Travel bursaries
We’re committed to admitting students regardless of your background. We know that for some, the cost of attending our events might be a concern. If you are a UK-based student for fee purposes, you might be eligible for us to cover these costs.
We can reimburse travel costs of up to £75 for UK-based students who meet any of the below criteria, attending undergraduate open days, applicant days or taster days.
Are you eligible?
You are eligible for a travel bursary if you meet one of the following criteria.
You’re entitled to free school meals
It doesn’t matter if you don’t use free school meals - we just need to know you’re entitled to them. We need a letter from your school confirming free school meals eligibility, or documentation verifying that you or your parent/carer receives one of the following benefits, which you can check here.Income support
Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
The guaranteed element of Pension Credit
Child Tax Credit (provided you're not also entitled to Working Tax Credit and have an annual gross income of no more than £16,190)
Working Tax Credit run-on - paid for four weeks after you stop qualifying for Working Tax Credit
Universal Credit: if you apply on or after 1st April 2018, your household income must be less than £7,400 a year (after tax), not including any benefits you receive.
You’re currently in care, or have experience of being in care since 16th birthday
We need a letter from a social worker confirming your care status.You currently have caring responsibilities for a family member
We will require documentation to support your carer status, e.g. confirmation of carers allowance or a letter from a professional social worker or local authority. If you have any alternative documentation, please submit it with your request.You are estranged from your family
We may require a supporting statement to show you are irreconcilably estranged from any parent. For information, please refer to the Stand Alone website.You have a declared disability
We require a letter from a GP or practitioner or a copy of any assessment confirming a disability.You live in a postcode area outside greater London (i.e. outside the M25) designated as Quintile 1 of the Indices of Multiple Deprivation (IMD).
Enter your home postcode here to check your eligibility. Column F in the spreadsheet shows your IMD decile. If it is 1, you meet the criteria. Please include your postcode in your request.
How to claim your travel expenses
Email us at hello@escapestudios.ac.uk with your event information, evidence of eligibility and copies of your travel tickets/receipts (photos are acceptable).
We will get back to you within three working days with an update or to request further information where required.
Frequently asked questions
We’ll reimburse you for the cost of standard-class public transport from your home address. This includes any mode of transport you may need to use. For instance, if you need to take a bus to your local train station, this is covered. All claims are assessed on a case-by-case basis, and we’ll evaluate the route from your home postcode to Escape Studios. We can’t reimburse first-class tickets or provide replacements if you lose your tickets.
If you travel by car, we will reimburse you at a rate of 45p per mile from your home address to Escape Studios or the standard cost of the journey by public transport, whichever is lower. You should use the AA’s mileage calculator to determine your mileage. We also reimburse congestion charges, road tolls, and reasonable parking fees, but not general wear and tear.
Only Escape Studios management staff will see the information you provide. Academic staff at our events, student ambassadors and other applicants will not see any of this information.
If buying travel tickets and waiting for reimbursement would make things hard for you financially, let us know. We may be able to book travel on your behalf once we’ve seen your evidence. Please let us know as soon as possible so we have time to arrange before your event date: hello@escapestudios.ac.uk.