National Scholarship Programme update for participating institutions

1. This letter provides an update on the National Scholarship Programme (NSP) following the June 2013 Spending Review announcement (note 1), which outlined the Government’s spending plans for 2015-16.
Spending review announcement and communication to students
2. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) sets the overall policy and funding level for the NSP and HEFCE has administered the fund on its behalf. In its spending review statement, the Government advised that it ‘will refocus the National Scholarship Programme to support postgraduate students from disadvantaged backgrounds’ (see the HEFCE announcement).
3. Consequently, in 2015-16 the NSP will cease as an undergraduate programme. Allocations of NSP funds to institutions will continue as planned in 2013-14 (£100 million) and 2014-15 (£150 million), ensuring that support continues to be available to undergraduate student entrants in those years.
4. Institutions are urged to continue to provide clear information for students about their NSP schemes, to ensure that current and prospective higher education students are aware that NSP support is still available in 2013-14 and 2014-15. This should include information on eligibility criteria, application and/or selection and appeals processes, and how scholarships are awarded. Detailed advice on providing information to students on the NSP was published in January: see paragraphs 73-82 of ‘National Scholarship Programme 2014-15: Provisional allocations and guidance to institutions’ (HEFCE 2013/02). Read more...