Student Support Scheme

For Home applicants at all CU campuses.

At CU Group we are committed to recognising achievements in the context of which they were achieved as we understand that barriers may make it more challenging for some applicants to achieve course entry requirements.

We aim to reduce the barriers that may be preventing access to higher education by looking beyond the grades that applicants have achieved or expect to achieve.

If you have experienced barriers that might make it more challenging for you to achieve undergraduate course entry requirements, then be reassured that we look beyond the grades that you have achieved or expect to achieve. We also recognise that a one-off payment of £500 could help students stay in higher education, for example, the payment could be used to support studies by purchasing a travel pass, a laptop or as additional funds to pay for childcare.

Our CU Support Scheme works in two ways.

To assist applicants onto their chosen course, we could make a reduced offer by up to 24 UCAS tariff points or equivalent (depending on the course and qualification type).
To provide a one-off £500 payment once a student has completed their first full teaching block, to help support studies.

The basic scheme criteria will be:

Starting the first year of an on-campus Foundation, Access or Undergraduate degree (full-time or part-time) at CU London, CU Coventry or CU Scarborough from 1st July 2022 to December 2024.
Students must have successfully completed their first full teaching block before the £500 payment is authorised for release.
Applicants must fall within an eligible group (see eligibility criteria below).
Applicants must be a Home Fee paying student.
Applicants must satisfy the entry requirements for the course (taking into consideration any reduced offers by up to 24 UCAS tariff points or equivalent).

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for this scheme, an applicant must be a Home Fee paying student and fall within a group that is currently underrepresented in higher education. Such groups include:

people from lower socio-economic groups or from neighbourhoods where higher education participation is low
people from low-income backgrounds
some ethnic groups or sub-groups
disabled people
mature and part-time learners
care leavers
carers
people estranged from their families
people from gypsy and Traveller communities
refugees
students with mental health problems, Specific Learning Difficulties and/or have neurodevelopmental disorders e.g. ASD, ADHD etc
children from military families

Certain exclusions will apply to this bursary

You will not be eligible to apply for the CU Support Bursary Scheme if you are:

domiciled outside of the UK
applying to Apprenticeship degrees
applying to courses offered by Coventry University or Coventry University London campus
not charged the maximum tuition fee
not paying the full home tuition fee (e.g. employer funded/part funded)
already holding a degree qualification
studying on a franchised or validated Coventry University course at another institution.

How do I apply?

If you apply via UCAS and have declared that you are from a disadvantaged group on your application you will automatically receive a CU Support Scheme offer from our Admissions team.
If you haven’t told us through UCAS, but these apply to you, please email us at fairaccess@coventry.ac.uk to let us know within two weeks of completing your application, no later than 2 weeks before the enrolment period, to let us know.
Whether you are eligible shall be determined by CU Group in its sole discretion.

How will I be paid?

If eligible, a payment will usually be made in one instalment following successful completion of the first full teaching block . Part-time students will be paid on a pro rata basis.
If eligible, the £500 payment will be made via Western Union into your bank account after completing your first block of study with CU Group. You will be required to submit your bank details via a secure Western Union bank portal link, which will be emailed to you.
Payment is subject to CU Finance Services having received current and correct bank account details and either a tuition fee payment via Student Finance England or 50% of your tuition fees if self-funding.
The payment will not be backdated and all awards made apply to the student in the current academic year.

Additional Terms

Changes to study. If you change to another course that is not an eligible course for this scheme, your payment may be withdrawn, and you may be required to repay sums to CU Group.
Monitoring of attendance. You must successfully enrol at the start of the course and maintain your attendance throughout, including meeting assessment deadlines and engaging in the course delivery. Your course attendance may be monitored and reported.
Suspensions and withdrawal from studies. If you suspend or withdraw from your studies, then you may be required to repay sums to CU Group.
If you are the subject of any investigation (to include criminal), form of proceedings (to include disciplinary or fitness to study proceedings) this will be considered by CU Group on a case by case basis, and the CU Group will have full discretion to determine whether or not the payment shall be withdrawn.
If you decide to defer your offer of a place on a course, CU Group reserves the right to withdraw your offer of reduced entry requirement and/or one-off £500 payment.

Email Fair Access Team

Please include your UCAS or application ID number when emailing us.