Not every scholarship is awarded because of high grades. Some universities and charities give financial support because of a student’s personal circumstances.
This can include being care experienced, estranged from family, disabled, a refugee or asylum seeker, a single parent, an unpaid carer, or from a low income household.
These awards may be called scholarships, bursaries, grants, sanctuary scholarships or hardship funds. The name matters less than the eligibility rules.
This guide explains who may qualify, what evidence you may need, where to look and how to apply without wasting time on awards that do not fit your situation.
What Are Scholarships Based on Personal Circumstances?
These are awards that look at your background or current situation rather than relying only on academic results.
For example, a university may offer extra support if you:
- Have been in local authority care
- Are estranged from your parents
- Have refugee status or are seeking asylum
- Have a disability, long term illness or specific learning difficulty
- Are a single parent
- Provide unpaid care for someone
- Come from a low income household
- Are the first person in your family to go to university
Some awards are automatic once the university confirms your circumstances. Others require a separate application, supporting documents and a personal statement.
That is why it is important to read the rules for each award rather than assuming all personal circumstances funding works in the same way.
Start by Working Out Which Category Fits You
You may fit more than one category.
For example, you could be a care leaver and also come from a low income household. You could be disabled and also be the first person in your family to attend university.
Do not limit yourself to one search term.
If you are unsure where you fit, contact the university’s student funding or student support team. Tell them your circumstances clearly and ask what scholarships, bursaries or hardship funds you may be eligible for.
1. Scholarships for Refugees and Asylum Seekers
Many UK universities offer Sanctuary Scholarships for people who have sought asylum in the UK or have certain forms of humanitarian or immigration status.
The support can be substantial.
For example, the University of Sheffield Sanctuary Scholarship offered five fully funded scholarships for 2026 entry. Each award covers tuition fees and includes £10,300 a year towards living costs. Applications for 2026 entry closed at 1pm on 29 June 2026.
Eligibility is specific. Sheffield states that applicants must fall within particular immigration categories, such as having an asylum claim under consideration, humanitarian protection or limited leave to remain.
What you may need
Depending on the university, you may be asked for:
- Home Office letters
- Evidence of your asylum claim or immigration status
- Proof of your university application or offer
- Evidence that you cannot access normal student finance
- A supporting statement
Practical tip
Do not search only for the word scholarship.
Try searches such as:
[university name] sanctuary scholarship[university name] asylum seeker funding[university name] refugee bursary
Student Action for Refugees and university funding pages can also help you identify available schemes.
2. Support for Care Leavers and Estranged Students
If you have spent time in local authority care, or you no longer have a relationship with your parents, you may be able to access extra university funding.
Universities use different terms, including:
- Care experienced
- Care leaver
- Independent student
- Estranged student
One current example is the University of Manchester Sadler Bursary.
For 2026 entry, Manchester offered 12 bursaries worth £10,000 a year, subject to satisfactory academic progress. Applicants had to be care experienced or a care leaver, assessed as a home student and aged 24 or under on 1 September 2026.
The application round for that year has already closed, which shows why checking deadlines early matters.
What you may need
Evidence can include:
- A letter from a local authority
- Confirmation from a social worker
- Documents showing your care status
- Evidence of estrangement where required
You should also tell UCAS and Student Finance about your circumstances where relevant. This can affect how your financial support is assessed.
In England, care leavers can apply for the maximum Maintenance Loan without their household income being used, while eligible estranged students can apply to be assessed as independent students. Check the current Student Finance England guidance for the rules that apply to you.
3. Funding for Students With Disabilities
If you have a disability, long term health condition, mental health condition or specific learning difficulty, do not search only for disability scholarships.
A lot of support is provided through Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) and university disability funds.
For students in England, the maximum DSA for 2026/27 is £27,783. It is based on your individual study-related needs rather than household income, and it does not have to be repaid.
DSA can help with costs such as:
- Specialist equipment
- Assistive software
- Non-medical helpers
- Specialist note taking
- Disability-related travel
- Other study support linked to your condition
You can check the current rules on the official Disabled Students’ Allowance page on GOV.UK.
Also ask your university
DSA is not the only possible source of help.
Contact the disability or accessibility team and ask whether the university offers:
- Disability bursaries
- Equipment grants
- Hardship support
- Travel support
- Accommodation help
- Emergency funding
Some support is not listed clearly on the main scholarship page.
4. Funding for Single Parents and Unpaid Carers
Students who are raising children or caring for another person can face costs that other students do not have.
Depending on the university and your circumstances, support may include:
- Childcare grants
- Parent bursaries
- Carer bursaries
- Hardship funds
- Emergency grants
- Help with travel or accommodation
What evidence might be requested?
You may be asked for documents such as:
- Child Benefit records
- Evidence of childcare costs
- A Carer’s Allowance letter
- A letter from a GP, social worker or support professional
- Proof that you are financially responsible for a child
Where to ask
Start with the university’s student funding team.
If the main scholarship page does not mention parents or carers, also check:
- Student wellbeing
- Student services
- Childcare support
- Hardship funding
5. Support for Students From Low Income Households
Low income bursaries are among the most common forms of personal circumstances funding. You may qualify because of your household income, postcode, school background or another widening participation measure.
Some universities assess this automatically using information from Student Finance. Others require a separate form.
Check whether you need to apply
This is important.
A bursary may be:
Automatic: the university receives your household income information and assesses you without a separate application.
Application based: you must complete a form and provide evidence yourself. Never assume which one applies.
If your main concern is covering everyday living costs, you may also want to read our guide to 10 UK Universities Offering Hardship Funds in 2026.
What Evidence Should You Prepare?
One of the easiest ways to miss funding is to wait until the deadline before looking for documents. Create a folder and keep copies of anything that may support your application.
Depending on your circumstances, this could include:
- Proof of household income
- Student Finance assessment letters
- Home Office documents
- local authority care records
- Medical evidence
- Disability assessment reports
- Childcare documents
- Evidence of caring responsibilities
- Proof of estrangement
- Bank statements where financial hardship is part of the application
You will not need all of these. Only provide documents that the scholarship asks for.
How to Find Scholarships Based on Your Circumstances
Do not rely on one scholarship website.
Use this search order.
1. Check the university’s own funding page
Search:
[university name] scholarships bursaries
Then try your specific circumstance:
[university name] care leaver bursary
[university name] disability funding
[university name] sanctuary scholarship
[university name] low income bursary
2. Contact the funding team
If the website is unclear, email the university.
A simple message is enough:
I am planning to study at your university and would like to know what financial support may be available for a student in my circumstances. I am [briefly state your situation]. Could you please tell me which bursaries, scholarships or hardship funds I should check?
You do not need to tell your full personal story in the first email.
3. Check specialist organisations
Depending on your situation, specialist charities may have their own funding or lists of university support.
For example, refugee and asylum seeker applicants can check organisations such as Student Action for Refugees and Refugee Education UK.
4. Check again after you enrol
Do not stop looking once your course starts. Universities may have emergency funds, hardship grants and small bursaries that are available only to registered students.
How to Apply
Once you find a suitable award, follow these steps.
Step 1: Read the eligibility rules first
Before writing anything, check:
- Who can apply
- Whether it is for undergraduate or postgraduate study
- Whether international students are eligible
- Whether you need an offer first
- What evidence is required
- The closing date
- Whether the award can be combined with other funding
If you clearly do not meet the rules, move on.
Step 2: Gather your evidence
Do this before starting the application form. Missing evidence can delay your application or make it ineligible.
Step 3: Answer the question they actually ask
If the form asks how your circumstances have affected your education, explain that directly. Do not turn the answer into a general life story.
A useful structure is:
What happened: briefly explain your circumstances.
How it affected you: explain the financial, academic or practical impact.
What you have done: show how you have continued with your education or managed the situation.
How the funding would help: explain what the award would make possible.
Step 4: Be specific
Instead of:
I have faced many financial difficulties.
Write:
My household income means I currently rely on part-time work to cover travel and food. Reducing those hours would give me more time for lectures and assignments.
Specific information helps the panel understand why the funding matters.
Step 5: Keep your application honest
Do not make your circumstances sound worse because you think it will improve your chances. Your application should match the evidence you provide.
If you need help with the written part, our guide on how to write a winning scholarship personal statement explains how to structure it clearly.
A Simple Application Checklist
Before you submit, check that you have:
- Confirmed that you meet the eligibility rules
- Checked the correct deadline
- Completed any course application required first
- Gathered the requested evidence
- Answered every question
- Explained how your circumstances have affected you
- Explained how the funding would help
- Checked whether you can hold the award with other funding
- Saved a copy of the application
- Submitted before the final day
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Searching only for the word “scholarship”
Universities may call the same type of support a bursary, grant, hardship fund or access fund.
Assuming good grades are required
Some awards consider academic performance, but many personal circumstances awards are mainly based on eligibility and financial or personal need.
Applying without checking the rules
A strong application will not help if you are outside the eligibility criteria.
Waiting for the university to contact you
Some bursaries are automatic, but many are not. Check for yourself.
Leaving evidence until the last minute
Documents from a doctor, social worker, local authority or government department may take time to obtain.
Writing too much
A personal circumstances statement does not need to include every difficult event in your life. Focus on what is relevant to the funding decision.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need high grades to get a personal circumstances scholarship?
Not always. Some awards may have academic requirements, but others focus mainly on your circumstances, financial need or eligibility status.
Can I apply for more than one award?
Often, yes. However, some scholarships cannot be held alongside certain other awards. Check the terms of each one.
Do international students qualify?
Sometimes. Eligibility varies widely. Some awards are specifically for international students, refugees or asylum seekers, while others are limited to students who qualify for UK home fees or Student Finance.
Always check the individual scheme.
What if my situation does not fit one clear category?
Contact the university’s funding team. Personal circumstances often overlap, and staff may be able to point you towards support that is difficult to find through a normal website search.
Are scholarships the only help available?
No. You may also find bursaries, grants, hardship funds, emergency support, disability funding and childcare support. The most useful approach is to search for financial support, not just scholarships.
Final Thoughts
Scholarships based on personal circumstances can make university more affordable for students who have faced financial, family, health or immigration challenges.
The key is to search carefully. Work out which categories fit your situation, check each university’s official funding pages, prepare your evidence early and apply only for awards you genuinely qualify for.
Most importantly, do not assume that a scholarship is only for students with outstanding grades. In many cases, the reason the funding exists is to make sure personal circumstances do not stop a capable student from continuing their education.
Funding amounts, deadlines and eligibility rules can change. Always check the official university or government page before applying.