Experience Sheffield Scholarships – Clearing

Eligibility

You must meet all of the criteria below to be eligible to apply:

• You have a household income of £50,000 or less. This must be assessed by Student Finance England or equivalent UK funding agency.
• You are starting your undergraduate course at the University of Sheffield in September 2025.
• You are offered a place through Clearing or have been made an offer after 5 May 2025.
• You are eligible to pay the home rate of fees.
• You have not previously applied for the Experience Sheffield Scholarship for 2025 entry.

Apply

Applications will open on Monday 11th August. 

The deadline to apply is 1pm (UK time) on Tuesday 26 August 2025.

Please note, you will need to use your applicant login details (once you have received an offer) to access the application form.

All applicants will be contacted regarding the outcome of their application before Friday 19 September 2025. 

Selection process

When assessing your application as well as your answers to the questions, we will also take into account a number of widening participation criteria:

• Have you entered the University through one of our outreach schemes?
• Were you in receipt of free school meals during secondary studies?
• Are you from a Black, Asian and other minority ethnic group?
• Do you have a disability?
• Do you come from an area where it is not usual for people to go to university? This is defined by the government's classification called POLAR. To meet this criteria your address must fall into quintile 1 or 2 of POLAR4. We will use the information submitted as part of your course application to assess this. Please note this information only covers the UK.
• Do you come from one of the more deprived areas of the country as defined by the government's Indices of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) database? If your postcode IMD value is 16,250 or less, you meet this criteria. We will use the information submitted as part of your course application to assess this. Please note this criteria only applies to students who live in England.
• Will you be over the age of 25 on the first day of your course?
• Have you been in care as a looked-after child for at least 13 weeks since the age of 14 and will be aged under 25 on the first day of your course?
• Are you estranged from your parents and will be aged under 25 on the first day of your course?
• Are you a carer for an ill or disabled family member?

To assess your eligibility for the two postcode criteria above, we'll use the home address you used on your UCAS form when you applied for your course.

If your application is successful, you will be required to provide a copy of your Student Finance Entitlement letter from student finance showing that you meet the relevant loan eligibility.

Selection panel

A selection panel consisting of senior academic and professional services staff will consider your scholarship application. When making their decision, the panel member will take into consideration the widening participation criteria you meet and also give regard to your answers within the application form. 

If you have a condition that can affect aspects of your written communication and would like panel members to be aware of this, please let us know by emailing us at alumni.scholarships@sheffield.ac.uk.

How the scholarships are funded

The money for these scholarships is provided by donations from generous people, organisations and companies that want to support students. Many of the donors are alumni (former students) of the University of Sheffield.

If you receive an Experience Sheffield Scholarship, you may be invited to relevant events during your studies at Sheffield.

Frequently asked questions

What if I don't want to apply for a maintenance loan?

To be eligible to receive a scholarship, we will need student finance to confirm your household income to us. If you do not wish to take out a loan, you can still apply for a household income assessment to be carried out by Student Finance England (or equivalent regional funding body) and request a £0 loan - this allows us to assess your eligibility for the scheme without you receiving any loan. You will have the opportunity, during the application process for student finance, to indicate that you wish to apply for a £0 tuition fees loan and a £0 maintenance loan instead of the maximum loans available to you.

How can I access my Student Finance Entitlement Letter?

Once you have had your means-tested assessment completed, you can view your Student Finance Entitlement Letter by logging into your student finance account and accessing the 'Letters and emails' section. 

I'm not sure what my household income is, can I apply?

Yes, you are welcome to apply. However, if you are awarded the scholarship, this will be conditional on you confirming your household income and providing evidence where necessary by a specified deadline.

Can international students apply?

No, you need to be eligible to pay the home rate fees for your course to apply.

How will you check my household income?

If you have applied for a means-tested assessment by Student Finance England or equivalent UK funding agency and give consent to share your information with us, we will be able to automatically confirm your household income.

We may also ask you to provide evidence to confirm your household income.

Further information

• For your application to be considered, you must have submitted your application to UCAS by the scholarship application deadline.
• Scholarships will be paid directly into your bank account in two instalments of £600 per level of study, for up to three years.
• As a scholarship recipient, you will be closely involved with our fundraising work and you can help provide our donors with a greater understanding of what it is like to be a Sheffield student. At the end of each academic year, you will be asked to provide a short report outlining the past year and how the scholarship has helped you.
• Successful recipients will be invited to attend an annual 'thank you' event at which you can meet donors and other scholarship recipients.
• We will not share any personal details about you with donors without your prior consent.
• If you withdraw from the University, part or all of the scholarship may be repayable.
• If you take a period of leave of absence, your scholarship may be suspended.
• Full terms and conditions will be shared with scholarship recipients once registered at the University.