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What's available?

Find out which scholarships and bursaries might be available to you as a University of Portsmouth student.

Bursaries and scholarships are a good way to partly fund the costs of your study. You can usually use these alongside student loans and you don’t have to pay them back.

Whether you can get a scholarship or bursary depends on your circumstances. So they aren’t available to everyone.

If you weren't eligible for a bursary or scholarship when you applied for your course, you might be eligible now if your personal circumstances have changed. It's a good idea to apply for as many bursaries and scholarships as you can and keep looking throughout your studies.

Undergraduate scholarships and bursaries

  • You’ll get this bursary of £500 a year if you’re a full-time undergraduate student from England, being charged full fees of £9,535 (2025/26) and your household income is less than £25,000 a year
  • You can’t get this bursary if a sponsor (such as an employer or NHS organisation) is paying all or some of your tuition fees
  • Students who started their course before September 2025 will be assessed and awarded in line with earlier eligibility criteria

No need to apply

You don’t need to apply for this bursary. We'll check if you're eligible each time you apply to Student Finance England for income-based support.

On your Student Finance England application, you need to make sure:

  • You’ve said you study at the University of Portsmouth
  • You (and your parents or partner) have given your consent to share your information with the University

 

You could get this £1,700 bursary if you’re a full-time undergraduate from the UK and you’ve spent a significant time in care, some of which was in your teens.

This bursary isn't based on your income.

How to apply

Email independent@port.ac.uk to find out if you’re eligible for this bursary.

Restrictions

You won't be able to get this bursary alongside the Stand Alone Bursary or Young Carer Bursary (below).

You could get this bursary of £1,000 a year if you’re a full-time undergraduate UK student aged under 25 and estranged from your parents.

It isn't based on your income.

How to apply

Email independent@port.ac.uk to find out if you’re eligible for this bursary. If you’re eligible, we’ll tell you how to apply.

Restrictions

You won't be able to get this bursary alongside the Care Leaver or Young Carer Bursary.

You could get this bursary of £500 a year if all the following apply:

  • you’re a full-time undergraduate from the UK aged under 25
  • you have unpaid caring responsibilities for a parent or another adult family member 
  • your family income is less than £25,000 a year

How to apply

Email independent@port.ac.uk to apply for this bursary.

Restrictions

You won't be able to get this bursary alongside the Care Leaver or Stand Alone Bursary.

This scholarship gives statutory Care Leavers or estranged students a free place in a Unite hall of residence for a maximum of 3 years, and is awarded by the Unite Foundation.

Full details are available online from the Unite Foundation. There are a limited number of these scholarships, so not everyone who's eligible will be successful, but you can get this scholarship alongside the Stand Alone Bursary or Care Leaver Bursary.

Applications for 2026/27 are now open. The deadline for applications is 19 June 2026 at 23:59.

You won't be able to get this scholarship on foundation, repeat or placement years.

London UoP students should contact Student Money at the Portsmouth campus for advice about eligibility.

Eligible students can apply for the NHS Learning Support Fund (NHS LSF) if they’re on one of the following pre-registration undergraduate or postgraduate courses at the University of Portsmouth:

  • BSc (Hons) Dental Hygiene
  • BSc (Hons) Dental Hygiene and Dental Therapy
  • BSc (Hons) Diagnostic Radiography and Medical Imaging
  • BN (Hons) Nursing (Adult)
  • BN (Hons) Nursing (Mental Health)
  • BSc (Hons) Operating Department Practice
  • BSc (Hons) Paramedic Science
  • MN Adult Nursing
  • MN Mental Health Nursing
  • MSc Physiotherapy (Pre-Registration)

To qualify for the extra support you'll need to be eligible for tuition fee and maintenance support from your national funding body (either Student Finance England (SFE), Student Finance Wales (SFW), Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS), or Student Finance Northern Ireland (SFNI).

Students on Pharmacy MPharm (Hons) can access the travel expenses and dual accommodation allowance part of the NHS Learning Support Fund providing they meet the eligibility of the Student Loans Company and ordinarily reside in the UK. Students will need to apply for the fund in the usual way. More information can be found on the Government website.

For full details of the NHS Learning Support Fund – including full eligibility criteria – please visit the NHSBSA website.

As part of our Sport Scholarship programme, student-athletes receive a bursary between £2,000 - £6,000, including a range of support services to enhance their sporting and academic performance. You can apply for the sport scholarship programme as soon as you have applied or if you're currently studying.

You could get this bursary if you are:

  • enrolled or have applied on an undergraduate or postgraduate degree 
  • compete at national level or above in your sport

How to apply:

To find out more and to apply, visit our Sport Scholarships page and complete the online application form. Please note there are a limited number of Sport Scholarships available, not everyone who is eligible will receive it.

The Leverhulme Trade Charities Trust offers financial support for grocers, chemists, commercial travellers and their families. There are awards of up to £3,000 a year for undergraduate and postgraduate students.

To be eligible, you must have a spouse or parents who have worked as commercial travellers, chemists or grocers for at least 5 years.

Find out more about the Leverhulme Trade Charities Trust Scholarships. 

Postgraduate scholarships and bursaries

If you haven't started your postgraduate course yet, you can find out what funding is available on our scholarships and bursaries page.

Charitable grants and bursaries

Some organisations, charities and trusts offer bursaries and grants. They are awarded to high-performing students or people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

You can search for sources of Master’s funding from charities, trusts and foundations on The Alternative Guide to Postgraduate Funding website. There is a cost to access this.

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