Awards & Scholarships

Each year we assist students with financial awards and scholarships to enable them to get the best out of their plans, from educational travel to postgraduate study after you graduate.

We also offer short term College Loans of up to £100 for those Furnessians who find themselves in need. These can be made available on the same day as they are agreed but must be repaid within six weeks to the cashiers office in University House. If you do find yourself in a situation whereby you require a loan, please contact the College Manager Jo in the first instance to discuss it.

The Lancaster Opportunity and Access Fund (LOAF) is designed to help students who may require extra financial support and are assessed on financial need. Any award from the fund is given as a grant and is non-repayable. Full details of all financial support awards can be found on the University Student Funding page.

Travel Awards

Each year Furness awards a contribution towards the travel plans of students planning to visit somewhere of educational benefit, unconnected to their academic studies.

Full and part-time Furness students who are in their first and second year of study are eligible to apply and can make enquiries with Jo in the college office. There are a total of eight awards available, each to the value of £250. The applications are assessed by the Deputy Senior Advisor and the JCR President, who will look for applications that have an educational component but are unconnected to your academic study - you simply need to complete a vacation travel award application. On your return we ask that you write up your experiences as a report with some pictures so we can see what you've been up to. The deadline for reports is by the second week of the following term.

The application deadline for Easter travel is Thursday week 6 of the Lent term, no later than 12:00 noon; while the application deadline for summer travel is Thursday week 6 of the summer term, no later than 12:00 noon.

You must notify the College immediately if you are unable to travel or if your plans have changed; the award will then be converted into a loan that is repayable to the College

Ben's adventure

Furness’ Travel Award scheme allowed me to get the best out of a planned journey round Australia. Having flown to Sydney from Manchester via Abu Dhabi the jet lag had already caught up upon reaching the botanical gardens and the iconic Sydney Opera House – which is in fact several theatres in sections rather than one big complex, and architecturally inspired by nature.

The Royal Botanical Garden is the largest scientific institute in Australia and one of the most important and historic botanical institutions in the world. As I travelled to Queensland and back I also experienced the sweltering heat of tropical Cairns (30 degrees despite it being the beginning of Australian winter), snorkelling the Great Barrier Reef (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) and the Daintree Rainforest.

At the end of Captain Cook’s Highway is an indeginous eco-tourism development called Mossman Gorge, whose visitor centre provides a genuine and authentic insight in to indigenous Australian culture. Considered by many to be the evolutionary cradle for much of Australia’s plant and wildlife species, the rainforest has managed to survive for over 135 million years.

Back in Sydney I experienced the hustle and bustle of surfers’ paradise Bondi before going to learn about the conservation work of the Taronga Zoo, which highlighted the importance to me of supporting brands that use 100% certified palm oil and changing consumer habits to protect such species as the endangered Sumatran Tiger – whose numbers reach only 400 now.

I would like to thank Furness College and the JCR for generously contributing to my trip which allowed me to visit Australia and explore this amazing country.

Katie's adventure

Spending almost three weeks in Sri Lanka with SKIP (Students for kids international project) this July, I experienced something that was, for me, completely different and out of my comfort zone.

The student-led charity develops sustainable community-based projects aimed at improving the health, education and welfare of vulnerable children in the developing world, at the same time as developing globally and culturally aware students who can advocate for local and international health progress as future professionals.

At our first school we connected with children aged 3-16 and taught them about health issues including hand hygiene and healthy eating, as well as teaching the staff basic first aid. The children were receptive and found the lessons fun.

On our final day we opened our question box that the children had used for the week and were shocked to read more serious notes than we were anticipating, including several child protection issues. At the charity's request, I spoke with a girl who confided in me extremely distressing stories that she had not disclosed to anybody else. With her permission, I informed seniors and the relevant authorities.

We were not expecting or entirely prepared for the cases that arose. However, we and the charity were both grateful for the trial of the question box, as without it these serious issues could have continued unnoticed. The charity agreed to implement the question box in all of their centers across the island.

Following on from that we travelled a little, seeing beautiful Dambulla and taking a train to Batticaloa. Every aspect of life is different to the UK but everyone wants to help you. The people of Sri Lanka were one of the friendliest I’ve ever met and everyone showed kindness. Batticaloa offered a far less developed culture and experience, where showers were taken outdoors and schools gathered under trees. The children were always willing to learn (and play!), though it still took me by surprise when those who couldn’t speak English still found a way to laugh and play with us. I found the experience in this part of the country very humbling and at times surreal. The children were full of life and joy for what they had - a stark contrast to the attitude I’m used to seeing in the UK.

Our question box here revealed a number of questions about respiratory disease and we broached the subject of open burning of plastics with the charity, recommending only burning it a safe distance away from the centre - a change they are pursuing now.

This eye-opening, once-in-a-lifetime experience has strengthened my communication and teamwork skills, and boosted my confidence tenfold! It will be invaluable for my career and for myself personally, and in little ways that I’m not even aware of yet. I’m so grateful that I get to treasure these memories and lessons, and I’m very thankful to Furness College for financially aiding this trip through the travel award.

Furness Scholarship Fund

We are able to offer a limited number of awards to current and former undergraduate members of the Furness as they embark on a postgraduate course at Lancaster University.

These scholarships take into consideration academic ability, financial hardship and previous involvement in college activities.

If you would like to apply for this award, please complete the online application, which must include your covering letter and details of an academic referee. Candidates may be invited to attend an interview to discuss their plans.

The deadline for applications is 12.00noon on Friday 28th May 2021 (week 26).

Becky's story...

The Furness College scholarship was so helpful in allowing me to study a master’s degree in Marketing, which has greatly shaped my future.

Being an active member of the college made me a good candidate for the scholarship, and created a great relationship between myself and the college staff. I held the position of Media and Communications officer on the Furness JCR for two consecutive years, alongside being a Welcome Week Rep and a member of two college teams. It was actually my role on the JCR that helped me realise that a career in marketing was more suited to my skills and interests, which lead to me applying for the MSc Marketing course at Lancaster University.

I used my scholarship to pay towards my accommodation during my studies. This allowed me to stay on in Lancaster and pursue a new path that would give me more career prospects and exciting opportunities beyond my degree. I am now looking at jobs in advertising, social media and television. For that I am extremely grateful to the college and staff, and would recommend applying for the scholarship.