University of Westminster Home Undergraduate Bursaries 2026
If you’re a UK-based undergraduate at the University of Westminster and are finding it hard to keep up with living costs, there’s a good chance one of several bursary schemes could ease the pressure during the 2026/27 academic year. This isn’t a single scholarship you apply for once; it’s a set of five distinct funds, each built for a different situation: the Care Leaver Bursary, the CLASS Scholarship, the Estranged Students’ Bursary, the Global Experience Bursary, and the Living Expenses Support Scheme.
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Each one has its own eligibility rules, its own payout, and its own application route, so the first step isn’t applying at all; it’s figuring out which of these actually matches your circumstances. None of them currently list a fixed application deadline either, which means the usual advice to “watch the closing date” doesn’t quite apply here; timing works differently, and waiting too long can still cost you if funding for a scheme runs out first. Here’s what each one covers, who qualifies, and how to apply for the ones that fit you.
What This Support Programme Is All About
Westminster runs these bursaries as part of its wider student support system, aimed at UK (“Home”) undergraduates facing specific financial pressures, whether that’s coming from local authority care, having no family financial support, raising dependents, or simply needing help covering day-to-day costs while studying.
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Rather than one blanket award, the university splits this support across targeted schemes so that students with different circumstances can find something that actually matches their situation. A care leaver and a student supporting a child, for example, have different needs, and Westminster has built separate funds around each rather than a single generic bursary.
University of Westminster Home Undergraduate Bursaries Summary
| Scholarship Name ⇒ | University of Westminster Home Undergraduate Bursaries |
| Host Country ⇒ | United Kingdom |
| Study Level ⇒ | Undergraduate |
| Benefits ⇒ | £1,000 Care Leaver Bursary, £1,000 CLASS Scholarship, plus additional support through the Estranged Students’ Bursary, Global Experience Bursary, and Living Expenses Support Scheme |
| Funded by ⇒ | University of Westminster |
| Eligible Countries ⇒ | United Kingdom (Home students only) |
| Application Deadline ⇒ | Not specified — check directly with Westminster’s Student Advice team for current application windows |
What You Get Across the Different Schemes
- Care Leaver Bursary: £1,000 in financial support, paired with tutorial support to help you keep up academically, an accommodation scholarship to reduce housing costs, and employability support to prepare you for work after graduation. This one runs alongside your studies rather than as a single payment.
- CLASS Scholarship: A one-off £1,000 payment aimed specifically at Level 6 students — your final year — who are in financial need and already receiving full student loan funding. Because it’s a one-time award, it’s meant to cover a specific stretch of costs rather than support you across multiple years.
- Estranged Students’ Bursary: Financial support built around your individual circumstances if you have no ongoing support from your family. The exact amount isn’t fixed publicly, since Westminster assesses each estranged student’s situation separately rather than applying a flat figure.
- Living Expenses Support Scheme (LESS): Grants toward the everyday costs of being a student — things like food, transport, and general living expenses that don’t fall under tuition or accommodation.
- Global Experience Bursary: Funding toward the cost of a study or work placement abroad, helping offset expenses like travel, visas, or accommodation in your host country that a standard student budget wouldn’t stretch to cover.
- Support for dependents and childcare: Additional funding is available for students juggling parenting responsibilities alongside full-time study, though the specific amount and eligibility depend on which scheme you’re applying through.
Which Bursary Actually Fits You
Because this isn’t one scholarship but five separate schemes, the first thing to figure out is which one applies to your circumstances:
| Bursary | Who It’s For | What It Pays |
|---|---|---|
| Care Leaver Bursary | Students who have been in local authority care — foster care, residential care, or semi-independent living | Ongoing financial support, plus tutorial support, accommodation scholarships, and employability support |
| CLASS Scholarship | Home students at Level 6 in financial need, on full student loan funding | One-off £1,000 payment toward living expenses |
| Estranged Students’ Bursary | Students with no ongoing support from their family | Financial support tailored to individual circumstances |
| Global Experience Bursary | Students taking part in study or work placements abroad | Funding toward the cost of the placement |
| Living Expenses Support Scheme (LESS) | Students facing general living-cost pressure | Grants toward daily living costs |
You don’t need to fit into all five categories — most students apply for whichever single scheme matches their situation.
A Closer Look: The Care Leaver Bursary
This bursary is built specifically for students who have been in local authority care, including foster care, residential care homes, or semi-independent living arrangements. Westminster designed it around five goals: bringing more care-experienced students into higher education, raising staff awareness of what these students need, helping care leavers get the most out of their degree and finish their course, helping the university itself identify better ways to support them, and contributing to the national framework that guides how local authorities support care leavers once they turn 18.
In practice, the support goes beyond a cash payment. Recipients get tutorial support alongside the financial bursary, along with accommodation scholarships and employability support to help with the transition into work after graduation.
A Closer Look: The CLASS Scholarship
CLASS stands for Continue Learning and Succeed in your Studies, and it’s a one-off £1,000 payment aimed at Level 6 students — meaning your final year of a standard undergraduate degree — who are in financial need. The eligibility criteria here are more specific than the other schemes:
- You must be a UK student enrolled full-time at Level 6 at the University of Westminster.
- You must be receiving your full student loan, including maintenance funding, from the Student Loans Company for the 2025/26 academic year.
- Your household income must be below £25,000 per year.
- You must be able to demonstrate financial need beyond simply meeting the income threshold.
Because this is a one-off payment rather than a recurring bursary, it’s worth applying in your final year specifically, rather than assuming it carries over from previous years.
Eligibility Requirements
Across all five schemes, a few requirements apply broadly:
- You must be a Home (UK) undergraduate student; none of these bursaries is open to international students.
- You must demonstrate financial need for most of the schemes, with the exact threshold varying by bursary.
- You must meet the specific criteria for whichever scheme you’re applying to, care leaver status, estranged status, or Level 6 enrolment, for example.
- You must provide supporting evidence relevant to your circumstances, such as documentation from your local authority or from Student Finance England.
- You must be enrolled full-time in an undergraduate programme at Westminster.
One point worth flagging: meeting the general criteria above doesn’t automatically qualify you for every scheme. The CLASS Scholarship’s £25,000 household income cap, for instance, is stricter than what some of the other bursaries require, so check the specific threshold for the scheme you’re applying to rather than assuming.
Documents You’ll Need
Requirements vary slightly by scheme, but expect to provide:
- A completed application form for the specific bursary or scholarship you’re applying to.
- Proof of your student status at Westminster.
- Evidence of financial need — this typically means a Student Finance England assessment.
- Documentation specific to your circumstances, such as confirmation of care leaver or estranged status from the relevant authority.
A practical note: local authority confirmation letters for care leaver status and Student Finance England assessments can take time to arrive once requested. Start gathering these as early as possible rather than waiting until you’ve decided to apply, since a missing document can delay your application by weeks.
How to Apply
- Identify which scheme fits you. Go through the eligibility criteria for each bursary — Care Leaver Bursary, CLASS Scholarship, Estranged Students’ Bursary, LESS, and Global Experience Bursary — and work out which one, or which combination, actually matches your circumstances.
- Apply through the correct process for that specific scheme. Each bursary has its own application route on Westminster’s student finance pages rather than one shared form, so make sure you’re applying through the right one for the support you’re after.
- Gather and submit your supporting documents. This includes proof of your specific circumstances — a local authority letter for care leaver status, for example, or documentation confirming estranged status — alongside your completed application.
- Provide your financial information where it’s required. Most schemes will ask for your Student Finance England assessment to confirm your income and loan status, so have this ready before you start.
- Follow up if a deadline applies to your scheme. Some bursaries, particularly ones with limited funding like the CLASS Scholarship, are assessed on a rolling basis until funds run out, so don’t assume you have unlimited time to apply.
- Wait for the university’s decision. Once submitted, Westminster reviews your application and supporting evidence before confirming whether you’ve been awarded the bursary.
A Word on the Deadline
Westminster hasn’t published a fixed closing date for these bursaries. That doesn’t mean there’s no urgency; funding for some schemes, particularly ones with a limited pool like the CLASS Scholarship, can run out before the academic year ends. Contact Westminster’s Student Advice team directly to confirm the current application window for the specific bursary you’re applying to, and apply as soon as you know you’re eligible rather than waiting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can international students apply for any of these bursaries?
No. All five schemes are restricted to Home (UK) students. International students, including those from Nigeria and other African countries studying at Westminster on an international fee status, are not eligible for this particular set of bursaries.
Can I apply for more than one bursary at the same time?
Yes, if your circumstances genuinely meet the criteria for more than one scheme — for example, a care leaver who is also facing general living-cost pressure could potentially apply for both the Care Leaver Bursary and the Living Expenses Support Scheme.
Does the CLASS Scholarship repeat every year?
No. It’s a one-off £1,000 payment intended for your final year (Level 6) of study, not a recurring award across multiple years.
What happens if I don’t have official documentation for my circumstances yet?
Contact Westminster’s Student Advice team before applying. They can advise on interim steps if documents like a local authority confirmation letter or Student Finance assessment are still being processed.
Disclaimer: All scholarship details, deadlines, award values, and eligibility criteria in this post were verified from official sources as of July 2026. Information is subject to change without notice. Always confirm the latest details directly on the official University of Westminster website before submitting your application. ScholarWaka is not affiliated with the University of Westminster.
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