Exeter’s provision of financial support, including grants, scholarships, prizes and bursaries, is among the more generous in Oxford. Information on financial support for both academic and non-academic purposes can be found below.
Grants and Prizes for Academic Purposes
College Academic Grants
Exeter College has funds to assist with academic matters, such as travel and accommodation costs incurred while attending conferences and conducting research towards coursework or your thesis.
The college aims to support as many students as possible with contributions towards such costs. The college can award students up to £300 in any one academic year, and up to £500 during a student’s time at Exeter.
As well as college funding, there may be funding available from your faculty or department, the central University, and external sources. We encourage you to make use of all funding opportunities, and the college does not normally fund the full cost of an activity.
Application forms must include a statement of support from your college Tutor (in the case of enrolled undergraduates) or your thesis/dissertation Supervisor (in the case of enrolled graduates).
Please note that the funds available in any academic year are limited, and no awards can be made after the funds for the academic year have been fully allocated.
Click here to download an application form.
Preclinical medics (i.e. students reading for the 1st BM, in Years 1 to 3 of the undergraduate medical course) are able to apply for College Academic Grants as per the normal criteria for undergraduate students.
Clinical medics (i.e. students reading for the 2nd BM, in Years 4 to 6 of the undergraduate medical course) are offered the following College Academic Grants in place of those normally available to other undergraduate students:
- grants for books, equipment (including stethoscopes) and attending conferences or training, etc up to £250 per annum. This amount, if unspent in one year, cannot be claimed for in a subsequent year during the 2nd BM.
- Academic grants (for electives) up to £500 per annum. This amount, if unspent in one year, can be claimed for in a subsequent year during the 2nd BM, but any application of this kind will require additional justification, and will only be approved where the electives are judged to offer outstanding learning opportunities.
Note that the above funds for clinical medics may not be transferred between grants for books/equipment/conferences/training and those for electives.
Vacation Study Grants
Exeter College offers all undergraduate students grants to cover the cost of up to 28 nights of accommodation during vacation periods so that they can maximise their use of Exeter’s and Oxford’s exceptional libraries and other facilities.
Entitlement is based on the standard length of a student’s course and the number of years they are expected to be resident in Oxford during that course:
- Those on a three-year course are eligible for vacation study grants covering the cost of up to 21 nights of accommodation across their course.
- Those on a four-year course with a compulsory year abroad are eligible for vacation study grants covering the cost of up to 21 nights of accommodation across their course.
- Those on a four-year course where study is conducted entirely in Oxford are eligible for vacation study grants covering the cost of up to 28 nights of accommodation across their course.
- Those following a Senior Status undergraduate course are eligible for vacation study grants covering the cost of up to 14 nights of accommodation across their course.
Please note:
- Only undergraduates who reside in Exeter College accommodation during term time are eligible for Vacation Study Grants when they are residing in College accommodation during a vacation period immediately prior to or after that term.
- Grants are calculated at the relevant daily room rate.
- A maximum grant of 14 nights may be claimed in any one academic year.
- Students on a six-year medical degree cannot claim a vacation study grant during their clinical years of study.
Students can request a grant as part of their application for vacation residence, with application forms emailed to students each term.
For students who began their course prior to the start of the 2021/22 academic year, the vacation study grant allowance will be based on the number of years remaining of your standard course length for which you are required to study in Oxford as at the start of the 2021/22 academic year. For example, a student who commenced in 2020, on a four-year undergraduate degree in with their third year spent abroad, is eligible for a grant covering 14 nights of vacation residence (7 nights for each academic year remaining where they are required to study in Oxford).
Maintenance allowance for Undergraduate Students from low income backgrounds in College accommodation
Home (UK) or EU (2020-entrant or earlier) undergraduate students from low income households (incomes below £42,875 as confirmed by the University) who are living in College accommodation will automatically be awarded 7 nights of free accommodation (at the relevant room rental rate) per year of standard course length and for which they are expected to be studying in Oxford (i.e. a total of 21 nights across a three-year course, 21 nights across four-year courses with a compulsory year abroad, and 28 nights across a four-year course where study is conducted entirely in Oxford) and are residing in College accommodation. For students who began their course prior to the start of the 2021/22 academic year, the maintenance allowance will be based on the number of years remaining of your standard course length for which you are required to study in Oxford as at the start of the 2021/22 academic year. No application is needed, 7 nights of maintenance allowance will be automatically credited to battels once per academic year.
Note that these maintenance allowances are available in addition to the Vacation Study Grants described above.
Undergraduate Year Abroad Funding
The college has some limited funds to help undergraduate Modern Languages students who are studying overseas on their compulsory year abroad:
Gili Grant for Catalan Studies
This grant of £500 is available annually for any student undertaking studies or field work linked to the Catalan region of Spain. It is advertised in Trinity Term by the Academic Office.
Denys Dyer Grant (Germany) & Chris Wood Grant (France)
The Denys Dyer Grant (£1,200) is available to students preparing to go to Germany on their year abroad, to assist with the costs of being overseas. The Chris Wood Grant (£1,500) is for students undertaking a year abroad in France. Applications are invited in early Trinity Term, further details will be provided by the Academic Office.
In addition to these college funds, the Modern Languages Faculty is able to provide some support to students on their year abroad in the form of the Year Abroad Grant and the Year Abroad Travel Hardship Fund. More information about these funds and application forms can be found via their Canvas site.
Prizes for excellent academic work
Excellent academic work is recognised by the University in the award of Distinctions in the First Public Examination, and by First Class Honours in later examinations.
The college recognises excellent academic work with the award of College Prizes, Undergraduate Scholarships, and Undergraduate Exhibitions, as follows:
- Collections Prizes are awarded to undergraduates for excellent performance in Written Collections;
- College Prizes are awarded at the end of the academic year, based on performance over the year;
- Undergraduate Scholarships are awarded to all undergraduates who have been awarded a First Class or a Distinction in the First Public Examination, or in a classified examination before their final year;
- Undergraduate Exhibitions are awarded to undergraduates who do not hold Scholarships, in recognition of excellent performance in University Examinations, or outstanding performance during the preceding academic year;
- Fitzgerald Prizes are awarded to undergraduates who achieve First Class Honours in the Final Honour School;
- David M Webb Prizes are awarded to undergraduates who achieve a First Class or Distinction in the First Public Examination.
More information about academic prizes and awards can be found in the College’s Green Guide.
Grants and Prizes for Non-Academic Purposes
Sports and Arts Grants
A limited amount of funding is available to enrolled graduates or undergraduates who wish to undertake a sporting or arts activity. Applications are considered on a first-come, first-served basis until the funds are fully allocated. Click here to download an application form, and eligibility criteria for application.
Undergraduate Travel Grants
Undergraduates who wish to travel abroad during a vacation for non-academic purposes may apply for a travel grant (typically between £100 to £500). Please note that travel grant funds are limited and extremely popular; not all applications will be successful, and those that are may not receive the full amount requested.
Details on how to apply are sent out from the Academic Office by email, in Michaelmas Term for travel during the Christmas Vacation, and in Hilary Term for travel during the Easter and Summer Vacations.
North America Travel Grant
The college offers funding to enable a current student (undergraduate or graduate) to travel in North America during the Summer Vacation. The North American Travel Grant provides funding of £2,500 to help cover the cost of flights and accommodation. Your trip should have a theme or purpose, which can be related to your academic studies or to other interests or pursuits. For example, grants have been awarded in the past to students working for charities, community groups or teaching in local schools, as well as supporting those on internships or academic-related study programmes. Applicants will be required to outline how they would use the funding. Recipients are expected to write a report about their trip which may be shared through various college publications and online. This opportunity will be advertised by the Development Office in Hilary Term.
East Asia Travel Grant
The East Asia travel grant, generously funded by Friend of the College Peter Thompson, provides an opportunity for undergraduate or graduate students to explore East Asia usually for at least four weeks. The trip should have a purpose, preferably not closely linked to your academic studies, but to other interests or pursuits. Previous recipients of the grant have worked for educational and medical camps, improved language skills and learned about different cultures. The East Asia Travel Grant provides funding of £2,700, which will be available in advance to help cover the cost of flights and accommodation. Recipients are expected to write a report about their trip which will be sent to the donor and may be published by the college if appropriate. This opportunity will be advertised by the Development Office in Hilary Term.
Ashok Ranganathan Travel Grant
Funded by alumnus Ashwin Ranganathan (1991, PPE) in honour of his father Ashok, this grant provides funding to enable students to study or work in India during the Summer Vacation, or to take up a placement at an NGO in an Asian or developing country. A recent recipient of this grant taught at a school in India and explored urban and rural parts of the country. The Ashok Ranganathan Travel Grant provides one award of £1,000 or two awards of £500 each. Recipients are expected to write a report about their trip which will be sent to the donor and may be published by the college if appropriate. Undergraduate and graduate students can apply for the grant, provided they are not in their final year of study. This opportunity will be advertised by the Development Office in Hilary Term.
Internship Bursaries
A small number of internship bursaries are available to students undertaking internships during the Summer Vacation. Preference is given to those undertaking unpaid positions or who will have unusually high living costs as a result of the placement. These are currently funded through gifts to the Annual Fund. Details on how to apply are sent out from the Academic Office by email, in Trinity Term.
Language lessons (where not strictly required for a student’s degree)
The college will pay half the cost of ‘Fast Track’ courses (specifically from the Fast Track pathway) within the ‘Languages for All’ programme provided by Oxford University Language Centre that are successfully completed by enrolled undergraduate and graduate students of the college, on provision of receipts and the graduation certificate. You must seek a signature of approval from the Senior Tutor at the beginning of the year, prior to commencing the course, and the College will reimburse half the cost at the end of Trinity Term (upon successful completion of the full course).
Prizes for contribution to the non-academic life of the college
The college awards, after the end of each academic year, Quarrell-Read Prizes and a Peter Street Prize to those undergraduates of the college who have just completed the final year of their degree and who are judged to have entered most fully and helpfully into the life of the college.
