About the bursary

The Alison Fordham Bursary is named in honour of a valued colleague of the Institute of Continuing Education. Throughout her career, Alison supported thousands of learners to access key virtual learning resources and to engage with fully online and blended learning. Importantly, Alison championed the Institute’s mission and values by enabling adult learners across a range of fields to grow in confidence around digital technologies and participate in online communities of learning. 

To align with the legacy of our colleague, this bursary is awarded to students who wish to study on one of our short online courses via our virtual learning platform, reducing the fee paid by 50%. The bursary is limited to a single award for each set of online courses.  

When to apply

You should apply once you have made your course booking and paid the course fees in full to secure your place. If you are awarded the bursary, 50% of your fee will then be refunded. Please note that:

• A set of online courses runs every 6 weeks.
• The bursary application closing date is 2 weeks before the start date of these courses.
• The Bursary Panel will meet shortly after the bursary application closing date to consider all applications received. 
• The successful applicant will then be notified, and refunded 50% of the course fee.

What information is needed

To apply for this bursary, we ask you to provide:

• a personal statement outlining your motivations for study at this stage in your life, and any future ambitions for undergraduate study
• evidence of your financial need (if relevant). 

   Note: You can bookmark this link to continue with your booking and apply later.

The Churton Collins Memorial bursary is intended to enable prospective English Literature students, who do not currently hold a recognised higher education level qualification (FHEQ level 4 or higher), to enrol on ICE’s relevant part-time award-bearing undergraduate English Literature certificates and diplomas, which will be delivered remotely in the academic year 2025-26. 

Two bursaries are available, each providing a subsidy of £1000 tuition fee reduction. To apply for the bursary, please provide a personal statement (up to 200 words), outlining your motivations for applying for the bursary and how it will enable you to study at ICE if successful.

The bursary application closing date is initially 31st March 2025. The Bursary Panel will meet to consider applications received up to this date and students will be informed of the outcome within one month of the closing date. Should any funds be available after the March deadline then the bursary may re-open.

There is no financial barrier criteria for this bursary.

John Churton Collins was a literary critic who taught in continuing education contexts for much of his career and wrote books and reviews on a wide variety of subjects, including ethics and literature, and studies of Swift, Shakespeare and Tennyson.

The Edward and Ivy Rose Hood Memorial bursary is intended to enable prospective adult learners, who do not currently hold a recognised higher education level qualification (FHEQ level 4 or higher) and for whom finance may be a barrier to part-time study, to enrol on ICE’s relevant part-time award-bearing undergraduate certificates and diplomas, the majority of which will be delivered remotely in the academic year 2025-26. 

Two bursaries are available, each providing a subsidy of up to £1000 tuition fee reduction. To apply for the bursary, please provide a personal statement (up to 200 words), outlining your motivations for applying for the bursary and how it will enable you to study at ICE if successful.

The bursary application closing date is 31st March 2025. The Bursary Panel will meet to consider applications received up to this date and students will be informed of the outcome within one month of the closing date. Should any funds be available after the March deadline then the bursary may re-open.

Please note - qualifying income level may include a gross household income of not more than £25,000 per year or you may be in receipt of a qualifying benefit such as income support, job-seekers' allowance, employment and support allowance (ESA), universal credit, or your sole income is a State Pension and/or you are in receipt of pension credit. Applicants may be asked to provide supporting evidence to confirm this if they are offered a bursary.

The University of Cambridge Institute of Continuing Education (ICE) and the creative writing charity First Story have collaborated to provide four partial tuition fee bursaries.

The First Story - Institute of Continuing Education Tuition Fee Bursary Scheme will enable teachers from all levels, librarians or other literary professionals working in deprived and/or disadvantaged settings to enrol on the part-time University of Cambridge Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching Creative Writing starting in October 2025 and for whom finance may be a barrier to part-time study.

These bursaries, which will cover up to £2000 of the course tuition fee, are intended to support applicants who work in state funded settings such as state schools, public libraries, local authorities, the NHS or HM Prisons Service and will be interested in using creative writing as a development tool within their field. We will also consider applicants from third-sector organisations and not-for-profit organisations. (If you are awarded a bursary you would be responsible for paying the remaining tuition fee.)

To be considered for a bursary, you will need to meet the eligibility criteria set out below, provide a personal statement about how you will benefit from the course (no more than 300 words), and submit your CV.

Eligibility criteria

• You must be at least 18 years old.
• You should have a 2.i honours degree (or overseas equivalent) and/or significant relevant professional experience when you apply. 
• If you are a professional who is currently working with or have previously been engaged with a First Story programme, you are welcome to apply for this bursary scheme.
• You agree to co-operate and participate in publicising the Partnership and to take part in promotional events and/or publications (as reasonably required).
• Unless otherwise stated, teaching and assessment for ICE courses are in English. If your first language is not English, please refer to the course Entry Requirements page for further guidance.

The bursary application closing date is 5th June 2025 and the full terms and conditions for the bursary can be found on our website. Successful applicants should be informed about bursary decisions at the same time they are informed they will have a place on the course. 

The Institute of Continuing Education’s First Time in Higher Education bursary is intended to enable prospective Arts and Humanities students, who do not currently hold a recognised higher education level qualification (FHEQ level 4 or higher) and for whom finance may be a barrier to part-time study, to enrol on ICE’s relevant part-time award-bearing undergraduate Arts and Humanities certificates, the majority of which will be delivered remotely in the academic year 2025-26. 

Two bursaries are available each providing a subsidy of 50% tuition fee reduction. To apply for the bursary, please provide a personal statement (up to 200 words), outlining your motivations for applying for the bursary and how it will enable you to study at ICE if successful.

The bursary application closing date is initially 31st March 2025. The Bursary Panel will meet to consider applications received up to this date and students will be informed of the outcome within one month of the closing date. Should any funds be available after the March deadline then the bursary may re-open.

Please note - qualifying income level may include a gross household income of not more than £25,000 per year or you may be in receipt of a qualifying benefit such as income support, job-seekers' allowance, employment and support allowance (ESA), universal credit, or your sole income is a State Pension and/or you are in receipt of pension credit. Applicants may be asked to provide supporting evidence to confirm this if they are offered a bursary.

The bursary is applicable to the following Undergraduate Awards: Certificates for study in 2025-2026:

Archaeology of The Ancient World

Classical Studies

Creative Writing: Creative Non-Fiction

Creative Writing: Fiction and Writing for Performance

English Literature: Texts and Contexts

History

History of Art: Classical to Renaissance

Philosophy: History of Philosophy, Philosophy of Mind and Political Philosophy 

Politics

Sociology

Study of Early Medieval England

Theatre and Performance Studies

World Archaeology

The Institute of Continuing Education’s First Time in Higher Education bursary is intended to enable prospective Science students, who do not currently hold a recognised higher education level qualification (FHEQ level 4 or higher) and for whom finance may be a barrier to part-time study, to enrol on ICE’s relevant part-time award-bearing undergraduate Science certificates, the majority of which will be delivered remotely in the academic year 2025-26. 

Two bursaries are available each providing a subsidy of 50% tuition fee reduction. To apply for the bursary, please provide a personal statement (up to 200 words), outlining your motivations for applying for the bursary and how it will enable you to study at ICE if successful.

The bursary application closing date is initially 31st March 2025. The Bursary Panel will meet to consider applications received up to this date and students will be informed of the outcome within one month of the closing date. Should any funds be available after the March deadline then the bursary may re-open.

Please note - qualifying income level may include a gross household income of not more than £25,000 per year or you may be in receipt of a qualifying benefit such as income support, job-seekers' allowance, employment and support allowance (ESA), universal credit, or your sole income is a State Pension and/or you are in receipt of pension credit. Applicants may be asked to provide supporting evidence to confirm this if they are offered a bursary.

The bursary is applicable to the following Undergraduate Awards: Certificates for study in 2025-2026:

Cognitive Psychology

Ecology and Conservation

Infectious Diseases

The ICE - MSt in History Research Bursary is intended to support disadvantaged home fee students for whom finance may be a barrier to part-time study. This research bursary is particularly suitable for home fee students who are in receipt of a student loan to study on the course.

The University of Cambridge Institute of Continuing Education (ICE) is deeply grateful for an anonymous contribution towards this research bursary, which is intended to cover some of the year two research expenses incurred by students. Expenses must be incurred during the 1 June 2025 – 1 June 2026 period.

5 research bursaries are available in the first instance each providing up to £1,000 towards the expenses for year two research activity for home fee students. If successful, home fee students are expected to supply expenses receipts so reimbursement can be made.

To apply for the research bursary, please provide a personal statement (up to 300 words), outlining your motivations for applying for the research bursary, how the funds will support your research, the reasons why you are unable to self-fund and details of how you propose to spend the research bursary.

The research bursary application closing date is 20 May 2025. The ICE Bursary Panel will meet to consider research bursary applications received up to this date. 

The National Extension College bursary is intended to enable current or recent (last 12 months) students who have completed an A-level course with NEC, who do not currently hold a recognised higher education level qualification (FHEQ level 4 or higher) and for whom finance may be a barrier to part-time study, to enrol on one of the University of Cambridge Institute of Continuing Education’s relevant part-time undergraduate certificates, the majority of which will be delivered remotely in the academic year 2025-26.

Eligibility criteria is as follows:

• Applicants must provide evidence that they have completed an A-level course with NEC;
• Applicants agree to co-operate and participate in publicising the Partnership and to take part in promotional events and/or publications (as reasonably required);
• Special consideration will also be given to people who meet the criteria and whose parents did not attend university, people who have previously been in care, disabled people, refugees and underrepresented ethnic minorities.

One bursary is available providing a subsidy of 100% tuition fee reduction. To apply for the bursary, please provide a personal statement (up to 300 words), outlining your motivations for applying for the bursary and interest in engaging in study at ICE and a 100-word statement to indicate how receipt of a bursary (if successful) would make this more accessible for you.

The bursary application closing date is initially 31st March 2025. The Bursary Panel will meet to consider applications received up to this date and students will be informed of the outcome within one month of the closing date. Should any funds be available after the March deadline then the bursary may re-open.

Please note - qualifying income level may include a gross household income of not more than £25,000 per year or you may be in receipt of a qualifying benefit such as income support, job-seekers' allowance, employment and support allowance (ESA), universal credit, or your sole income is a State Pension and/or you are in receipt of pension credit. Applicants may be asked to provide supporting evidence to confirm this if they are offered a bursary.

The Pre-Medical Studies bursaries are intended to support mature students to enrol on the University of Cambridge Institute of Continuing Education’s FHEQ level 4 Certificate of Higher Education in Pre-Medical Studies (120 credits), which will be delivered as a blended online and in-person course in the academic year 2025-26.

Up to 12 tuition fee bursaries of £3,000 will be available, reducing the tuition fee from £8,000 to £5,000. 

To apply for the bursary, please provide a personal statement (up to 200 words), outlining your motivations for applying for the bursary.  While all eligible candidates are encouraged to apply, we particularly seek to support applicants with a clear connection to the East of England, with an aspiration to improve access to and the quality of healthcare provision in the region.  

Eligibility Criteria (proof will be required): 

• Home address at time of application must be in one of the following area postcodes - AL, CB, CM, CO, IP, LU, MK, NN, NR, PE, RM, SG, SS; 
• UK Citizen, or holder of UK Indefinite Leave to Remain Status or holder of UK Refugee Status; 
• Aged 21, or over, by 01 September 2025; 
• Hold at least 6 GCSEs B/6 grades or higher - including Mathematics, English Language and two science subjects - by 01 September 2025; 
• An intention to apply for medical school after completion of this course with this clearly articulated in the supporting statement 

The bursary application closing date is 14th July 2025.

The Bursary Panel will meet to consider applications received up to this date and students will be informed of the outcome within one month of the closing date. 

There is no financial barrier criteria for this bursary.

The Institute of Continuing Education (ICE) is deeply grateful to Han Beng Gunn, an alumna of the Institute, who has contributed funds to this bursary. 

The Honos Foundation World Archaeology Bursary is intended to enable prospective adult learners, who do not currently hold a recognised higher education level qualification (FHEQ level 4 or higher) and for whom finance may be a barrier to part-time study, to enrol on ICE's Undergraduate Certificate in World Archaeology or Archaeology of the Ancient World, both of which will be delivered remotely in the academic year 2025-26. 

One bursary is available, providing a subsidy of £3,300 tuition fee reduction. To apply for the bursary, please provide a personal statement (up to 200 words), outlining your motivations for applying for the bursary and how it will enable you to study at ICE if successful.

The bursary application closing date is initially 31st March 2025. The Bursary Panel will meet to consider applications received up to this date and students will be informed of the outcome within one month of the closing date. Should any funds be available after the March deadline then the bursary may re-open.

Please note - qualifying income level may include a gross household income of not more than £25,000 per year or you may be in receipt of a qualifying benefit such as income support, job-seekers' allowance, employment and support allowance (ESA), universal credit, or your sole income is a State Pension and/or you are in receipt of pension credit. Applicants may be asked to provide supporting evidence to confirm this if they are offered a bursary.