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 does not normally expect to fund the full cost of any activity, and applicants are normally expected to seek funds from other possible sources as well (e.g. their faculty or department, other University funds, and externally where possible). Application forms must include a statement of support from your college Tutor (in the case of undergraduates) or your thesis/dissertation Supervisor (in the case of graduates).
The maximum amount that can be awarded is £300 in any one year, up to a maximum of £500 during a student’s time at Exeter. Funds available in any academic year are limited, and no awards can be made after the funds for the academic year have been exhausted.
Click here to download an application form.
Clinical medics (i.e. students reading for the 2nd BM, years 4–6 of the undergraduate medical course) are offered the following College Academic Grants:
- Grant for books and equipment (including stethoscopes) up to £250 per annum;
- Academic grants, e.g. for electives, up to a maximum of £500 per annum.
Vacation Study Grants
All undergraduate students, excluding those in the clinical years of the six-year medicine degree, are eligible to apply for a vacation study grant when they are residing in College accommodation during a vacation period.
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 within that course:
- Those on three year course are eligible for a total of 21 nights across their course.
- Those on four years courses with a compulsory year abroad are entitled to 21 nights across their course.
- Those on a four year course where study is conducted entirely in Oxford are entitled to 28 nights across their course.
- Those following a Senior Status undergraduate course are eligible for a total of 14 nights across their course.
Please note:
- Grants are paid at the relevant daily room rate.
- A maximum grant of 14 days may be claimed in any one academic year.
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 21/22 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 21/22 academic year.
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.
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 Bursary for Catalan Studies
This Bursary of £500 is available annual 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 Bursary & Chris Wood Scholarship
The Denys Dyer Bursary (£1,200) is available to students preparing to go to Germany on their year abroad to assist with the costs of being overseas, and the Chris Wood Scholarship (£1,500) 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 WebLearn 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 in three formal ways:
- By the award of Collections Prizes to undergraduates for excellent performance in Written Collections;
- By the award of Prizes at the end of the academic year based on performance over the year;
- By the award of Scholarships to all undergraduates who have been awarded a First Class or a Distinction in the First Public Examination, or a classified examination before their final year;
- By the award of Exhibitions to undergraduates who do not hold Scholarships, in recognition of excellent performance in University Examination, or outstanding performance during the preceding academic year;
- By the award of Fitzgerald Prizes to undergraduates who achieve First Class Honours in the Final Honour School or 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 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 exhausted. Click here to download an application form, and eligibility criteria for application.
Travel Grants
Undergraduates who wish to travel abroad during the vacation for non-academic purposes may apply for a travel grant (£100-£500). Applicants should note that travel grants 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 Long Vacations.
North America Travel Scholarship
The college offers funding to enable a current student (undergraduate or graduate) to travel in North America for at least four weeks during the Long Vacation. A condition of the funding is that the recipient stays for some of their time with alumni/ae of Exeter and acts as an ambassador for the college. The funding covers travel costs and a spending allowance up to a total of £2500. Applicants will be required to demonstrate how they would use the funding, and may have to attend an interview before a selection committee. This opportunity will be advertised by the Development Office in Hilary term.
East Asia Travel Scholarship
If you’re thinking of heading to East Asia, this grant, generously supported by friend of Exeter Peter Thompson, may be for you. Your trip should have a purpose, not closely linked to your academic studies. The EAT Scholarship provides funding of up to £2,500, £2,000 of which will be available in advance to cover the cost of flights and other travel, and £500 given upon receipt of expenses. This opportunity will be advertised by the Development Office in Hilary term.
Ashok Ranganathan Travel Grant
Named to honour Ashok Ranganathan, the father of Ashwin Ranganathan (1991, PPE), this award provides funding to enable students to take up a placement at an NGO in an Asian or developing country, or alternatively to study or work in India during the Summer Vacation. The Ashok Ranganathan Travel Grant provides one award of £1,000 or two awards of £500 each. 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 undergraduates and graduates of the college, on provision of receipts and the graduation certificate. You must seek a signature of approval from the Academic Dean 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.
