Find out if you're eligible for our undergraduate scholarship.
What is Up-Grade?
Up-Grade is an undergraduate scholarship worth £1,000.
You are eligible for £1000 if you:
- Apply to BCU, and are made an offer which you accept firmly or as your insurance choice.
- You subsequently secure results in the qualifications you are studying that exceed our published entry requirements (for the course to which you are applying).
- Your place is confirmed by BCU and you go on to fully enrol with the University.
- Entrants who match our published entry requirements will not be eligible for the scholarship.
The £1,000 is paid directly into your bank account.
Am I eligible for the Up-Grade scholarship?
Up-Grade applies to anyone who:
- a) applies to BCU by 30 June 2023 for entry to the first year (Year 1) of an Honours degree or integrated masters full-time course starting in academic year 2023/24
- b) is currently studying level 3 qualifications (see definition below) in the 2022/23 academic year for which they are due to receive results in the summer of 2023.
Eligible qualifications include A Levels, BTEC Extended Diploma, T-Levels, Scottish Highers and Advanced Highers, Irish Leaving Certificate, Welsh Baccalaureate, International Baccalaureate, Access to HE courses, UAL Diplomas, CACHE Diploma, and OCR Cambridge Technical qualifications.
Your results from any of the above qualifications must exceed the tariff points outlined in the published entry criteria for your course.
Am I eligible for the Up-Grade scholarship?
You are not eligible for Up-Grade if you are already holding level 3 qualifications at the point of application from prior to the relevant academic year – e.g. if you secured A Level, BTEC, Access or IB qualifications in 2022 or earlier.
The following categories are also not eligible for Up-Grade:
- International fee-payers
- Apprenticeship students
- Students undertaking Professional Practice/CPD courses
- Students undertaking non-credit bearing courses
- Students undertaking short credit-bearing courses
- Part-time students
- Anyone applying for and later enrolling onto Foundation Year degrees (Year 0), HND or Foundation Degree
- Anyone currently studying a Foundation Year at BCU or any other institution
- Applicants to the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, except those applying for Applied Theatre and Stage Management courses
- Apply to a degree programme through Clearing
- Students who do not complete full enrolment
- Students who do not maintain their place on the course at the point of payment of each instalment
How do I have a chance of getting the Up-Grade scholarship?
- Apply to Birmingham City University by 30 June 2023.
- Receive a Conditional Offer on a qualifying course – before you have your level 3 results.
- Accept Birmingham City University as ‘Firm’ or ‘Insurance’ on UCAS Hub.
- Achieve level 3 grades that exceed our published entry requirements, or Access results which exceed the published entry tariff points. By exceed, we mean that your total UCAS points are more than the UCAS points which are required for entry to the course, as published on our website prior to 30 June 2023.
How is the scholarship paid?
The £1,000 will be paid into your bank account in three instalments during the first year of study.
If you are in debt to the University for your fees, the scholarship will not be paid in cash but instead it will be credited to your student account in three instalments.
You do not need to apply for the Up-Grade scholarship as the Admissions team will check your eligibility. Successful students who fully enrol will receive a congratulations email with a link to a secure form to submit bank details to Finance in order to receive the scholarship.
When is the scholarship paid?
If your course starts in September 2023, your scholarship will be paid in three instalments at the end of December 2023, at the end of March 2024 and the end of May 2024.
If your course starts in January 2024, your scholarship will be paid in three instalments at the end of March 2024, at the end of May 2024 and at the end December 2024.
What can I spend the money on?
If you receive our Up-Grade Scholarship, you might be wondering what the wisest way is to spend it, see what our students did with their scholarship money.
