Get Started Award

This award is exclusive to our local priority schools.

• You must be attending a Widening Access priority target school.
  'How do I know if I attend a Widening Access Target school?'
  You will be asked to confirm your school/college when completing the  application form for this award. Our Widening Access Team will check your eligibility against our target school list when reviewing applications after the closing date. 

• You must be holding an offer from Royal Holloway, University of London or be applying to study with us.
  
  
• Meet at least one of the following Widening Access criteria:

Please complete the online application form (linked at the top of this page).

As part of the form you will be asked to answer a couple of longer questions and these will help us to shortlist applicants for the award. These longer questions are:

1. Describe why you are a suitable recipient of the award
2. What you would use the award for and the difference this award would make to your start at university

Unfortunately due to the amount of applications we receive we are unable to provide feedback on applications.
The successful candidate will be contacted in the week commencing 25th August 2025.

Once you are a confirmed student with us and started your course:

• You'll have to fully enroll before October 2025
• You'll need to upload your bank details onto our system

The award is made in 1 payment during your first year or Integrated Foundation Year:

1. Payment is between October - beginning November 2025

In exchange we ask that you provide us with written feedback on the impact of the award and supply a photo of you on campus. We will use this for future promotion purposes.

Jessica, 2021 Scholar 

This has helped me and my family adjusting to university life and we are extremely grateful. It has helped me purchase the first textbook required for one of my modules as well as books within the student book sale that will assist me within my course. I’ll also use the money for editing software that I can use at home to finish my film projects as part of my course that will take place near the end of the first month. I’ve also used part of the money to pay off my new laptop since my last one crashed, making online lectures and completing my assignments a lot smoother!

Since I was not able to get student accommodation this year, I have to travel via public transport in order to get to campus not only does this ease my financial strain but this money also enables me to get into campus more often, so I have more opportunities to interact with people at social events or in my course, as well as make new friends which was something I was most worried about when joining Royal Holloway therefore this helped me settle in with friendly people that I can meet on campus and not feel alone.

Rabina, 2021 Scholar 

I believe having this scholarship money has impacted my mental and emotional well-being in a positive light. Feeling emotionally stable from the start of university, knowing that I will have the scholarship money to fund for memberships I need or electronics I need to buy has been an absolute pain-free zone. Without the fund, I would have the stress of finance in the back of my mind, hindering the beginning of my university experience and not having it a great start. 

Fortunately, it has made the most significant difference. As I have mentioned, I feel in control of the money and how I spend it and am emotionally stable knowing that I have achieved a scholarship to fund my expenses.

Krissa, 2021 Scholar 

This award has not only provided me support financially but also allowed me to gain confidence and be less stressed during my time here at Royal Holloway.

With this award, I have decided to invest in a good laptop and the outcome has been great. I am able to do my in person and online lessons effectively and efficiently. I was so worried in the beginning of university that I may not have a good laptop for my course but now due to the help of the Get Started award, I am able to smoothly continue my lessons, thank you so much. In addition to a laptop, I am able to also buy textbooks that are necessary for my course. This has relieved my stress as now I am and will be able to invest in the texts books I need…

The Get started award is such a great award which is designed to help undergraduate students start their university smoothly as they have this support from the beginning.

James, 2020 Scholar

The Get Started award has been extremely welcome and helpful for a student like myself from a low income household. The generous bursary has been utilised in allowing me to buy course books and other supplies without the financial worry that could arise without it. Therefore, I have been incredibly thankful for the opportunity to accept the bursary and the relief it has given me over the first month of term. Furthermore, the extra money given from the bursary has allowed me to focus on purely my studies rather than financial arrangements, which in turn has helped to give me a great start to the course.

We strongly encourage all applicants to carefully read the terms and conditions for this award before applying. 

Please click to read the terms and conditions

If you have a question about the Get Started award or a more general question about studying at Royal Holloway we are here to help.

Email us