Bursaries

Access Bursary

 

Why do we have an Access Bursary?

The gospel is for all people, and in the church there is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male or female, for we are all one in Christ. Too often though, in-depth theological training is only accessible or affordable to a smaller minority.

So at Oak Hill we want to provide training for all who are called to ministry, regardless of ethnicity, sex, and economic or social background, and we long that our life together at College reflects the breadth of God’s people and plans. We have more progress to make, but we hope that the Access Bursary allows us to take one more step in that direction.

To that end, our Access Bursary is designed to increase the breadth of our student body and to provide support for those from under-represented or disadvantaged groups with significant financial need. 

What does it cover?

Both full time and part time applicants may apply to have their tuition fees covered. In addition, full time applicants may apply for a contribution towards living costs ranging from £7,600 for a single applicant to £10,400-£15,000 for an applicant with dependants. The level of support will be reviewed annually but the intent is to ensure students are supported throughout their time at Oak Hill.

If, after you have started at Oak Hill, you decide to extend your programme e.g. extend from a CertHE to DipHE or BA (Hons), the Access Bursary will not be awarded automatically for any extra years of study, but you will be welcome to apply at the appropriate time. The same applies if you complete the BA (Hons) as an Access Bursary recipient and then decide to apply to stay on and complete a postgraduate qualification with us. 

Who is it for?

The Access Bursary is for new Independent students with significant financial needs who are applying to study at Oak Hill on one of our full time or part time programmes. If you’ve received an offer of a place to study at Oak Hill, you would be eligible to apply for an Access Bursary if you are 

  • female or
  • from a Black, Asian or minority ethnic background or
  • from a low socioeconomic background (see below)

We recognise that people from these groups may suffer disadvantage connected to these characteristics and/or may be disproportionately under-represented at Oak Hill.

Low socioeconomic background

If several of the following statements are true of you, and assuming that any current income and assets don't significantly change your circumstances, then you would be eligible to apply for an Access Bursary on the grounds of your socioeconomic background. If there are other circumstances that you think would be relevant, there will be opportunity for you to tell us about them on the bursary application form. Given the number of variables, we will assess applications on a case by case basis.

  • You are/were in receipt of free school meals
  • You attended a non-fee paying school
  • You are part of the first generation in your family to attend university
  • You are under 25 and living with one or both of your parents or dependent on them, and the household income is less than £25,000
  • You are currently in, or have spent time in, the local authority care system
  • You grew up in, or now live in, one of the more deprived areas of the UK, defined as your home postcode being in Quintile 1 of the government's Indices of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) database. There are separate indices for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland (see below). 

+ If you live in England, please enter your home postcode here and click ‘get deprivation data’. The data for your postcode will be available as an xlxs file. Open this file in Excel. Column E of the spreadsheet indicates your Index of Multiple Deprivation rank. You are eligible if the value is 6568 or less;

+ If you live in Scotland, please click here to download the Scottish IMD look up file (an Excel spreadsheet). Enter your home postcode in column A. You are eligible if the rank shown in column C is 1395 or less;

+ If you live in Wales, please enter your home postcode here, tick the reCAPTCHA checkbox, and click ‘go’. You are eligible if your area is ranked 381 or less;

+ If you live in Northern Ireland, please enter your home postcode here and click ‘search’. You are eligible if the Multiple Deprivation Measure (deprivation rank) at the top of the page is 178 or less.

 

When and how can I apply for an Access Bursary?

Read about the admissions process and how to apply to study at Oak Hill. An Access Bursary application form is provided at offer stage. 

At the point of accepting an offer of a place to study at Oak Hill you are able to apply for the Access Bursary. The deadline for applying for an Access Bursary for 2024/25 is 12noon Friday 12 July 2024.

Access Bursary applications are considered by the Bursary Committee. We aim to let you know the result of your application within three weeks of submitting it. You will receive a letter which will be emailed to you by our Admissions Office.

What information would I need to submit with a bursary application?

When you complete the application form, you will be asked to provide some details on any income you have e.g. any spouse income, rental income, savings income. 

Are there a limited number of bursaries on offer?

For September 2024 entry, there are bursaries available for approximately 10 full time and 10 part time applicants.

Are there other ways you can help me fundraise for training at Oak Hill?

Yes, we have put together a some information to help you think about how to go about raising financial support. It will start to give you a feel for the fact that, where individuals and churches are concerned, it’s about asking them to partner with you rather than just giving you money.  Visit our Raising Financial Support page for more details.

If you would like to have a conversation about your situation or how to access the training, please contact the Oak Hill Admissions Office and we'd be very happy to chat with you.

 
 

The gospel is for all people, and in the church there is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male or female, for we are all one in Christ."

Watch the Access Bursary video here