Undergraduate Financial Support
At Pembroke, we recognise that financial worries can be a concern for students and their families, and we are always willing to discuss the availability of support if needed. To talk confidentially about financial matters or to arrange a hardship assessment once you are on course, please contact Helena Palmer (Student Support Administrator) at helena.palmer@pmb.ox.ac.uk. We’re here to help!
Oxford Bursary
If you are an Undergraduate Home (UK) student from a lower-income household, you will be eligible to receive an annual non-repayable Oxford Bursary and/or Crankstart Scholarship to help with living costs. No separate application is required; applicants just need to complete a financial assessment when they apply for UK Government Funding, and share their household income with the University. Students receive between £200 and £4500 each year of their course depending on when they started their course and their household income. For more information, please see the University’s page.
Funding for Students with Disabilities
Enquiries regarding funding for students with disabilities are handled by the Disability Advisory Service. Disabled Student's Allowances (DSAs) are available to all Home students. DSAs are not means tested and are do not need to be repaid. Details are available on the GOV.UK website.
Care Experienced and Estranged Student Funding
If you are an Estranged or Care Experienced student, there is additional support and funding available to you. Please see here for more details, and contact the Academic Office (academic.office@pmb.ox.ac.uk) if you would like to apply.
If your access to funding changes or you run into financial difficulties while you are on course, there are a variety of assistance funds to help support you.
Oxford Assistance Fund (OAF)
The Oxford Assistance Fund is provided by the government and is administered and distributed by the University. Application forms are available in College from the Academic Office – please contact the Student Support Administrator to arrange an eligibility assessment. The awards are for undergraduate or graduate students experiencing persistent or serious financial difficulty. The maximum award is £8,000 and may be a combination of a grant or a loan.
Find out more about the Oxford Assistance Fund including eligibility and the application process, on the relevant Oxford University webpage.
Pembroke Burt Student Support Fund
Any matriculated undergraduate or graduate student at Pembroke may apply for our Burt Student Support Fund at any stage of your degree. It exists to alleviate financial challenges you may face and ensure you receive support quickly. The Burt Fund can supplement University funds, help with needs not otherwise covered, or provide a faster alternative in urgent cases.
Awards can range from £50 up to £1,000 or more in exceptional cases, with extra available as a loan if necessary. Please contact the Student Support Administrator to apply.
JCR Art Fund Grants
The JCR Art Fund provides grants all year round for unexpected or sudden (and not persistent) financial challenges. Examples may include a broken laptop, an emergency trip home, or a stolen bike etc. but this list is not exhaustive. There is no maximum amount for which students may apply, but it is generally designed to cover smaller amounts – if you have a long-term or severe problem you should approach the Academic Office about one of the funds above. Further information regarding eligibility and the application form can be acquired from the current JCR Vice-President.
Hear from our community
As well as Pembroke’s welcoming charm which undoubtedly helped me settle in, their financial support has been of tremendous value. Book grants have allowed me to broaden my French literary repertoire, while exam prizes and scholarships have reduced my anxiety and financial concerns, allowing me to focus more on my studies and enjoying university to the fullest.
The pandemic affected lots of people in different ways; for me, it meant that working through the summer vacation of 2020 was no longer an option, as I had to shield in order to protect a vulnerable parent. I was relying on that work to help fund my Medicine degree, and was extremely worried about my finances without it, so I contacted the College to see if they could help. Pembroke’s hardship fund was able to fill in my unexpected shortfall, reducing my stress and letting me get back to learning how to combat this (and any future) medical crisis.
Oxford may seem daunting and scary, but it is a fantastic opportunity and you should never deprive yourself of that. The university itself has a series of grants available such as the Crankstart scholarship or the Oxford bursary (both are means-tested). As a recipient of the Crankstart scholarship myself, I can assure that it very much soothes the financial burden and worries that moving to university carries. Furthermore, individual colleges have their own ways to assist, such as hardship funds or academic grants.