The Leverhulme Trade Charities Trust

Grants of up to £3,000 a year are available, and can be used for any university costs, including tuition fees, accommodation and living expenses. If your parent or spouse is a pharmacist, works in an independent grocery store, or is a commercial traveller, you could qualify for a grant from us. To find out more, visit www.leverhulme-trade.org.uk

University grants of up to £5,000 a year

The Leverhulme Trade Charities Trust offers grants for study at undergraduate and postgraduate levels at UK universities. Undergraduate students can apply for up to £3,000 a year and postgraduate students can apply for up to £5,000 a year. Grants can be used for any university costs, including tuition fees, accommodation and living expenses. To qualify for a bursary you need to have a parent or spouse who works in one of the Trust’s three eligible occupations – as a pharmacist, a commercial traveller, or a grocer. This leaflet explains more about the grant the eligibility criteria and the application process.

Who qualifies to apply?

To qualify for a grant, you need to be:

— the child or spouse of a pharmacist, commercial traveller, or someone who owns or works in an independent grocery store;

— a UK resident;

— registered as a full-time student on a programme at a recognised UK university; and

— in ‘financial need’.

Postgraduate students who are employed in one of these occupations are also eligible to apply.

Closing dates

For applications for undergraduate grants, there are two deadlines in each year: 1 March and 1 November. The deadline for applications for postgraduate grants is 1 October.

How to apply

Visit www.leverhulme-trade.org.uk and complete our online application.

Eligible occupations – what we mean by ‘pharmacist, commercial traveller or grocer’

We use the following definitions in assessing applications for eligibility:

— A pharmacist is someone who is registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC), and who sells or dispenses medicines directly to the public. Pharmacy technicians registered with the GPhC are also eligible.

— A commercial traveller is someone who spends at least half of their working year travelling on behalf of a company that sells to industry or commerce – rather than directly to the public – in order to secure orders and promote sales.

— A grocer is someone who owns or works in a small independent retail store that sells a wide range of both food supplies and household goods. Typically known as a corner shop or convenience store. Greengrocers and those who work for any of the major supermarket chains are not covered by this definition.

For an applicant to be eligible, their parent or spouse must have worked in one of these occupations for at least five years and either be currently working in one of those occupations, or have retired within the last ten years.

About our grants

Undergraduate grants provide up to £3,000 a year, for each year of your course. Postgraduate grants provide up to £5,000 a year. The exact value of the grant varies according to the financial situation of the applicant, with those in greatest need receiving the largest grant. In most years, we would expect all eligible applicants to receive some support from the Trust. In general, a grant can be used for any costs connected with study at university, including tuition fees, accommodation, and living expenses. When you apply, we ask you to provide a rough outline of how you plan to spend your grant. We expect to continue to pay a yearly grant for the duration of your course, provided that you remain registered on the same programme, that your academic performance is judged to be satisfactory by your university, and that there is no major change in your financial situation. If your application is successful, we will pay the grant to your university, which is then responsible for passing the money on to you. We don’t pay grants directly into the bank account of applicants.

About the Leverhulme Trade Charities Trust

We trace our origins back to William Hesketh Lever, the wealthy Victorian businessman and philanthropist. Upon his death in 1925, Lever left a share of his wealth to provide for the trades that he himself had a personal connection with: pharmacists, commercial travellers and grocers. Today, the Leverhulme Trade Charities Trust carries forward the legacy of Lord Leverhulme through its programme of grants for university study, and in making grants to welfare charities and other institutions working with pharmacists, commercial travellers and grocers.

Registered charity no 1159171