Astrophoria Foundation Year financial support
Oxford's Astrophoria Foundation Year offers a comprehensive financial support package to the students on the programme. It is expected that students will not have to cover any costs themselves and will not need any other funds from their own means to take part.
Please note that all information on this page relates to the Foundation Year. There will be different arrangements in place if students progress to degree courses at Oxford. For more information on funding arrangements for undergraduate study, please see the fees and funding webpages which provide information for current students on what support is available.
This page provides guidance about what support is available for the Foundation Year.
Summary
In general, at University there are two kinds of costs - course fees and living costs. As part of the Astrophoria Foundation Year, the University pays for the course fees and there are bursaries and grants to cover student's living costs. Below is a summary of the kinds of costs students might experience at Oxford, and the support that is available to students on the Foundation Year.
| Living costs | ||||
| Accommodation | General living costs | Travel to and from Oxford | General academic costs | Unexpected costs |
| Foundation Year Accommodation Bursary (Variable) | Foundation Year Student Bursary (£5,920 for 2024/25) | Foundation Year Travel Supplement (Up to £500) | Foundation Year General Academic Grant (Up to £250) |
Foundation Year Student Support Fund (Between £50 and £750) Foundation Year Financial Assistance Fund (Up to £3,000) |
| Course Fees |
| Course fees are covered by the University |
The support available includes support before students start the course, whilst they are on the course, and several additional sources of funding available if required during the course.
If you have further questions regarding this, please contact the Foundation Year Team for more detail on contact@foundationyear.ox.ac.uk.
A note about Student Finance
The Foundation Year Accommodation and Student Bursary, as well as the additional sources of funding mean that we would typically encourage students not to take out student finance for the Foundation Year (however students will need to apply during your foundation year for student finance if they continue to study at Oxford or another university by progressing to a degree course, please see the section below for more information).
Some students may be encouraged to apply for a student loan of £0 during their foundation year to enable them to receive additional financial support in the form of a Disabled Students' Allowance (meaning they do not need to reapply in year 1). Applicants who may be in receipt of DSA and secure a place on the programme will be contacted to discuss this.
After your Foundation Year
If students continue to study at Oxford by progressing to a degree course they will need to pay the course fees and cover their living costs (in most cases this is paid by taking out student loans). Visit the undergraduate course pages or the fees and funding webpage for more information about undergraduate fees and funding.