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The BNU Financial Aid Fund exists to support students through the cost of living crisis who encounter a financial emergency and is separate to our Bursaries and Scholarships. The allowance provides immediate short-term relief as emergency payments that do not need to be repaid. This can include (but not exclusive to) new caring responsibilities, debt due to travelling home, lack of WIFI or mobile phone data, or a need for IT requirements/equipment.

Awarding Amount: The maximum amount available per student is capped at £200.00 and students can only be awarded once per academic year. Please note, there is no guarantee of an award and assessments are made on a case-by-case basis.

Criteria:

• To Apply you must be a Home/UK or E.U student (in receipt of Student Finance Tuition Fee Funding) and complete the linked application below providing a brief outline of your circumstances and completing all mandatory fields.
• E.U Students will need to upload a copy of their tuition fee funding confirmation from Student finance along with their supporting evidence.

When to Apply:  Students can apply once during each academic year. Please note students starting in the 23-24 academic year will not be able to apply until they have started their course. 

ÌìÃÀÓ°ÊÓ: If you are still studying you can apply .

We aim to assess applications within 2 working days from the date they are received. However, please note this can take longer during busy periods of the year.

If you’re thinking of starting a master's course, you could be eligible for a loan from the UK Government to help with course fees and living costs. 

Awarding Amount: Up to £12,471 

Criteria: 

You can apply for the Postgraduate Master’s Loan if the following are true. 

• You’re a UK national or Irish citizen or have settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme or indefinite leave to remain so there are no restrictions on how long you can stay 
• You’ve been living in the UK, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man for 3 years in a row before the first day of the first academic year of your course (apart from temporary absences such as holidays) 
• You must be under 60 on the first day of the first academic year of your course. 
• You are studying full-time, lasting 1 or 2 academic years, part-time, lasting 2 to 4 academic years - no more than twice the length of the equivalent full-time course, or part-time for up to 3 years, where no equivalent full-time course exists. 
• Commencing a course from year one in this academic year e.g. not be a continuing or progressing student at Postgraduate level. 
• You don't already have a postgraduate master's qualification, or another higher level qualification, such as a PhD 
• Your course starts on or after 1 August 2024. 

Restrictions: 

• Students with equivalent or higher-level qualifications will not be eligible for a postgraduate loan from the Student Loans Company 
• Students wishing to study courses that do not result in a masters qualification (such as Postgraduate Certificate and Postgraduate Diploma) will not be eligible 
• Part-time courses are eligible but are subject to a minimum 50% intensity requirement in year 1. Students taking courses via distance learning would be eligible to apply but must be living in England for the duration of the course. 

When to apply: 

You can apply from the summer before your course starts. However, the final deadline for applications is not until nine months after the first day of the last academic year of your course - meaning you can apply even after your course has started. 

When the loan is paid and how: 

Eligible students will get the first payment after the course start date, once the university confirms that you’ve registered. 

The loan will be paid directly to the student into a UK bank account in three instalments of 33%, 33% and 34% each year. If the course lasts for more than a year, the loan will be divided equally across each year of the course. After your application has been approved, you’ll be sent a letter with your payment dates. You can also check them in your online student finance account. 

How the loan is repaid: 

If you took out a master’s Loan, you’ll only repay when your income is over £403 a week, £1,750 a month or £21,000 a year (before tax and other deductions). It will be repaid concurrently with any undergraduate loans and will be at a rate of 6% of annual income.  

Please note that The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) may take account of the loan when working out any benefits you receive. 

For repayment rates and further information visit the  w±ð²ú²õ¾±³Ù±ð. 

 offers a Scholarship draw to assist with tuition fees for those looking to study an online course with eligible recognised bodies. 

Awarding amount: The Scholarship draw currently offers 1 x £1,000  & 2 x £500.00 

By entering the scholarship draw, the winner agrees to their name, photograph, and up to three interviews throughout their study to be used for promotion by ukstudyonline.com. 

How to apply, eligibility criteria and timeframes can be found on the  

Please note: this offer is external and not administered by Buckinghamshire New University. 

NHS Funding 

If you are a student studying a course linked to the NHS, you may be entitled to an NHS bursary. We recommend you visit this  to explore what bursaries are currently on offer and information on how to apply. 

NHS Learning Support Fund (Accordion) 

If you are interested in studying a degree-level Nursing or Midwifery course, you may be eligible for a government grant of at least £5,000 a year to help with living costs. 

Students will be eligible to benefit from at least £5,000 a year with an additional £3,000 for specific courses and circumstances, such as specialist courses needing further recruitment, additional childcare allowance and students from areas where course acceptance has been low over the last year. 

This funding will not have to be paid back and students will also be able to continue to access funding for tuition and maintenance loans from the Student Loans Company. 

Criteria: 

You can apply for the NHS Learning Support Fund if the following are true: 

• You are studying on an eligible course (MSc Physiotherapy, MSc Adult Nursing or MSc Mental Health Nursing) 
• You are actively studying, whether academic or practice learning 
• You are eligible for tuition fees and maintenance support from the Student Loans Company 

Further information: For more information on the NHS Learning Support Fund, please visit the . 

The Social Work Bursary is a grant to support eligible social work students. The  university has a limited number of Social Work bursary places each academic year, so not every application is successful. 

Awarding Amount:  £3,762.50 non-means tested bursary or up to £2,721 for the means tested bursary. 

The non-means tested bursary amounts include the Placement Travel Allowance (PTA) element of the Social Work bursary, which is £862.50 for full time students towards placement travel expenses. 

Criteria: 

You’ll only receive the Social Work bursary if you meet both the residency and course criteria, and the university nominates you for a capped place. 

• You normally live in England and are an English resident on the first day of your first academic year 
• You have been a resident in any UK country, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man, for at least three years before the start of your course 
• You are studying a course that leads to a first registration in social work 
• You are studying a university based social work course approved by either: 
• Social Work England (SWE) 
• Scottish Social Service Council (SSSC) 
• Social Care Wales 
• Northern Island Social Care Council (NISCC)