1.1 The KPA Bursary supports Keele postgraduate students who are experiencing financial hardship to take part in activities and events that enhance their academic, personal, and professional development — for example conferences, training courses, workshops, symposia, research visits, and similar development opportunities.

1.2 The bursary funds activities that supplement your course — things that enhance your experience and broaden your opportunities. It cannot fund anything that is a core or compulsory requirement of your programme, and it does not replace your School, Faculty, or Research Institute as your first source of funding.

1.3 The bursary is a discretionary fund administered on behalf of Keele University Students' Union (“KeeleSU”) by the KPA Bursary Committee (“the Committee”). An application meeting the eligibility criteria is not a guarantee of an award: the Committee weighs each application against the assessment criteria in section 5 and the funds available. Awards are discretionary and do not create a contractual entitlement.

2.1 You are eligible to apply if you meet all of the following:

• You are a currently registered postgraduate student at Keele University — postgraduate taught (PGT), postgraduate research (PGR), or on an apprenticeship at postgraduate level — full-time or part-time, in any mode of study;
• The activity takes place, in full, while you are a registered student at Keele. Activities that fall wholly or partly after the end of your studies are not eligible, regardless of when you apply — this includes travel to attend your own graduation ceremony;
• You are experiencing financial hardship that would otherwise prevent you from taking part in the activity;
• The activity is directly relevant to your studies or your academic, personal, or professional development at Keele, and is not a compulsory part of your programme;
• Your application is confirmed by your lead tutor (PGT) or lead supervisor (PGR), including confirmation that other funding routes within your School or Faculty have been explored;
• You have submitted any post-event report due from a previous KPA bursary award (see section 8).

You may make as many applications as you need during an academic year, provided the total awarded to you does not exceed £500 in that year. Each application must relate to a different activity.

2.3 Where a group of students attends the same event, each student must make their own individual application.

2.4 PGT means a student on a taught postgraduate programme (e.g. MA, MSc, PGCert, PGDip). PGR means a student on a research programme (e.g. PhD, MPhil, professional doctorate). If you are unsure which applies to you, ask your tutor or supervisor before applying.

3.1 The bursary can contribute towards costs directly required to take part in an eligible activity, including:

• Registration, ticket, or course fees;
• Standard-class travel to and from the activity within the UK, using the most cost-effective mode of transport available;
• Reasonable accommodation where the activity requires an overnight stay;
• Materials required for the activity;
• Access-related costs arising from a disability (for example accessible transport or accommodation) where these are not covered by other support such as DSA.

3.2 The bursary cannot fund:

• Any activity or cost that is a core or compulsory part of your programme (for example travel to compulsory placements, supervision costs, or course fees);
• Costs that should be covered by your School, Faculty, or Research Institute;
• Tuition fees, or rent and other day-to-day living costs while studying at Keele;
• International travel to or from the UK, visa costs, or vaccinations;
• First-class travel, or railcards and other travel discount scheme purchases;
• Excessively expensive accommodation;
• Food and drink (subsistence);
• Laptops, PCs, or other general equipment not specific to the activity;
• Memberships, subscriptions, or affiliation fees.

Applications that include ineligible costs will not necessarily be declined in full — the Committee may make an award excluding those costs — but applications consisting only of ineligible costs will be declined. The Committee retains discretion to decide that a particular activity is not what the bursary is for, and, in exceptional circumstances, to support costs not listed above.

3.3 Activities outside the UK are eligible. The bursary can contribute towards registration fees, accommodation, and local travel at the destination, but cannot fund international travel to or from the UK, visas, or vaccinations (see 3.2).

3.4 Retrospective applications are accepted: you may apply for an activity that has already taken place, provided it took place in the current academic year. Activities from a previous academic year cannot be considered. If you book or pay for anything before receiving a decision, you do so at your own risk.

4.1 There is no minimum or maximum amount you can apply for in a single application. The most you can be awarded in total is £500 in any academic year, counting all awards made to you in that year. The Committee may award less than the amount requested, and partial awards towards a larger total cost are common.

4.2 Your application must include an itemised breakdown of costs with evidence (for example links to registration pages, travel quotes, or accommodation prices), and must state any other funding you have applied for or received for the same activity.

4.3 Mileage is paid at the HMRC Approved Mileage Allowance Payment (AMAP) rate in force at the date of travel. Mileage is the only expense that does not require a receipt.

4.4 Costs incurred in a currency other than pounds sterling are reimbursed at the exchange rate at the time of reimbursement, which may differ from the rate when you paid. The Committee accepts no responsibility for shortfalls arising from exchange rate differences.

5.1 The Committee assesses every application against the same four questions:

• Relevance — is the activity clearly connected to the applicant's studies or development at Keele?
• Benefit — what will the applicant gain academically, personally, or professionally?
• Value — are the costs reasonable, evidenced, and proportionate to the benefit?

5.2 You do not need to be presenting at an event to receive an award. Presenting a paper, poster, or talk can strengthen the benefit of your application, but attendance alone is eligible where the benefit is clear.

5.3 A strong application explains the activity specifically (what it is, when, where, and what it costs), makes the connection to your studies concrete rather than general, and is honest and proportionate about your financial circumstances. You only need to share the financial detail necessary to show hardship — see section 9 on how your data is handled.

1. Read these Guidelines, then complete the online application form. Allow 15–20 minutes; you'll need your activity details and an itemised breakdown of costs with links or quotes.
2. When you submit, you'll be shown a link to the supervisor confirmation form. Send it to your lead tutor (PGT) or lead supervisor (PGR) straight away — your application is not complete until they respond.
3. Both parts must be received no later than seven calendar days before the next monthly Committee meeting. Meeting dates are published on this page.

6.1 Complete applications received by the deadline are considered at that month's meeting; applications received after the deadline roll to the following meeting. The Secretary may contact you before the meeting to clarify details or request missing information — responding promptly helps your application be heard sooner.

6.2 If your application is clearly ineligible under these Guidelines, The Secretary will tell you why in writing. You may ask for your application to be considered by the full Committee instead.

7.1 You will be notified of the outcome, including any conditions attached to the award, shortly after the meeting.

7.2 Payment is made by reimbursement to a valid UK bank account where you are the main account holder. You will be sent a claim form to return with your bank details and receipts or other proof of payment for each cost claimed (except mileage — see 4.3). Claims are normally paid promptly, and payment can be prioritised in cases of particular hardship — tell The Secretary if this applies to you.

7.3 Receipts must show that you personally incurred the cost. If someone else paid on your behalf, you must also provide evidence that you have paid them back (for example a bank statement showing the transaction). Receipts must be official in manner; easily reproducible written receipts may not be accepted.

7.4 Your claim, including receipts and other evidence of expenditure, must be submitted within three months of the event taking place. If you need longer, ask The Secretary before the deadline — extensions can be agreed where there is good reason. If no claim or extension request is received, the award lapses.

7.5 You can only be reimbursed up to the amount the Committee awarded, and only for eligible, evidenced costs. Any part of the award not claimed is retained by the fund.

7.6 Once you have uploaded your evidence to MSL, your claim is normally processed within two weeks.

8.1 Every successful applicant must submit a short report (around 500 words) within four weeks of the activity, describing what you did and what you gained. It can be a written report, a shorter report with photographs, or an edited video - proposals for alternative formats are welcome.

8.2 If you do not submit a report, and do not have a good reason for the delay, you will not be eligible for future bursary awards until it is received.

8.3 With your specific opt-in consent, your report (and any photos or video) may be used by the KeeleSU, or the University Alumni Team for publicity and to support fundraising for future bursaries. Consent is entirely optional and is collected when you submit your report; declining will never affect any current or future application.

9.1 Your application, including any hardship information you share, is seen only by the Bursary Committee Secretary and the members of the Bursary Committee, and is treated in confidence. Committee members delete circulated papers after outcomes are confirmed.

9.2 Only share the level of financial or personal detail needed to show hardship. You do not need to disclose medical diagnoses or other sensitive details unless they are directly relevant to the costs you are claiming (for example access-related costs).

9.3 If your application is successful, your application data is kept for seven years as a financial record. If it is unsuccessful, it is deleted within two years. Full details are in the privacy statement on the application form.

10.1 You will be told the reasons in writing. Being unsuccessful does not affect your right to apply again, within the limit in clause 2.2.

10.2 You may appeal within ten working days of notification, on the grounds of procedural irregularity or material information that was not previously available. Appeals are considered by an independent panel under the Bursary Committee's Terms of Reference, and the panel's decision is final.

11.1 Breach of these Guidelines may result in an award being withdrawn or reclaimed. Any attempt to obtain a bursary fraudulently may be referred to the University and, where appropriate, the police.