Scholarships at Birmingham City University

What is Meet or Beat?

• Meet or Beat is an undergraduate scholarship worth £1,000.

• You are eligible for the £1,000 if you apply to BCU and secure results in the qualifications you are studying or already hold that either match or better (‘meet or beat’) our published entry requirements.

• The £1,000 is paid directly into your bank account.

Am I eligible for the Meet or Beat scholarship?

• Meet or Beat applies to anyone hoping to start at BCU in 2022/23, including anyone studying a Level 3 qualification in the 2021/22 academic year for which they are due to receive results in the summer of 2022.  

• You are eligible if you are already holding level 3 qualifications at the point of application from prior to the relevant academic year – e.g. if you secured A Level, BTEC, Access or IB qualifications in 2021 or earlier.

• Eligible qualifications include all Level 3 BTEC, A Level, International Baccalaureate, Access courses, UAL Diplomas, CACHE, and OCR Cambridge Technical qualifications.

• You are applying for entry to the first year (Year 1) of an Honours degree course at BCU.

How do I have a chance of getting the Meet or Beat scholarship?

• Apply to Birmingham City University by 30 June 2022.

• Receive an Unconditional or Conditional Offer on a qualifying course, and achieve level 3 grades that meet or exceed our published entry requirements.

• Accept Birmingham City University as ‘Firm’ or ‘Insurance’ on UCAS Track. 

• Note that if your course requires a mandatory interview or portfolio review, you will also need to satisfy the requirements of these stages of the application process.

Who is NOT eligible for the BCU Meet or Beat scholarship scheme?

The scholarship is not applicable if you are:

• Domiciled outside of the UK.

• Applying to Foundation Year degrees (Year 0) or other sub-degree course such as a HND or Foundation Degree.

• Currently studying a Foundation Year at BCU or any other institution.

• Applying to the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, except those applying for Applied Theatre and Stage Management courses.

• Are eligible for the Meet or Beat scheme at the point of application but then do not achieve the grades required for entry to a particular course.

• Applying to a degree programme through Clearing.

How is the scholarship paid?

• The £1000 will be paid into your bank account in three instalments during the first year of study.

• The first instalment will be paid the month after BCU has received your first tuition fee payment via Student Finance England or your first payment if self-funding. 

• If you are in debt to the University for your fees, the scholarship will not be paid in cash but instead it will be credited to your student account in three instalments.

• You do not need to apply as the Admissions team will check your eligibility and successful students who fully enrol will receive a congratulations email with a link to a secure bank details form for submission to Finance in order to receive the scholarship. 

Every year we provide merit-based scholarships recognising the talents of our international students, which will be discounted against the cost of your first year's tuition fees.

All international students enrolling on an undergraduate course in September 2022 will be eligible for a scholarship of up to £2,000, discounted from your first year's tuition fees.  This scholarship is awarded based on your academic background.

The following courses are exempt from a scholarship:

• ACCA

• Nursing and Midwifery courses

• Conservatoire and BSA courses (Music and Theatre)

• Short courses that are less than one academic year

• Part-time or distance learning

• Study Abroad programmes

• Exchange programmes

• Pre-sessional English

Every year we provide merit-based scholarships recognising the talents of our international students, which will be discounted against the cost of your tuition fees.

All international students enrolling on a postgraduate course in September 2022 will be eligible for a partial scholarship of up to £2,000 discounted from your tuition fees. This is awarded based on your academic background, and your grade will need to be the equivalent to a UK degree:

• £2,000 if a 1st class degree holder

• £1,500 if a Second Class (Upper Division) or 2:1 degree holder

• £1,000 if a Second Class (Lower Division) or 2:2 degree holder

• £500 if a 3rd class degree holder

The following courses are exempted from this scholarship:

• PhD

• ACCA

• MSc Accounting & Finance (Top-Up)

• Conservatoire and BSA courses (Music and Theatre)

• PGCE and PCET

• Masters in Teaching and Learning/Educational Leadership (MTL/MEL)

• Continuing Professional Development (CPD) courses in Health

• Short courses that are less than one academic year

• Part-time or distance learning

• Study Abroad programmes

• Exchange programmes

• Pre-sessional English

• PGDL in Law

Please note that scholarships are only available to self-funding students and those studying full-time for at least one academic year.