Student Bursary

Do you need financial assistance with the cost of your studies?

The student bursary may be able to help if financial difficulties are making it harder for you to take part in learning at City Lit.

Support may be available towards:

Course fees
Travel costs
Essential course materials
Childcare costs

All applications are assessed individually based on financial need and the evidence provided.

Please note that submitting an application does not guarantee an award.

Important information before you apply.

Application deadlines

You must submit your application at least 4 weeks before your course starts.
We cannot accept applications after you have enrolled or after your course has started.
You can apply for course fee support for one course per term.
If you are enrolled on more than one eligible course during the same term, you may still apply for support for travel, materials and childcare contributions.
If you live outside London, please contact the Financial Support team before applying, as funding may not be available in all areas.

Course eligibility

Support is available for most City Lit courses. However, funding is not available for:
Courses that have an Advanced Learner Loan
Courses that run for fewer than 3 weeks or sessions

Who can apply for a bursary?

You can apply if you are in financial hardship and meet one of the below criteria:

Receive benefits such as Universal Credit or other means tested benefits - for full information about which benefits we accept please see: Full, Concessionary and Senior Fees – City Lit
Are working on a low income
Are an asylum seeker or refugee
Have little or no income
Are facing financial difficulties that may affect your ability to study
Have experienced or are currently experiencing barriers to learning
Your chosen course will help you find a job or improve your English, Maths or health and confidence
Are up to date with all your payment plan payments (if you have taken out payment plans for other courses)

How will my application be assessed?

Bursaries are available to help students who are experiencing financial difficulties that may affect their ability to take part in their studies.

Applications are assessed individually by an independent bursary panel and take into account:

Your income and essential living costs
Whether financial difficulties are affecting your ability to attend or participate in your course
How the support requested will help you continue your studies
Any additional circumstances that may increase the level of financial support required

Priority is generally given to students experiencing the most severe financial hardship where the cost of attending or participating in the course presents a significant barrier to learning.

This may include students on low incomes, those receiving means-tested benefits, students with high essential living costs, and those experiencing exceptional circumstances such as:

Homelessness
Domestic abuse
Caring responsibilities
Disability related costs
Refugee or asylum seeker status
A sudden financial crisis

Students with little or no disposable income remaining after essential living expenses are more likely to receive support. However, meeting any particular circumstance does not guarantee an award.

Bursary funding is limited and applications are prioritised according to demonstrated financial need, individual circumstances and the funds available. Financial hardship is assessed based on the information and evidence provided and not solely on whether an applicant considers themselves to be experiencing hardship.

Having disposable income remaining after essential living costs, access to savings, or other financial resources may reduce the level of support awarded or result in an application being unsuccessful.

Funding may contribute towards course fees, travel costs, essential materials or childcare expenses. The level of support awarded will depend on financial need, the impact on learning and the funds available.

Applications that are incomplete or missing compulsory evidence cannot be assessed and are likely to be unsuccessful.

What evidence do I need to provide with my application?

We will need to see documents evidencing you are in financial hardship. Do not send password protected documents. Please send only -PDF,-JPG,-DOC (.DOCX) files.

All students must provide:

Proof of a means tested benefit - please note if you receive Universal Credit we will need to see your most recent statement. For all other benefits please provide a statement dated within the last 6 months OR
If you are employed, your last 3 payslips (you must be earning under the London Living Wage which is £28,860 (£14.80 /hr)
If you are not on benefits and are not employed, please provide a statement detailing how you support yourself

You may also wish to provide other supporting evidence such as:

Medical letters
Details of any services who are supporting you
Evidence of caring responsibilities
Evidence of support from friends and family
Evidence of asylum support

PLEASE NOTE: All applicants must provide complete bank statements for all current, savings and online accounts held in their name, covering the previous three months.

Statements must be provided in full and must not contain any redactions, omissions or hidden transactions.

Can I request a review of a bursary assessment outcome?

If your application is unsuccessful and you believe relevant information was not considered, you may request a review of the decision.

Requests for review will normally only be considered where:

New evidence is available that was not included with the original application.
You believe relevant information or evidence submitted as part of your application was not taken into account during the assessment process.
You believe an administrative error may have affected the outcome of your application.

A review cannot be requested solely because you disagree with the bursary panel's assessment of your financial circumstances or the level of support awarded.

Requests for review must be submitted within 10 working days of receiving the outcome to advice@citylit.ac.uk

Ready to apply?

Apply for a bursary now

Note: Contact details and drop in times are incorrect in the video

If you have questions contact the Financial Support Team:

For more information about the bursary, please watch this short video:

Still have a question?

Contact Us
We will get back to you as soon as we can.
You can drop-in and see an advisor Monday to Friday 10:00-17:30, please speak to a member of staff at the desk in the Student Centre.
See phone numbers and opening times
Or Apply for a bursary online

Advice and enrolment support for Deaf students

Advice sessions with BSL interpreters to help Deaf students enrol onto courses and apply for financial support take place in Room 1 in the Student Centre from 2pm to 4pm.

Come at 2pm. The last enrolment will finish at 4pm.

The next drop in dates will be planned soon

If you are Deaf and cannot come to any of these sessions, please submit a request or send a WhatsApp to 073 8031 9655 (Monday to Friday 10:00-17:30) to arrange an individual appointment (the times and dates we can offer will depend on staff and interpreter availability, but we will do our best to arrange a time suitable for you).