Postgraduate social work students can apply for a bursary to help them with their living costs.
If you’re eligible for a bursary we’ll also pay a contribution of £4,052 towards your tuition fees in the 2020/21 academic year.
A postgraduate social work bursary is:
- awarded to eligible students
- available to both part-time and full-time students
- a grant not a loan
- made up of a non-means tested basic grant and a means-tested maintenance grant
Bursary rates
For 2020/21 the basic grant rate is:
- up to £3,362.50 a year if you attend a university outside of London
- up to £3,762.50 if you attend a university within the London area
For 2020/21 the means-tested maintenance grant rate is:
- up to £2,721 a year if you attend a university outside of London
- up to £4,201 a year if you attend a university within the London area
This is paid on a pro rata basis for eligible part-time students.
Travel costs
The social work bursary includes a contribution towards your placement travel costs of £862.50 for full time students. If your placement provider also contributes towards your travel costs, this will not affect your bursary entitlement.
Before you apply
View the guidance booklet.
Your guide to social work bursaries 2019/20 (PDF: 1.5MB)
When to apply
If you’re due to start or continue your studies in September or October 2020/21, you should ideally send your Social Work Bursary application form to us by 31 August 2020 to guarantee payment for September.
The final application deadline for all 2020/21 Social Work Bursary applications is 1 November 2020.
How to apply
- Log into our online student portal MyFunding.
- Complete the bursary application form online.
- Print the form off and post it to us with any supporting documentation.
You can view our MyFunding guide for students (PDF 1.04MB).
If you're receiving or applying for a retainer
You must complete the Bursary Retainer Declaration form and include it with your main bursary application. This is available from your MyFunding account.
Evidence of income
You may need to complete additional Confirmation of Earnings or Confirmation of Benefits forms if you cannot provide evidence of a spouse, partner or civil partner’s income or benefits. These are available from your MyFunding account if you need them.
What happens next
We aim to process your application within 20 working days from the day we receive the form and all supporting evidence.
You can track the progress of your application by logging in to your MyFunding account.