University bursary for estranged students

Definition of estranged

Being estranged means you have no relationship with, or support from, your parents.

To be considered an estranged student, this situation must be permanent and you must have had no contact with your parents for at least a year.

Eligibility

To be considered for the enhanced bursary, you must

• be estranged from your parents or legal guardians 
• be under the age of 25 on the first day of your course
• be registered on a full-time or part-time course
• meet the eligibility criteria of Student Finance England or an equivalent funding body. This applies to undergraduate students only
• have been assessed as independent by Student Finance England or an equivalent funding body. This applies to undergraduate students only

See Student Finance England's Confirmation of Estrangement form.

Information for undergraduate students

This award is instead of the University of Sheffield bursary scheme. The money is yours to keep, it's non-repayable and it won't affect your student finance.

If you are applying for independent support from Student Finance as a registered student and you experience financial difficulties, you may wish to consider applying for Financial Support.

Find out more about applying for Financial Support (Student login required)

2020 - 2023 entry

Amounts

For students who start their course between September 2020 and September 2023, the bursary award per level of study is

• up to £10,000 for full-time students – see the information below on how the award will be paid
• up to £5,000 for part-time students, paid in four instalments per year of study

Payments

If you're a full-time student, award payments will vary depending on where you choose to live.

If you live

• in University of Sheffield accommodation, you will receive a £4,500 bursary per year, paid in two instalments, and have your accommodation fees paid by the University
• in private accommodation, you will receive a £10,000 bursary per year, paid in four instalments
• in accommodation as a Catalyst or Unite Accommodation scholarship winner, you will receive a £4,500 bursary per year, paid in two instalments, and have your accommodation funded by the scholarship award

Accommodation

In University accommodation, you will have a 51-week standard contract plus a one-week extension, totalling 52 weeks, for a single en-suite room. There is no cash alternative available if you choose to take a shorter accommodation contact.

Find out more about University of Sheffield accommodation

If you have specific needs for accommodation that may increase the cost, contact the fees and funding team to talk about this.

2015–2019 entry

If you started your undergraduate course between September 2015 and 2019, the bursary award per level of study is

• £4,500 for full-time students
• £2,250 for part-time students

How to apply

1. Inform us of your circumstances.

Estranged students contact form

2. Get evidence to confirm your estrangement.

Provide a copy of the evidence you used to apply to Student Finance or an equivalent funding body for your estranged assessment.

This may be

• a Confirmation of Estrangement form submitted to Student Loans Company
• a supporting letter on headed paper from a professional or third party, such as your former head teacher or an external agency, stating you have been assessed as an independent student

3. Send your evidence to us.

Email the fees and funding team at financialhelp@sheffield.ac.uk

Information for postgraduate students

Postgraduate students are eligible to apply for support with study costs.

Contact the fees and funding team to find out about the support available.

If you're studying by distance learning, you won't be eligible for a bursary.

If you're facing financial difficulties, we recommend applying for Financial Support.

Find out more about applying for Financial Support (Student login required)

How to apply

1. Inform us of your circumstances.

Estranged students contact form

2. Get evidence to confirm your estrangement.

For example,

• a supporting letter on headed paper from a professional or third party, such as your former head teacher or an external agency, stating you have been assessed as an independent student
• a Confirmation of Estrangement form submitted to Student Loans Company during your undergraduate course

Contact the fees and funding team if you are having difficulty getting this evidence.

3. Send your evidence to us.

Email the fees and funding team at financialhelp@sheffield.ac.uk.

If you need help with your application, see the Student Advice Centre.

More information

Stand Alone Pledge

We have been recognised by Stand Alone for pledging our ongoing support for estranged students.

Read about our Stand Alone Pledge and related support

Terms and conditions 

• Exact payment dates will be confirmed in your bursary confirmation email.
• Your bursary is non-repayable and will not affect your student finance.
• Bursaries must be assessed and paid within the academic year, and they cannot be backdated for previous years.
• Your bursary will be paid as a direct payment into your bank account to help with your study costs.
• If you withdraw from your course, you may need to repay a percentage of your bursary that you received in that academic year. Contact the fees and funding team for guidance.
• If you take a leave of absence during the year, you will not be eligible to receive any further instalments due to be paid.
• If you receive an enhanced bursary from the University, we will contact you on each year of your course to confirm that you still meet the eligibility criteria. You may also need to provide evidence to confirm this.

Read the full bursary terms and conditions (Student login required)