The Graduate College offers a range of grants to support students during their studies.

College Awards

Explore your career and personal development goals with support from college awards. For eligibility criteria and how to apply, and for information on wider funding opportunities for students at Lancaster, visit the University Student Funding page. For queries on the college awards below, please email college awards.

Career Development Award

This award supports associated travel costs to job interviews, career fairs, company open days and conferences for Part II undergraduates and Postgraduate students.

Encourages early career planning for Part II and postgraduate students and supports professional confidence and employability through real-world exposure.

For students attending interviews, the Careers service can help you with the recruitment process - see their online guidance on CVs, Applications and Interviews.

Students who meet specific Widening Participation criteria are encouraged to explore Grow Your Future Funds.

Find out about Career Development Award.

Local Community Engagement Award

This award makes volunteering more accessible and supports engagement with local communities by contributing to travel and expenses related to volunteering activity.

The award encourages engagement with communities within the local area and can help you develop transferable skills such as teamwork, communication, and civic responsibility.

Activity must be within the Lancashire and Cumbria regions and the application requires confirmation of participation from the organisation.

Find out avout Local Community Engagement Award.

Societies and Sports Award

This award is designed to contribute to expenses directly linked to College or University student engagement activities, such as club fees, kit purchase, society memberships and associated fees.

Students seeking to participate in a new activity which they have not tried before are eligible to apply.

Evidence of costs should be submitted with the application form.

Find out about Societies and Sports Award.

Cost of Living Support

There are a number of initiatives in place to support students experiencing cost-of-living difficulties. Full details of these are advertised on the Student News Portal.

Community Cupboard and Supermarket vouchers

The community cupboard is a space for students to donate unopened food, hygiene, or cleaning items for other students to take and use. If you've bought something you no longer need or want, please donate it to others via the community cupboard in the corridor of the college Social Hub (A Floor, House 11, Graduate College). Thanks!

Emergency food bags and small supermarket vouchers are available to help students in need while they wait for a payday/funding award/bursary or loan payment. Please talk to a member of the college team in person, via Teams, or via email (graduatecollege@lancaster.ac.uk) if you have an urgent need for groceries or hygiene items.

Please bear in mind that these are temporary solutions, and you should also look at the hardship funds linked below, and perhaps some part-time work to help while you complete your studies.

Hardship funds

Students suffering unexpected financial hardship are advised to apply for LOAF. Details of all funds available are on the University's funding pages.

If you need an emergency loan to support you through a small gap in funding, please speak to the Funding Team at studentfunding@lancaster.ac.uk.