Education Charities and How to Find Them

One question we often get asked at Bucks is what kind of scholarships are available for study. We don't have a dedicated scholarship for studying animation at Bucks (perhaps we should) but there are many other ways to finance your studies.

As well as the existing system of loans and grants put in place by the Government a few years ago for the funding of higher education, there are also many other sources of charitable funding out there.

You'd be surprised how many charities and trusts provide grants for educational study.

One great place to look is the Guide to Educational Grants, published by the NUS (National Union of Students), and which is updated every year.


Charitable Trusts

The Charities Digest

There are many charities and trusts that can help pay for higher education in the UK. The grants they make vary enormously, and they are often aimed at students from poorer backgrounds or from groups who are less-well represented at university or otherwise disadvantaged. 

Thousands of charities and trusts in the UK, some dating back hundreds of years, make grants to students for their education.  There are many educational charities and trusts that can offer supplementary help in case you find yourself short of funds.

How much can you get?
On average, most charities pay around £300 to £500 in grants, and most charities generally only make single payments. But these vary a great deal.

Eligibility
Different charities have different requirements - you will have to check your eligibility for each one.  By way of example, The Royal Scottish Corporation awards grants only to Scots who are studying in London.

Often, charities make awards on the basis of need, so it helps if you're pretty broke and also come from a "non-traditional" university background. Students from less prosperous backgrounds and from other disadvantaged groups are generally more likely to succeed.

Where can you find more information?

To find out more about these charitable grants for education, try these resources:

• The Educational Grants Directory
• The Charities Digest
• The Grants Register
• The Directory of Grant Making Trusts. 

These are all books - not online resources, and they are expensive. For example, The Directory of Grant Making Trusts costs £145 at amazon.

Library
Your best bet is to go to your local library and check them out, or use them in the study areas at Bucks - our library staff will be able to help you. Be prepared to make some long lists, and take down the names, addresses and criteria of as many charities as you can manage.

Treat it like a military operation: arm yourself with spreadsheets, write letters, and tick off the ones you have already applied for.  Going down this route may involve some work and quite a few application forms, but it could be well worth it. To see more information, follow this link.

For an online resource, try this link. But remember, the charities which are harder to find will generally have fewer applications.

Also see the official NUS (National Union of Students) website, for more information.

Bucks Hardship Fund
Also see the BNU Hardshipe fund, which gives discretionary grants.

For more on the experience of studying at Bucks New University, come and visit us at one of our Open Days,  take a virtual tour of one of our animation studios, check out what our students think of our course, and see why we're ranked in the top 12 creative universities in the UK.