Scholarships for Intercollegiate Halls
Find out about scholarships that are available for those coming to University of London Intercollegiate Halls.
Care Leavers & Estranged Student Scholarship 2024/25
This Scholarship supports students who are care leavers, care experienced (Scotland), or estranged from their family.
We will provide, free of charge, a catered standard single study bedroom at Nutford House or a catered en-suite room at College Hall, commencing the start of the 2024-2025 academic year, for up to five full-time students, registered at one of the following University of London Federation Members:
- Birkbeck, University of London
- City, University of London
- Goldsmiths, University of London
- London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
- School of Advanced Study, University of London (SAS)
- School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS)
- Royal Academy of Music (RAM)
- Royal Central School of Speech and Drama (RCSSD)
Students from Federation members not listed above may have access to similar schemes operated by their Federation member, so are directed to their Federation member of study for further support.
In addition to the five places available for 2024-2025, we are continuing to support nine students who started their studies in 2023, under our partnership with the Unite Foundation and Portal Trust.
Application details
Care Experienced (Scotland)
The Scottish authorities define a care experienced student as being aged 16 years or over but under 26 and having, at any time in their lives, been looked after by a Local Authority.
- Evidence of Care Experienced (Scotland) status
Share your SAAS letter confirming your Care Experience Bursary or alternatively provide an LA letter. Please ensure your LA letter explicitly states ‘looked after’, ‘care experienced’ or ‘care leaver’ – if you are unsure, please send this application guidance to your LA for assistance or discuss with your University contact.
Statutory Care Leaver (England, Wales & Northern Ireland)
Care Leaver is a legal status that can begin at age 16 and lasts until 25 if in Higher Education. There are several different categories of Care Leaver but all legal definitions are eligible for the Unite Foundation Scholarship Scheme.
- Evidence of Statutory Care Leaver status
Ask your Local Authority for a letter on headed paper confirming that you are a statutory care leaver; ideally stating which category you fall into, i.e. Relevant, Former Relevant, Eligible or Qualifying. Ask them to include in this letter the support they will provide for you whilst you are at university. Alternatively, please provide a copy of your most recent national (SFE, SFW or SFNI) student finance award confirming explicitly you are in receipt of funds specifically for care leavers.
Estranged from family
If you are estranged from both of your biological parents, adoptive parents, or only living parent, you may be eligible to apply for the Scholarship as an estranged student. Student Finance (SFE, SFNI, SFW) or Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS), considers you an independent student on the basis of being estranged from your parents if you are permanently not in contact with your parents.
- Evidence of Estranged status
Ask your student finance/award office for a letter on headed paper stating that you have been assessed as an independent student on the basis of estrangement. If you are unable to provide a supporting letter for estrangement as it has not yet been decided, please enclose the application and supporting documents that you have submitted to Student Finance to apply for independent status as an estranged young person.
To be eligible for this scholarship, you must be a care leaver, care experienced (Scotland), OR estranged, and meet all the following criteria:
- aged 25 or under on 1st September 2024; and
- be entering your first or higher year of undergraduate study, or your first year of postgraduate study, in year beginning September 2024; and
- studying at one of the University of London Federation members listed above; and
- a UK home fee status student, i.e. not an international student.
Five
How will the scholarship awards be decided?
A Panel, chaired by the University's Student Health & Wellbeing Manager, will review applications and determine which applicants will receive an award. The panel will aim to ensure a fair spread of awards between care experienced and estranged applications, across the different participating Federation members, years of study, and degree subjects.
We anticipate that demand for these scholarships will be greater than the number of places available. Decisions made by the Panel will be final and with regret, not open to feedback or appeal.
What will the selected students receive?
A catered standard single study bedroom at Nutford House or a catered en-suite room at College Hall, free of charge for 365 days commencing the start of the 2024-2025 academic year. The Scholarship is awarded for one academic year at a time. Any awards for future years would be made only on the basis of a new application.
Scholars will also benefit from the enhanced pastoral support offer outlined in our Support for Care Leavers and Estranged Students Policy.
How do you apply?
First, complete the online scholarship application form.
After completing the application form, please send us your documentary evidence of eligibility as follows:
- From (use the same email address that you used in the application form)
- Send documentary evidence to: residential.life@london.ac.uk
- Subject heading: SCHOLARSHIP EVIDENCE
- Include your full name, and date of birth in the main body of the email message;
- Attach evidence that you are a young person who is Care Experienced (Scotland), a Statutory Care Leaver (NI, Wales, England), or estranged from your family. See the Definitions section above for which documents we can accept as evidence.
When is the application deadline?
The deadline for applications directly to the University of London is 12:00 (midday) on 7th July 2024. Applications received after this deadline will not be considered. You must have both completed the online application form and sent your documentary evidence by email before the closing date.
The awards will be confirmed to the selected students within 21 days of the closing date.
More information
Please contact: residential.life@london.ac.uk if you have any questions.
If you are currently receiving the 2023-2024 University of London Care Leavers & Estranged Students Scholarship, via last year's "Route 2 - Application direct to the University of London", you can apply to be considered for one of the five awards available in 2024-25, if you will continue to be eligible.
If you are currently receiving the Unite Foundation Scholarship, your award will automatically continue, provided you continue to meet the eligibility requirements.