Students studying with The Open University can access a broad range of financial support towards their tuition fees, maintenance costs and the study-related costs they incur throughout the duration of their qualification. In addition, the University offers a variety of bursaries and scholarships to help students with funding.
The information below was last updated on 23 July 2024. Please note this is OU advice. Please contact the University, rather than the Students Association, for more assistance:
Contact the University
Undergraduate & Postgraduate Fee and Maintenance Support
For undergraduate and postgraduate study there is a range of statutory funding available to assist towards tuition fees such as loans and grants, in addition to access to maintenance support.
Further information is available on the OU’s website, please refer to the Fees and Funding pages for information on undergraduate and postgraduate support available.
Discretionary Funding
Access Funding – Financial Support for Access Modules
We offer financial support for Access modules to provide students in under-represented groups access to higher education study with the OU. To qualify, students must be resident in the UK and eligible for a UK fee, be new or have little experience of higher education, and be in receipt of a qualifying benefit or have a household income of £25,000 or under. An Access module provides the perfect introduction to distance learning and university-level study.
Further information
Study-Related Costs Funding
The Open University offers funding towards study-related costs that may arise throughout the duration of study, such as the costs of a computer, internet, childcare, travel to tutorials and study materials.
Students in England, Northern Ireland and Wales who are in receipt of a qualifying benefit, such as Universal Credit, or who have a household income of not more than £25,000 are eligible to apply for the scheme.
The full eligibility criteria and details on how to apply are available here.
Choosing the right equipment for study
OU learning is delivered online via the module website, so you will need access to a computer or laptop and the internet. (Chromebooks and iPads are not recommended for OU study, and you can check specific ‘Computing Requirements’ on your module website.)
Great deals on refurbished devices are available, with warranty and technical support, through trusted suppliers like Stone Refurb and the getonline@home initiative. Some general advice on suitable devices is here.
Alternatively, you should be able to use a computer at your local library or community centre. The OU is a member of the National Digital Inclusion Network and you can find out here about Online Centres near you.
You are also likely to need a phone for access to tutorials. Many networks offer social tariffs which are special offers for eligible customers, so ask your network provider for information.
Open University Bursaries and Scholarships
Disabled Veterans’ Scholarships Fund
The Disabled Veterans’ Scholarships Fund offers disabled veterans, injured as a result of, or whilst serving in, the British military access to free Open University education. There are 50 scholarships available annually. In addition to free study, successful applicants will be offered further specialist careers and disability support.
Applications for 2024/25 are open until midday on 10 July 2024.
Further information
Carers’ Scholarships Fund
The Carers' Scholarships Fund is offering 10 UK-based carers a full fee waiver scholarship to study an Open University qualification of their choice. The scheme is aimed at carers who currently provide or have recently provided unpaid (with the exception of Carer’s Allowance) care to someone such as a family member, partner or friend who needs help because of their illness, frailty, disability, a mental health problem or an addiction and who can’t cope without their support.
Applications for 2024/25 are open until midday on 26 June 2024.
Further information
Care Experienced Scholarship
The Open University Care Experienced Scholarship is offering six full undergraduate scholarships to care experienced young people aged 25 and under.
The scholarship has been designed in collaboration with The John Lewis Partnership as part of the Building Happier Futures initiative to offer young people with experience of being in care an opportunity to study an undergraduate qualification for free.
Applications for 2024/25 are open until midday on 24 July 2024.
Further information
Open Futures Scholarship for Black Students
The Open Futures Scholarship for Black Students provides the opportunity for new, UK-resident students who identify as Black to study for free. The aim of the scheme is to reach more students and to ensure that our student population reflects the whole of our society. Ten scholarships are available in 2024/25. Successful scholarship recipients will also receive a one-off £500 study costs grant to support with the costs of preparing for study with the OU, such as buying a laptop, study materials or arranging internet access.
Applications for 2024/25 are open until midday on 3 July 2024.
Further information
Open Futures Sanctuary Scholarship
The Open Futures Sanctuary Scholarship is offering the opportunity for new, UK-resident students who have been displaced from their homeland or place of residence for political, economic, ethnic, environmental, or human rights pressures, to study for free. 12 scholarships are available in 2024/25.
Applications for 2024/25 are open until midday on 17 July 2024.
Further information
Hayes Postgraduate Scholarship
The Hayes Postgraduate Scholarship is offering up to 10 scholarships to students starting their first masters degree within the School of Engineering and Innovation or the School of Computing and Communication.
Applications for 2024/25 are open until midday on 31 July 2024.
Further information
Carers’ Bursary
We recognise carers face disadvantages that may prevent them from pursuing the education that they would like. The Carers’ Bursary, available to students who provide care to a family member or friend, offers students a £250 award to support with costs associated with online study such as purchasing a laptop or organising connection to the internet.
Further information
Care Experienced Bursary
The Care Experienced Bursary offers an award to registered students who are currently in, or have previously been in, the care of a Local Authority; for any length of time and at any stage in their life. The bursary offers students a £250 award to support with study costs, such as purchasing a laptop or organising connection to the internet.
Further information
Open University Students' Educational Trust
The Open University Students Educational Trust (OUSET) is the student charity where funds raised by students are used to benefit students in financial hardship. It is a separate registered charity operated by the OU Students Association.
Further information