To be eligible to apply for a Leather Associated Student Grant you must be based in the UK and:
– be enrolled in a leather associated part-time or full-time degree or foundation course in the 2023-24 academic year at a university in the UK; or
– be taking part in a leather trade related apprenticeship and want to undertake some additional education/training; or
– be engaged in some other form of further education to pursue or further your career in the British leather industry.

LEATHER ASSOCIATED STUDIES
For the purposes of this programme, we consider Leather Associated Studies to include training and education for those working with leather in the following areas:
– Fashion
– Product design
– Engineering
– Leather technology
– Chemical engineers
– Product development
– Process control engineering

Where there is an existing connection and desire to work in the leather industry, business focused studies can also be considered, covering areas such as quality, environment, health and safety, engineering, electronics, IT, finance, logistics, sales, marketing, design, project and supply chain management.

STUDYING IN THE UK
To be eligible to apply for a Leathersellers’ student grant, one of the following must apply to you:
– I am a UK citizen or have indefinite leave to remain
– I have the right to remain for at least five years
– I have been granted refugee status
– I have pre-settled status (EU)

OTHER FUNDING
Receipt of other bursary or grant funding does not exclude you from applying for a Leather Associated Student Grant. This will form part of the financial picture that is considered during our assessment process.

Applications meeting the eligibility criteria, will be assessed by considering:

FINANCIAL NEED
All applicants must show a financial need and an inability to secure those funds from public sources, personal savings and/or familial support (including parental or partner support as appropriate). Receipt of other bursary/grant/scholarship funding does not exclude you from applying for a Leathersellers’ Leather Associated Student Grant, though a shortfall should be shown.

CONTRIBUTION TO BRITISH LEATHER
All applicants are asked to explain why they have chosen the particular course or training, their future aspirations and how those will contribute to the British Leather Industry.

TIME TO PREPARE
Whilst you may only submit an application via the online form, we have provided a Word version of the form (available here) to allow you to prepare your answers in advance. The financial section will require you to complete a budget form which is available here.
We recommend you ask someone to proofread your application to help resolve typos and misunderstandings. A fresh pair of eyes can make all the difference.

CLEAR FINANCIAL INFORMATION
All funders need a full understanding of your financial situation and most assessments are made on trust. Please answer all the questions honestly, explain where needed and never leave requested information unanswered. Double check the figures you are entering as typos are common and confusing. Presenting planned income and expenditure that does not show a shortfall (a need for funding) is unlikely to result in an award.

PREPARING YOUR BUDGET
Our budget template is available as an Excel document here. Once completed, you will then need to upload this as part of your application form.

FULL ANSWERS
Whilst concise sentences are appreciated, the application is your opportunity to present yourself to the panel and explain your motivations and challenges. Presenting the bare minimum information is unlikely to stand well against your peers who have offered more insight into their position.

RESEARCH ALL OPPORTUNITIES
Funding for students is varied and you will need to spend time working out which funds/bursaries are open to you and which are not. There are a host of websites to help you with this, some of which are listed on MoneySavingExpert’s Student Area. UCAS also provides information about scholarships, grants and bursaries here.

REFERENCES
We ask all applicants to provide a reference from an individual who knows you from school, university, a mentoring or access programme, or from a job or volunteering role. We are not looking for a personal reference from a relative or friend but are looking for a reference that adds something extra to your application, so please consider who is best to ask for this.

Your reference should contain a brief statement (max 1 page) explaining:
– how long they have known you
– in what capacity they know you
– why they think the Leathersellers’ should consider supporting you with a student grant

You will need to upload this when you submit the online application form.

We fund leather associated courses and training at undergraduate, postgraduate, doctoral and apprenticeship level.

Please note that if your course is non-leather associated you are not eligible to apply and your application will be rejected. For non-leather associated undergraduate grants please see our Undergraduate Student Grants Programme for more information. We do not fund non-leather associated postgraduate or PhD study.

We only accept applications made via our online form. However, we have provided a Word version of the form (available here) to allow you to prepare your answers in advance.

You don’t need to complete the application all at once – you can choose to register with us at the top of the form, save your progress and sign back in anytime. Please note you need to choose to save your form each time (there is no autosave).

APPLICATION TIMELINE
Deadline for applications:                                   24 March 2023
Interviews for shortlisted applicants:              May 2023
Informed of final decision:                                  22 June 2023

Successful grantees will receive payment, only when proof of enrolment to the relevant leather associated course has been provided (usually September/ October).

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT FROM US
You will receive an automated email to confirm safe receipt once you submit your application (please check your junk/spam folder for this).
– Each application is then thoroughly reviewed by the Leathersellers’ Grants team and members of a working group of Liverymen (members of the Livery Company).
– We will contact you via email before May 2023 to either invite you to interview, or let you know your application has been unsuccessful.
– We expect interviews will mostly be conducted via Zoom, though for applicants based in London we may ask for an in-person interview.

If anything changes regarding your circumstances, contact details or the information you provided on the form after you have submitted it, please inform us by email at studentapp@leathersellers.co.uk.

Can I request feedback if my application is unsuccessful?
Unfortunately, as we only have a small Grants Team at the Leathersellers it is not possible for us to provide feedback to all applicants.

Can I apply if I have limited leave to remain?
If you have limited leave to remain but meet our other eligibility criteria, please email us to discuss at studentapp@leathersellers.co.uk.

If I am successful, when will I receive the first payment of my grant?
If you are awarded a grant, you will be asked to complete an acceptance form and provide your bank details. When these have been returned and proof of your enrolment is received, the first grant payment will be processed – this is usually around September/ October.

What is expected of me after year one?
You will submit an annual review and update of how your studies are going and confirm your ongoing financial need. This is light touch, and we will provide you with all the information in advance, should your application be successful.