If you’re eligible for the Social Work Bursary (SWB) and studying an undergraduate course, you can get help with your living costs while you study. This is a grant, not a loan, so you do not normally need to pay it back.
SWB for undergraduates is not assessed on household income.
Eligibility
You can only apply for SWB once you’ve completed the first year of your studies and you’re starting year 2. In the first year of your course, you may be able to get funding through Student Finance England.
Before you apply, we encourage you to read more about eligibility on our Social Work Bursary (SWB) page and in the SWB guidance booklet in the Guidance section of this page.
What you could get
The 2025 to 2026 rates for undergraduate SWB are:
- a £5,262.50 non means tested bursary if your university is in London
- a £4,862.50 non means tested bursary if your university is outside of London
These amounts include the Placement Travel Allowance element of SWB, which is £862.50 for full time students towards placement travel costs. If your placement provider also contributes towards your travel costs, this does not affect your bursary entitlement.
Rates are paid on a pro rata basis for eligible part time students.
Tuition fees
You cannot receive SWB tuition fee support when you’re an undergraduate. You’re responsible for paying your tuition fees. You can apply for a tuition fee loan through Student Finance England if you need support.
How to apply
You can apply for SWB by creating a MyFunding account. You'll keep this account and will need to reapply each year.
If you’re a continuing student, you can apply by signing in to your MyFunding account. We’ll invite you to apply for the next academic year when the application window opens.
Guidance
Read our guidance booklet for more information about SWB.
Your guide to Social Work Bursaries 2025 to 2026 (PDF: 632KB)
For help with MyFunding, read our MyFunding guidance booklet.