Bridport Literary Festival Bursary for Year 13 Students 

The Bridport Literary Festival would like to invite students in Year 13 who are planning to progress to university, to apply for the Bridlit Bursary which will allow the 2 successful candidates £3,000 a year for each year of their three year degree course.

The Festival is now in its 20th year and feels the it should use its surplus funds to help the community which has supported it all these years. As a registered charity, the Festival has as its objective the advancement of education. Deirdre Coates, the chair of Trustees, said, ‘What better way to use these funds than to help local students go on to further education. The ever-growing costs for university students must be working as a deterrent for some and this may go someway to helping two students a year to decide to read for a degree course.’

The Bridlit Bursary is open to any Year 13 student resident in the Bridport ward of the Dorset Council or who attends the Beaminster Colfox joint sixth form and who has applied or who intends to apply for an undergraduate course beginning in 2023. it is also open to gap year students from the Bridport ward or who have attended the Colfox Beaminster joint sixth form. In order to be considered for one of the two bursaries available for this autumn, they should complete the application form. In no more than 4,000 characters, they will need to explain why they think they are a suitable candidate, why they have chosen their subject of study, and how they see the Bridlit Bursary helping them to achieve their goals. They will also be asked for the names and contact details of two referees.

Candidates should visit our bursaries page to find full details of the Bursaries and fill out the application form. This process is very simple and every young person in the Bridport area who is planning to go to university this autumn is encouraged to apply.

CLOSING DATE: 22nd August 2024

THE BRIDPORT LITERARY FESTIVAL (“BLF”) UNIVERSITY BURSARY SCHEME

Terms and Conditions

  1. The Scheme. The Trustees of the BLF have decided to establish a bursary scheme to award a sum of money to selected candidates leaving secondary education who are enrolled for an undergraduate degree at a university in the United Kingdom. The Trustees reserve the right to alter the terms of the scheme from year to year but initially the Trustees intend to award two bursaries each of £3000 per year for a guaranteed period of three years ( or the duration of the degree course if shorter) commencing in September or October 2024. It is intended that similar awards will be offered in 2025 but that the scheme will be reviewed thereafter.

  2. Eligibility Any Year 13 student resident in Bridport, or who attends Beaminster School, who has applied or intends to apply for an undergraduate course, is eligible to apply.

  3. Selection Process The Trustees have appointed an Bursary Committee who will make the decision (or The Trustees have appointed a Bursary Committee who will make recommendations on selection to the Trustees) and their decision will be final.

  4. Selection Criteria The Bursary Committee will invite applications which will be made by email by the student applicants themselves according to criteria in the invitation and the Bursary Committee will shortlist a limited number of applicants for interview. The Bursary Committee will request supporting information from shortlisted candidates’ schools and will have regard to the financial impact the award of such a grant may have in individual circumstances.

  5. Evidence of attendance on an undergraduate course The selection will be made by the end of August in the year in which the applicant intends to commence their undergraduate course but will not be paid until the start of the relevant academic year when the selected candidate can provide evidence of enrolment. At the end of the first and second academic years or thereabouts the bursary holder must provide evidence of acceptance onto the second or third years before the second or third payment is made.

  6. Disqualification The Trustees reserve the right to discontinue payment of the grant if the bursary holder does anything which in the sole opinion of the Trustees brings the reputation of the BLF into disrepute including but not limited to criminal convictions. Payment of grant already made will not be reclaimed.

  7. Publicity. Bursary award holders are deemed to agree by virtue of application to the publication of their name, school, university and course as well as to the use of their photograph for the purposes of informing the public about the award decisions. They will also, if requested, attend a meeting of the Trustees to report on their undergraduate progress.

  8. Payment of award Successful applicants will be required to give the name and account details of their bank account into which payment will be made. The account must be with a recognised bank in the UK and be in the sole name of the applicant.