Bursaries for undergraduate and postgraduate study

Oxford’s Department for Continuing Education offers a range of bursaries to help make study more affordable. These awards provide financial support for eligible students across selected courses and programmes. This page outlines the types of bursaries available, who can apply, and how to submit an application, helping you access funding to support your learning journey.

Overview of the bursary scheme

Bursaries are awarded each year, thanks to the generous support of donors and others. These help towards the cost of course fees.

The bursaries are for UK-based students who receive benefits because they are on a low income, and are available for certain undergraduate or postgraduate courses (see Eligibility and criteria below).

Awards are made for one year at a time.

Interrupted study

Bursary awards cannot be carried over into a future year if your studies are interrupted (involving suspension of status for one or more terms, for example). In such cases, bursaries will normally be reduced in proportion to your period of registration during that year. While you may apply for a further bursary for the following year, this will be treated as a new application.

Bursary calculation

Bursaries are calculated as a percentage of course fees, and the amount awarded depends on your course category (see below).

The annual maximum that can be awarded per student is capped at £2520 for the 2025-26 academic year.

The annual maximum that can be awarded per student is capped at £2670 for the 2026-27 academic year.

Bursary funds are applied to your course fees (they are not paid to you directly).

Course categories and bursary scales

Undergraduate and Certificates in English Literature and History

A bursary of up to 80% of course fees.

Undergraduate Certificate of Higher Education

A bursary of up to 100% of the annual programme fee.
Certificate of Higher Education students may also be eligible for additional concessionary fees on their individual courses.

All other eligible courses (see above)

A bursary of up to 50% of the course fees.

Find out more

2026-2027 academic year

Applications for students and offer holders studying in the 2026-27 academic year are now open. Applications will be accepted whilst funds are available.

Eligible Oxford Lifelong Learning courses:

Undergraduate Certificates and Undergraduate Diplomas, except for Theological Studies.
Undergraduate Advanced Diplomas.
Postgraduate Certificates and Diplomas.

Please note that undergraduate degrees, Master’s and DPhil courses are not eligible—see University’s funding information instead.

You must meet all three of the following conditions:

1. Be either (a) a UK resident, or (b) a Republic of Ireland national living in the UK or Ireland, or (c) have ‘settled’ or ‘pre-settled’ status in the UK under the EU Settlement Scheme (see https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/immigration/staying-in-the-uk-if-youre-from-the-eu/ for further information).

2. Be in receipt of one or more of the eligible UK benefits listed below:

Universal Credit
Housing Benefit
Income Support
Income-based Job Seekers’ Allowance (JSA)
Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
Pension Credit
Carer’s Allowance.

3. Have an offer of a place on an eligible course as a new or continuing student.

Applications must include supporting documentation. Completed applications will be reviewed and awarded on a ‘first-come-first-served’ basis.

The outcome will be communicated individually to each applicant shortly after the application has been reviewed. If funds are fully exhausted, a waiting list may operate (in case an awardee should withdraw).

Bursaries are awarded for one academic year at a time. If your course is longer than one year, you may re-apply in subsequent years.

For some courses running over two or more academic years, students need to pass one year before progressing to the next. If you are on such a course and would like to apply for a bursary for the following year, but do not yet know whether you have passed, you should nevertheless submit your bursary application within the application window. If your bursary application for the following year is successful, but you do not progress to that year, your bursary offer for that year will be withdrawn.

A bursary awarded in one year does not imply future awards under this scheme -this will depend on your financial circumstances, as well as scheme’s level of funds, when you apply.

Download a PDF or Word version of the application form and email the completed version, along with supporting evidence, to our Student Support Administrator.