Need financial help to study in September? Apply by 30 June for the National Scholarship Program

NSP offers help to students from less well-off families. Photo: Wikipedia

The National Scholarship Programme is one of the many means by which higher education in the UK receives public support and funding. Here at Bucks New University, we participate in the Government's National Scholarship Programme (NSP), which is targeted towards students from less affluent families who need a bit of extra help. So, how in practice does the system work?

This year, Bucks will make available 140 individual scholarships of up to £8,000 for students starting year one of their course from September 2014. Recipients will be entitled to a financial support package of £2,000 in their first year of study and £3,000 in each of their subsequent years of study (to a maximum of three years in total). Needless to say, there are a limited number of scholarships available and there are no guarantees of success. Still, check the criteria and, if you qualify, get an application in asap. And hurry! The application process will close on 30 June. 

What is the NSP?
The NSP is a scholarship designed to provide a direct benefit to individual students from England and the European Union who come from low income backgrounds and is intended to support the progression of students from groups currently under-represented in higher education. It is part-funded by the Government and part-funded by participating universities.

Who is eligible?

Students are eligible to apply for a scholarship if their declared household residual income is £25,000 per annum, or less, if they have firmly accepted an offer of a place at Bucks and will be paying tuition fees in excess of £6,000 (pro-rata for part-time students).
Scholarships will be awarded based on the merit of each individual application and in addition to the national eligibility criteria outlined above and set down by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE)

To find out more, including how to apply, see the official page here.