Externally-sponsored awards

What is this scholarship?

£1,500 cash award for 100 undergraduate students, which will be paid in the first year of study.

What are the eligibility criteria for the 2022/23 award?

To be eligible for this award you should:

• Be a current Keele University student
• Have commenced the first year of your course in 2022/23 (Foundation Year or Year 1)
• Be an undergraduate UK student
• Have a home postcode beginning with ST (i.e. you must have been living in the ST area prior to starting your course)
• Have an annual household income of below £30,000 (verified by Student Finance)
• Be studying your first degree

Students who receive the Philip Soar Bursary will not be eligible for the Denise Coates Scholarship

Students in the Harper-Keele Vet School are able to apply, provided that their host institution is Keele University.

How can I apply for the scholarhip?

Applications for the 2022/23 Denise Coates Scholarship are now closed. Information about 2023/24 will be updated in due course.

Phil Soar is a Keele graduate (History and Sociology and Social Anthropology, 1969) and a member of the College of Fellows at Keele University. Beyond Keele, Phil Soar is a respected and successful author, publisher and businessman. In the past 20 years, he has built up one of the best collections of football books and periodicals in the world. Phil has written and collaborated on numerous football histories that have been widely acclaimed (e.g. Encyclopaedia of British Football & Arsenal 1886-1986). Phil is Chairman/CEO of a number of large media groups such as Blenheim, DeAgostini, Eaglemoss, Spearhead, CloserStill. Brand Events and Nineteen (19) Events.

Phil Soar has set up these scholarships to provide a student from a similar background to himself the opportunity to access the vital funding they need to support their higher education experience at Keele, just as he enjoyed.

What is this scholarship?

£1,500 cash award for six first year undergraduates, which will be paid to them in each year of their study.

What are the criteria?

To be eligible for this award you should:

• Be a current Keele University student
• Have commenced the first year of your course in 2022/23 (can be Foundation Year)
• Be an undergraduate home student
• Have a household income of below £25,000, come from a WP area, or be part of an under represented group: e.g estranged, BAME, student carer etc
• Complete an application including a short 500 word supporting statement, about the challenges you've faced in getting to university and how you would use this scholarship to support your education.

How can I apply for the bursary?

Applications for the 2022/23 Philip Soar Bursary are now closed. Information about 2023/24 will be updated in due course.

Terms and Conditions

• Students in the Harper-Keele Vet School are able to apply, provided that their host institution is Keele University
• Successful applicants can only receive 1 award per academic year, e.g the bursary will not be payable in any repeat years
• If a successful applicant withdraws, they will receive no further payments once withdrawn from the University

Some charities and organisations offer bursaries and grants to support students who are studying at university. Here are some examples of external scholarships:

• The NHS Learning Support Fund offers grants of up to £8,000 for students studying certain healthcare courses.
• The Community Foundation for Staffordshire has a number of grants and bursaries targeted at people residing in the Stoke and Staffordshire area and addresses a range of social, health and social mobility issues.
• The Leverhulme Charities Trust offers grants of up to £5000 for students who are the children or spouses of grocers, pharmacists, commercial travellers.
• The RCN Foundation offers grants for student nurses working with young people.
• The BMA Charities organisation offers and refers to grants for student medics.