Access+ IT & Equipment Bursary

Our bursary can kit you out with the resources and IT equipment you need for university. And, because it’s a bursary, you don’t need to pay it back! The equipment you buy is yours to keep forever. Read our FAQs to find out more.

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The information on this page relates to 2024 entry. Information for 2025 entry will be published when available.

Who's eligible?

To receive the bursary, you’ll need to:

have been made an Access+ contextual offer from the University of Sheffield
have made the University of Sheffield your Firm choice by 24 July 2024
have met the conditions of your offer - you’ll know you have if your place with us is confirmed on results day.
meet the full terms and conditions

Read our FAQs to find out everything you need to know

Getting the cashless bursary

How do I get the bursary?: We’ll email you if you’re eligible and ask you to register your interest in the bursary and consent to share data with our partner, The JS Group, who administer the bursary on our behalf. As an Access+ eligible student, when we can see you have made the University of Sheffield your Firm choice and met the conditions of your offer, we’ll contact you again just after A Level results day with the details of how to access the bursary.
Can I have the bursary in cash rather than a credit?: No. The bursary is available as credit only.
Can I transfer my bursary to a friend/relative?: No. The credit is not transferable to another individual.
Can the bursary be withdrawn once it has been credited?: The scheme will be open to eligible students to register their interest by the deadline of 5pm on Sunday 28 July. Students taking up the offer will have until the deadline of 31 January 2025 to use the funds. Funds will be withdrawn after 31 January 2025. In certain circumstances the accounts of students may be frozen or closed during this period and any unspent credit cancelled, for example, when students leave the University or if there is any misconduct in relation to their accounts.

Spending the credit

Where can I spend it?

The bursary will come in the form of Aspire Credit which will be directly credited to your account with The JS Group via their Aspire Platform. You can only use the credit to purchase items on the Aspire Platform.

What can I spend my funds on?

You can spend your funds on a variety of products relating to study support and IT, including laptops and tablets, which have been pre-selected by the University. You could also choose to spend your funds on a supermarket voucher.

Do I have to spend the money all at once?

No, but credit must be used before the 31 January 2025.

Do I have to pay the bursary back when I leave the University?

No, this is an award designed to support you in your studies and does not need to be paid back.

Will I receive any unspent credit in cash when I leave the University?

No, your account will be closed on the 31 January 2025 and unspent bursary funds will be forfeited.

What if I want to buy something that is worth more than bursary?

You can use your credit towards the cost and top up the difference with your own credit/debit card.

How do I use my supermarket voucher?

If you choose to spend bursary funds on a supermarket voucher, you'll receive a link to the voucher. You'll need to activate it by clicking on the link and saving the file.

For Tesco and Sainsbury’s voucher purchases the voucher can be printed or presented on a phone and scanned in store to pay.

For Aldi voucher purchases the voucher will need to be printed and presented at the customer service desk in any Aldi store in the UK to be redeemed.

Please note: These are UK, IN STORE vouchers only and cannot be used online or at petrol stations.

When does my supermarket voucher expire?

You'll need to activate your voucher by clicking on the link and saving your voucher within 90 days of receiving it or it will expire.

However, once you have activated your voucher it will then be valid for two years.

Please note: we cannot replace or refund expired vouchers.

Where can I find the supermarket voucher I ordered?

If you have placed an order for a supermarket voucher (for example, Tesco, Sainsbury’s or Aldi), a link to the voucher will be emailed to your account email address. This should normally arrive within an hour.

If you can’t locate the email please check your junk/spam folder before you contact The JS Group.

What products can I buy with the supermarket voucher?

You can use these vouchers to buy food and drinks from Tesco, Sainsbury’s or Aldi (depending on voucher purchased).

Please note: this voucher cannot be used to buy products like alcohol, tobacco or lottery tickets. There may be other restrictions that apply.

Buying products from the Access Sheffield Aspire website

I've tried using the online store but am having technical problems. Who can I contact for help?: Contact student.info@accesssheffield.co.uk.
Who can I ask if I have questions?: The JS Group is the supplier that the University has appointed to run this award scheme and questions should be directed to them. For any queries please email student.info@accesssheffield.co.uk.
Where will my items be delivered to?: You can choose the best address for your items to be delivered to. Ideally this might be a home address or your new halls of residence - we don't recommend having valuable items delivered to the halls of residence as it may be difficult to get them securely signed for. If you don't have a suitable address where your items can be securely delivered please contact the Access Service at access @sheffield.ac.uk to arrange a suitable collection point.

Your data

What will happen to the data I share?: Your data will be stored securely by The JS group until the contract ceases on 31 January 2025. More information can be found in The JS Group's Privacy & Cookie Policy.

Other University bursaries and funding

Can I still access other University of Sheffield financial support?: Students in receipt of the Access Sheffield IT & Equipment Bursary are still eligible to apply for other financial support from the University. If your department has individual IT and equipment support you may use this in addition to the Access Sheffield IT & Equipment Bursary.

Full terms and conditions for the bursary