The UCO offers a limited number of grants, loans and bursaries to help students access our courses and provide support in times of unforeseen financial hardship. The following sources of financial support are available in 2023-24.
Access to Learning Fund (ALF)
as part of our Access and Participation Plan 2020-21- 2024/25
The ALF provides financial support in the form of non-repayable bursaries to full or part-time undergraduate students who are facing extreme unforeseen financial difficulty or unexpected financial crisis.
Access to Learning Fund Guidelines
Access to Higher Education Diploma Bursary
Offered as part of our Access and Participation Plan (2020/21-2024/25)
The Access to HE Diploma Bursary funds full course fees for eligible students studying on the UCO's Access to Higher Education Diploma (Osteopathic Sciences and Healthcare) course. Students are eligible if they:
- live in a low participation neighbourhood and are from a low-income household or,
- are care leavers or;
- are young carers.
Access to Higher Education Diploma Bursary guidelines
For further information, please contact studentsupport@uco.ac.uk
Excellence Bursary
Offered as part of our Access and Participation Plan (2020/21-2024/25)
Excellence Bursaries are offered to eligible students to support them throughout their studies whilst at the UCO.
To be eligible students must live in a POLAR4 Quintile 1 area and with a household income of below £25,000 per year. Students must also be fully enrolled and engaged on their course. Assessment is carried out by the Student Loan Company therefore evidence for this bursary is not required.
Our Student Support team will contact eligible students by 30th November 2023.
For further information, please contact studentsupport@uco.ac.uk
UCO Bursary Fund
Offered as part of our Access and Participation Plan (2020/21-2024/25)
- £500 to new undergraduate students on a household income under £25,000
- £750 to new undergraduate students who have a household income of under £25,000 and have progressed from a relevant QAA recognised Access to Higher Education Diploma (Osteopathic Sciences and Health Care) course
Our Student Support team will be able to provide further information at studentsupport@uco.ac.uk
Young Carers and Care Leavers Bursary
Offered as part of our Access and Participation Plan (2020/21-2024/25)
- are care leavers or;
- are young carers.
For further information, please contact studentsupport@uco.ac.uk
Students with disabilities
Offered as part of our Access and Participation Plan (2021-2024/2025)
Students with disabilities are offered further financial support which may contribute to the costs of psychological assessment for dyslexia and/or equipment.
Our Student Support team will be able to provide further information at studentsupport@uco.ac.uk
Student Course Fee Bursary
The UCO offers funding primarily to undergraduate students but also to students studying for our MSc Osteopathy (pre-registration) whose change in financial circumstances makes it difficult for them to pay their tuition fees.
Student Course Fee Bursary guidelines
For further information, please contact studentsupport@uco.ac.uk
The Osteopathic Foundation
The Osteopathic Foundation is able to offer interest-free loans to students in the final two years of their undergraduate degree in osteopathy (on both full-time and part-time M.Ost courses). Postgraduate students on the MSc Osteopathy (Pre-Registration) are also eligible to apply for a loan. The amount of the loan for each academic year is dependent upon the fund available and the number of students requiring help. Priority will be given to students who find themselves unexpectedly in financial difficulties through no fault of their own and who, previously, had a reasonable expectation of being able to fund the course.
The Osteopathic Foundation Loan guidelines
For further information, and to apply, please contact studentsupport@uco.ac.uk. The closing date for applications is 29 July 2022.
UCO Hardship Loan Fund
Short-term emergency loans of up to £300 are offered to students who find themselves in unexpected financial hardship and are unable to pay for everyday expenses such as travel to college, food, rent. Each individual case is assessed on student need and should be discussed with the Student Support Officer.
For further information, please contact studentsupport@uco.ac.uk
Fee waiver for mature students
Offered as part of our Access and Participation Plan (2020/21-2024/25)
To enable mature students with academic qualifications but with little to no scientific knowledge be eligible for entry on the M.Ost course, the UCO provides a pre-entry course to enable such students to gain this background in the basic sciences. There is no fee for any mature students who wishes to undertake this course.
For further information, please contact studentsupport@uco.ac.uk
Vaughan McDermott Bursary Fund
The purpose of the Vaughan McDermott Bursary Fund is to offer financial assistance to students from the UCO that are based in the West Midlands.
The bursary will be awarded to up to one student per academic year and the recipient will receive a bursary of up to £1,500 for that given academic year.
The UCO thank the Birmingham and District Osteopathic Clinic for their generosity in establishing this fund in the name of Vaughan McDermott.
Applications are welcomed between 1 – 31 March 2023.
Vaughan McDermott Bursary Fund guidelines
For any questions about this bursary, please contact StudentSupport@uco.ac.uk