance
• You must meet ALL criteria listed for your year of entry
• You must be a UK or eligible EU student
• You must be paying full tuition fees (therefore NHS-funded students and students who are being funded are not eligible)
• You must have opted to be means-tested
• You and/or your parent/guardian must have given consent to share relevant information with the University
• You must have correctly filled out and submitted your application to Student Finance England for funding
• EU students may only be eligible if they are ordinarily resident in the UK and meet all criteria
• POLAR/IMD eligibility: POLAR/IMD eligibility is based on data the University has received from UCAS prior to commencing the university programme and is used to assess eligibility for the duration of the programme
• Year-of-entry criteria vary:
• • For 2026/27 entry: household income less than £10,000 per year; normally resident in IMD postcode quintiles 1 or 2; bursary amount tiers include £3,000 (income under £10,000) and £1,200 (income between £10,000 and £25,000), both with IMD postcode quintiles 1 or 2
• • For 2025/26 entry: household income less than £10,000 per year; normally resident in IMD postcode quintiles 1 or 2; bursary amount tiers include £3,000 (income under £10,000) and £1,200 (income between £10,000 and £25,000), both with IMD postcode quintiles 1 or 2
• • For 2024/25 entry: household income less than £25,000 per year; normally resident in POLAR4 postcodes quintile 1 or IMD postcode quintile 1; bursary amount stated: £2,500
• • For 2023/24 entry: household income less than £25,000 per year; normally resident in POLAR4 postcodes quintile 1 or IMD postcode quintile 1; bursary amount stated: £2,500
• • For 2022/23 entry: household income less than £20,000 per year; normally resident in POLAR4 postcodes quintile 1, 2 or 3; bursary amount stated: £2,500
• • For 2021/22 entry: household income less than £20,000 per year; normally resident in POLAR4 postcodes quintile 1, 2 or 3; bursary amount stated: £2,500
• • For 2020/21 entry: household income less than £20,000 per year; normally resident in POLAR4 postcodes quintile 1, 2 or 3; bursary amount stated: £2,500
• Ineligibility: not available to students on their Professional Training Year or in repeat periods of study
• Change in programme/commencing year: if you change your programme or your commencing year of study is amended via Student Finance England, the criteria against which you are assessed may be changed as a result

• Up to £3,000 bursary (cash award)
• The bursary is split into two payments, usually distributed in December and March
• Entry-year and income tiers stated by the University of Surrey include: £3,000 bursary; £1,200 bursary; £2,500 bursary

1. Apply for funding via Student Finance England and submit your application correctly.
2. Ensure you have opted to be means-tested within Student Finance England.
3. If you do not want to apply for tuition fee or maintenance loans, submit an application to Student Finance England specifying zero funding, and you may need to submit a letter specifying that you are applying only for bursary purposes.
4. Use the POLAR and IMD postcode criteria to check eligibility associated with your entry year and normally resident postcode quintile before contacting the Scholarships and Bursaries team.
5. The University of Surrey states eligible students will be contacted directly by the Student Loan Company (SLC) via the email address registered with SLC to confirm receipt of the bursary.

• If applying only for bursary purposes: a letter specifying that you are applying only for bursary purposes (may be needed if you submit zero funding).