Hi! I’m Aaliya, a placement student working at the University of Reading. I’m here to share with you one of the schemes at Reading that aims to make studying at university as inclusive as possible.  

As you are probably aware the government provides students with a maintenance loan to cover university costs however this can sometimes not be enough, and some students still work part-time jobs or have to be supported by their parents or guardians.  

The University of Reading offers additional financial support to students through grants, bursaries, scholarships and fee waivers. These funds are offered to students in order to alleviate the worries of studying and the finances that come with it. Bursaries are usually given to students that come from certain circumstances to ensure that they have the same experience of studying and to reduce the financial worries of going to university.  

These are some eligible characteristics: 

• Those who have a household income assessed by the relevant Student Finance Authority of below £27,000 
• Care Experienced students, Foyer students and Estranged students 
• Work and Study Placement students 
• Those experiencing financial difficulties 

Learn more about the bursaries offered at UoR: Bursaries and Awards  

Reading Bursary Survey Results 

The Reading Bursary is offered to students who have a household income assessed by the relevant Student Finance Authority of below £27,000. In 2021 to 2022, we have had an increase in students eligible for the bursary reflecting the financial impacts of Covid.  

Many students who received the funding were also balancing jobs alongside their studies or during their vacation time, which made up most of their financial source. For those that worked during term-time, 36.6% worked more than 8 hours per week. This work was usually undertaken to account for essential spending such as rent and utilities and was also used for academic costs such as study materials. 

56.5% of students stated that receiving the bursary was very important in supporting their continued studies. Here are some comments from these students: 

“Allowed me to have enough money to eat, I was not eating well due to financial situation I was also awarded a catering package for a month which really helped I was not aware that they were able to this. Appreciated it a lot”. 

“Grateful for the support I have received. It’s more or less the money that helps me with food and bills. So without the bursary I wouldn’t be eating properly and not focusing on self-care and health”. 

“Wouldn’t be able to afford living, literally! I live off of my maintenance loan throughout the year, the bursary is a godsend”.  

Read the full report: Student Financial Support reflective report August 2023 (PDF, 0.4 MB)