ARU Bursary
If your household income is less than £42,875 a year, you may be eligible for an ARU Bursary.
The Bursary is a cash payment of up to £300 per year. You can use the money as you choose.
Value
Up to £300 per year (pro rata for part-time students).
The value will depend on the assessment of your household income by Student Finance England, or another UK funding provider.
Household income of £0-£25,000
- Total amount per year £300 (split into two payments)
- First payment £150
- Second payment £150
Household income of £25,001-£42,875
- Total amount per year £200 (split into two payments)
- First payment £100
- Second payment £100
Duration
You’ll receive payments at two points in the academic year:
- December and April if you start a course in September
- April and December if you start a course in January.
Payments are made via BACS to your UK bank account. We'll use the bank account details you supply when register as a student at ARU.
If you're up to date with payments towards your study and don't have outstanding instalments owing to ARU, you'll receive your bursary as expected.
If you do have an overdue payment, we reserve the right to use all or part of your bursary instalments to offset any outstanding debt.
Eligibility
To be eligible for our ARU Bursary you should:
- be starting a course in September 2025 or January 2026
- be a UK student or an EU/EEA student who remains eligible for student finance
- be studying a full-time or part-time undergraduate degree or an integrated Masters course (an undergraduate degree with a Masters year at the end) at ARU in Cambridge, Chelmsford or Peterborough
- have a household income of £42,875 and under
- be fully registered on a course at ARU starting on or after 1 August 2025
- have made a means-tested application in your commencing year of study to Student Finance England (or another UK student funding provider such as the Student Awards Agency for Scotland), have given your consent to share the financial details and have been deemed eligible for support
- engage with your studies on an ongoing basis. Engagement is based on your attendance in lectures and tutorials as well as engagement with our Learning Management System and library resources.
You will not be eligible for our ARU Bursary if you are:
- an international student living outside the UK or EU (including Channel Islands)
- studying for a Cert HE course, a degree apprenticeship, or as a distance learner or blended learner
- sponsored by the NHS, an employer or a local authority
- studying at one of our partner institutions
- on a year out, on a year-long placement or study abroad
- pending registration or re-registration, intermitting, suspended or excluded
- not engaging with your studies.
How to apply
There is no need to apply. You'll automatically receive the ARU Bursary if you:
- meet the eligibility criteria above
- have already been means tested by Student Finance England (or another UK student funding provider such as the Student Awards Agency for Scotland) for a student loan, and given consent for Student Finance England to share your details with us.
Student loans: the small print
If you haven’t already applied for a loan from Student Finance England, or another funding provider, you should complete an online application but not complete the Loan Request Form.
If you can't provide this information online, you can complete a paper form. If you do not wish to apply for the Tuition Fee Loan put ZERO in the loan amount box.
Your student funding sponsor will also need to support your application by providing their financial information as part of your online application. If they are unable to provide this information online, they can complete a paper form.
Both you and your student funding sponsor must also complete the Bursary Consent Statements on your application to confirm that you will allow your information to be shared with us. If you've already applied for a loan but haven't completed the Statements, contact the Student Bursaries Helpline on 0300 100 0612.