Open Day Travel Bursary

This bursary will refund standard coach or rail travel for eligible students plus one guest, or a mileage allowance to Sheffield.

The bursary can only be used for travel to attend an undergraduate open day or interview, travelling directly to and from Sheffield.

Who is the Open Day Travel Bursary for?

You can apply for the bursary if you are applying to the University of Sheffield to study an undergraduate course, will be aged 25 or under on the first day of your course and meet one of the following criteria:

  • You are applying to university from a care background
  • You are estranged from your parent/s.
  • You have caring responsibilities for an ill or disabled family member.

Definitions of the above can be found at the bottom of this page.

Please note that accepting an open day travel bursary does not commit you to accept Sheffield as your Firm or Insurance choice. Neither does it guarantee that we will be able to offer you a study place, if we have not already done so.

How do I claim the Travel Bursary?

  1. Download and complete the Self Declaration Form (PDF, 182KB) – you need to confirm which eligibility criteria you meet and provide evidence to confirm this.
  2. Download and complete the Expenses Claim Form (PDF, 281KB) – remember to ask for a receipt when you purchase tickets, you will need this to make your claim. Unless you travel by car in which case you can claim 40p per mile for your round trip from home to the University and back.
  3. Include your evidence with your application.
  4. Claims should be made by either:
    • handing in your self-declaration form and expenses claim form plus relevant travel receipts to the Financial Support Team at the Central Exhibition on the day of the event
    • posting completed forms, evidence and all receipts to: Financial Support Team (Travel Bursary), Student Support and Guidance, Level 6 - The Students' Union, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN. You may want to obtain proof of posting if you do this.

Please note that the refund will be paid directly into your bank account approximately five to six weeks after we have received your completed claim forms.

Points to note

  • The refund is only available for your journey to an undergraduate open day, travelling directly to and from Sheffield.
  • If you are not claiming for mileage only costs incurred using public transport will be covered.
  • Accepting an open day travel bursary does not commit you to accept Sheffield as your Firm or Insurance choice. Neither does it guarantee that we will be able to offer you a study place, if we have not already done so.
  • You application must be received within 4 weeks of visiting the University.
  • You can only apply for the Open Day Travel Bursary once for each type of open day i.e. pre-application, post-application and interview.

What evidence do I need to provide?

You'll need to provide evidence to support your application. Examples of the types of evidence we can accept are below:

Students from care
  • A letter from social services (if they have been involved).
  • Proof of legal guardianship (if this exists).
  • A court order showing proof of legal guardianship.
  • A letter from a professional who is aware of the nature of your situation and living arrangements, such as your GP or head teacher.
Students who are estranged

A letter from a professional who is aware of the nature of your situation and living arrangements, such as your GP or head teacher.

Students with caring responsibilities

Ideally you will send a copy of your Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) Carer's Allowance statement/letter, however, if you don't have this, you must provide evidence detailing your role in the care of your relative. This will need to be on headed notepaper from one of the following sources:

  • Carer's Support Group
  • Social Services / Local Authority
  • Your relative's NHS or Private Support Worker
  • Your headteacher
     

Please submit your supporting document/s with your claim form or email to financialhelp@sheffield.ac.uk.

Get in touch

If you have any questions or need support with the upfront cost of travelling to the University please contact The Financial Support Team:

financialhelp@sheffield.ac.uk
0114 222 1319

Definitions

Click on the relevant drop-down boxes for definitions of the different types of criteria required to apply for the Open Day Travel Bursary.

Students in care

Care background: A person aged 25 or under, who has been looked after by a local authority for at least 13 weeks since the age of 14; and who was looked after by the local authority at school-leaving age or after that date.

Background in care: A person who has been in the care of a local authority for at least 13 weeks, whether away from home or in the home.

Looked after and/or in the care of a local authority: Includes in foster care, in local authority accommodation, at home under a care order or under kinship care.

For more information, visit www.buttleuk.org

Students who are estanged

Estrangement is a term to describe a student who has no relationship with, or support from, their parents. To be considered as an estranged student this situation must be permanent, and you must have had no contact with your parents for at least a year.

Students with caring responsibilities

You must be a recognised carer for your ill or disabled family member. You do not need to be the main carer or in receipt of carer's allowance to be eligible.