Scholarships and Bursaries

Access Fund helps to address unexpected financial difficulties our students find themselves facing during their time at University College. Its aim is to redress challenges which would prevent current Castle students from participating in their course or continuing their education.  Hardship funds have been provided to assist students with textbook purchases, accommodation fee shortfalls, and essential travel (for example to and from lectures and academic placements).

Thanks to the generosity of our alumni and friends, and in addition to the support available from the college office, we are able to provide a small number of named awards for students in the most dire circumstances. These include:

• The Worswick Hardship Fund 
• The Eva Schumacher-Reid Fund 

Eligibility: The Hardship Fund is open to current University College students who had a sound financial plan in place at the beginning of the academic year, but who found themselves facing unexpected financial hardship thereafter. 

Award Range: Up to £300. Additional named funding of up to £500 may be available in extraordinary circumstances. 

Frequency of Award Panels: Once every academic term 

Application Process: Information relating to the application process will be sent out to all current University College students each academic term. Applications will be assessed by a panel of University College Student Support Office representatives. 

Founded in 1844 in memory of John Pemberton to support University College students. Pemberton bursary is an opportunity fund which assists University College students who do not receive financial support or have a household income below £42,000pa to access opportunities in College and beyond and reach their full potential. The award has broad eligibility criteria and supports employability, travel or academic research in the broadest sense, as long as these would make a considerable difference to the applicant.

Award Range: We will invite applications for grants up to £500, higher awards may be considered at the discretion of the panel in extraordinary circumstances

Frequency of Award Panels: There are up to five awards available each term 

Application Process: Information relating to the application process will be sent out to all current University College students during the relevant term. Applications will be assessed by a panel of University College staff and, where relevant, representatives of the college’s external bodies (such as the University College Durham Trust, Durham Castle Society or the College Advisory Board). Please note that for some of the awards above, we may take your academic achievements into consideration. We will request any information we require from your academic department. 

Established through generosity of Canon Geoffrey Williams in 1986/87 to support student academic advancement. The bursary is open to University College postgraduate students seeking support for the costs of academic research or conference attendance.

Award Range: Two awards of up to £400 

Frequency of Award Panels: Usually awarded during the Epiphany Term

Application Process: Information relating to the application process will be sent out to all current University College students during the relevant term. Applications will be assessed by a panel of University College staff and, where relevant, representatives of the college’s external bodies (such as the University College Durham Trust, Durham Castle Society or the College Advisory Board). Please note that for some of the awards above, we may take your academic achievements into consideration. We will request any information we require from your academic department. 

The Michael McCarthy Memorial Fund at University College was established by Michael and Mary McCarthy in memory of their son, Michael. The fund supports travel bursaries for University College students to visit the USA as a means of enhancing their academic development. During the selection process, preference will be given to postgraduate applicants.

Award Range: Up to £500 towards the costs associated with travel; higher awards may be available in extraordinary circumstances at the discretion of the panel

Frequency of Award Panels: Usually awarded during the Epiphany Term

Application Process: Information relating to the application process will be sent out to all current University College students during the relevant term. Applications will be assessed by a panel of University College staff and, where relevant, representatives of the college’s external bodies (such as the University College Durham Trust, Durham Castle Society or the College Advisory Board). Please note that for some of the awards above, we may take your academic achievements into consideration. We will request any information we require from your academic department. 

Established by an alumnus of University College, John Crowther, to support a University College undergraduate student in their final year of a Maths degree, on track for graduating with a First-class degree, and who is involved in college sport.  

Award Range: One award of £750 available

Frequency of Award Panels: One award made annually in the Easter Term. Students should apply in their penultimate year of study.

Application Process: Information relating to the application process will be sent out to all current University College students during the relevant term. Applications will be assessed by a panel of University College staff and, where relevant, representatives of the college’s external bodies (such as the University College Durham Trust, Durham Castle Society or the College Advisory Board). Please note that for some of the awards above, we may take your academic achievements into consideration. We will request any information we require from your academic department. 

Set up by University College alumnus, Hunter Davies, the award recognises the best piece of investigative journalism in the Palatinate over the course of the academic year. Award is open to all Durham University students. We accept one submission per student journalist. We are also happy to receive nominations and recommendations from current students who are not involved in writing for the palatinate, but who find any articles published particularly insightful. 

Award Range: One award of £100 available

Frequency of Award Panels: One award made annually in the Easter Term

Application Process: Information relating to the application process will be sent out to all current University College students during the relevant term. Applications will be assessed by a panel of University College staff and, where relevant, representatives of the college’s external bodies (such as the University College Durham Trust, Durham Castle Society or the College Advisory Board). Please note that for some of the awards above, we may take your academic achievements into consideration. We will request any information we require from your academic department. 

Founded in 1962/63 by David Loveday, Bishop of Dorchester, in memory of his brother, John Loveday, an alumnus of University College (1900-1904). There are two awards one each to: 

• Support a University College Student who is reading Classics and who can demonstrate a strong academic record in the subject. 
• Recognise a University College student who has served the College community with distinction  

Award Range: Two awards of £300 each

Frequency of Award Panels: Usually awarded in the Easter Term

Application Process: Information relating to the application process will be sent out to all current University College students during the relevant term. Applications will be assessed by a panel of University College staff and, where relevant, representatives of the college’s external bodies (such as the University College Durham Trust, Durham Castle Society or the College Advisory Board). Please note that for some of the awards above, we may take your academic achievements into consideration. We will request any information we require from your academic department. 

The Bythell Travel Bursary is a monument to Duncan Bythell, long time SCR member and Castle resident serving as Senior Tutor until 1996. The fund supports student travel for a wide range of purposes including, research, conference, cultural exchange and enhancing their academic development.

Award Range: Up to £500 towards the costs associated with travel; higher awards may be available in extraordinary circumstances at the discretion of the panel

Frequency of Award Panels: Usually awarded during the Easter Term

Application Process: Information relating to the application process will be sent out to all current University College students during the relevant term. Applications will be assessed by a panel of University College staff and, where relevant, representatives of the college’s external bodies (such as the University College Durham Trust, Durham Castle Society or the College Advisory Board). Please note that for some of the awards above, we may take your academic achievements into consideration. We will request any information we require from your academic department. 

This bursary commemorates the lives of Godfrey Stephen Thomis, student of Music at University College who graduated in 1956, and Marjorie Cecille Thomis. It supports student travel to any destination outside of the UK to enrich their university experience through research, volunteering, sport, music, theatre, language learning or other cultural exchange. This award would be well suited to students pursuing a year abroad.  This award is open to all University College undergraduate and postgraduate students with a preference for undergraduates studying Music or History.  

Award Range: Two awards of up to £1000 towards the costs associated with travel; higher awards may be available in extraordinary circumstances at the discretion of the panel

Frequency of Award Panels: Usually awarded during the Easter Term

Application Process: Information relating to the application process will be sent out to all current University College students during the relevant term. Applications will be assessed by a panel of University College staff and, where relevant, representatives of the college’s external bodies (such as the University College Durham Trust, Durham Castle Society or the College Advisory Board). Please note that for some of the awards above, we may take your academic achievements into consideration. We will request any information we require from your academic department. 

Thanks to the generosity of our alumni, we are able to offer two Bell Post Graduate Scholarships to make the vast enrichment and development opportunities offered by Castle open to everyone.

Who: First Year Doctoral Research Students. Preference will be given to students who are focusing on Arts & Humanities and/or Social Sciences and come from backgrounds that have historically been underrepresented in academia. 
The Scholarship is open to home and international students. There are two Scholarships available. 
Students should be: 

• enrolled on a full-time postgraduate doctoral research course starting in 2023  
• a member of University College 
• self-funding their postgraduate doctoral research degree, i.e. anyone who is not in receipt of a PhD scholarship that covers tuition fees and/or provides a financial stipend 

What:  £4,000 awarded annually for up to four years of a full-time postgraduate doctoral research degree. The stipend will be paid directly to the recipient. 

Details: Recipients will be expected to get involved in and contribute towards College/University Life. 

How: To apply, please complete the form emailed to all University College PGR students. It asks for a one-page personal statement outlining the topics below.  

The personal statement should include information about: 

• Why you are applying for this scholarship 
• What difference the funding will make to you 
• Why you have chosen University College 

Selection: Applications will be assessed by a panel made up of University College Officers and University College Early Career Research Fellows on the basis of applicants' ability to meet the eligibility criteria, academic potential, and a personal statement. In addition to the information supplied on the scholarship application form, the College will gather contextual information to support the assessment of scholarship applications. 
Please note that the panel will only be able to consider any supporting documentation that is included in your application. The panel will not be able to accept documentation or evidence which is submitted after the application deadline. This is to ensure that the process runs to time and is fair to all applicants. 

For informal queries please contact us via [email protected]  
 

Reporting: Bursary recipients will be required to adhere to the University College Bursaries and Awards Terms and Conditions. 

The Margaret Mallett Scholarship was set up by David Mallett, University College alumnus, in memory of his late wife. Margaret taught, researched and published in the area of Early Years and Primary Language and Literacy.  She strongly believed in the importance of academic study and research in the field.  

The purpose of the scholarship is to help primary school teachers finance a Master’s Degree or a Doctorate in the field of Early and Primary Years Language and Literacy. The hope is that this period of study will be of value to them in the classroom, lead to their researching and writing in the field and, if the opportunity arises, moving into a University Education Department.

Eligibility: 

• The Margaret Mallett Scholarship has been set up to support a graduate of University College, Durham, who has taught for at least five years in an early years or primary classroom. The scholarship may be used to help finance a postgraduate course in Education, full or part time, at any University with a well-established Education Department, including a strong early years and primary emphasis, and which is supportive of the applicant’s intended area of study.  or 
• A graduate of any University, who has taught for at least five years in an early years or primary classroom, and wishes to pursue a postgraduate degree at Durham University, specifically as a member of University College, ideally in Early and Primary Years Education. The scholarship may be used to help finance a full or part time postgraduate course. 

Award Range: Up to £20,000 

Application Process: 

Interested students are invited to submit an application of no more than one side of A4 outlining: 

• Their name, contact details and course of study 
• The ways in which they meet the selection criteria above 
• The difference that the award would make to them and how it would be used 

The application should be submitted to [email protected] who will manage applications on behalf of the Trust. The applications are assessed on an ongoing basis.

Selection: 

Applications will be assessed by a scholarships panel made up of University College Durham Trust representatives. Please note that in order to reduce any potential impact of unconscious bias, the applications will be assessed on a “blind” basis (with the details of your name, gender, previous education etc. removed). 

As a condition of receiving the bursary, the successful candidate will be required to provide evidence of having been admitted to a University/course of their choice and submit a short report (of no more than half of one side of A4) to [email protected] , describing how the funding helped them to achieve their goals, by the end of each year of their study.   

If you have any questions please contact us via [email protected]  

The University College Durham Trust MA Museum and Artefact Studies Scholarship has been generously established in Memory of Lt-Col Angus Alexander Macfarlane-Grieve, Master of University College from 1939-1953, and funded by donations made by the College’s alumni.  The scholarship is to support a postgraduate student on a two-year part-time course in Museum and Artefact Studies at Durham University. 

The scholarship will be awarded to one applicant biennially and the successful candidate will have access to the College collections while undertaking their studies, research and dissertation, and may potentially support both the Curator and the wider College in its efforts to improve the College as a museum and accessible heritage site. The course is carried out part-time over a period of two years. In addition, a willingness to play a full part in the life of the University College and Department of Archaeology is expected.

For more information:

MA Museum and Artefact Scholarship Details

MA Museum and Artefact Scholarship Terms and Conditions

MA Museum and Artefact Scholarship Application Form

Further details on the course can be found here: https://www.dur.ac.uk/archaeology/postgraduate/taughtprogrammes/ma_museum_studies/

The scholarship includes part-time course fees and accommodation within University College (self-catered at New Kepier Court) for each year of the two-year course.

The scholarship will be held in University College in conjunction with the department of Archaeology. 

Applications are now open. Please read the particulars above and submit completed applications to [email protected] by 1 July 2023.

Informal queries can be made to Gillian Rennie, via [email protected]. 

Thanks to the generosity of our alumni, we are able to offer two Bell Scholarships and one Senior Scholarship to make the vast enrichment and development opportunities offered by Castle open to everyone, irrespective of their household income.  

Eligibility: The scholarships are open to all new University College undergraduate students who are due to commence their studies in October 2023 and whose household income is below £42,875.00 per annum as determined by Student Finance England.
Award Range: £4,000 per year for the duration of a 3 year undergraduate degree (or a 4 year undergraduate degree, where awardees are taking an additional foundation or undergraduate masters year of study/year abroad)

Deadline for Applications: Sunday 3 September 2023, midnight

Application Process: Eligible candidates are encouraged to send a one-page personal statement, full name and contact details and any supporting documentation to [email protected].  The personal statement should include information about:

• Why are you applying for this award?
• What difference will the funding make?
• Why you have chosen University College?
• How will you contribute to the College Community?
• Are there any other barriers to further education (financial or otherwise) that you currently face?

We will inform successful applicants as soon as possible after the deadline. 
Please provide a copy of your Student Finance England confirmation of funding letter once received. We will not be able to make the award until we receive this information.

Selection: Applications will be assessed by a panel made up of University College Officers, on the basis of applicants' ability to meet the eligibility criteria, academic potential, and a personal statement. In addition to the information supplied on the scholarship application form, the College will gather contextual information to support the assessment of scholarship applications.

Please note that the panel will only be able to consider any supporting documentation that you wish to be include in your application and which is attached to your submission. The panel will not be able to accept documentation or evidence which is submitted after the application deadline. This is to ensure that the process runs to time and is fair to all applicants.

Reporting: Bursary recipients will be required to adhere to the University College Bursaries and Awards Terms and Conditions.