The CIPD Trust bursary fund

• Learners looking for support with funding for Level 3 Foundation in People Practice.
• Anyone aged 18 and over and experiencing financial hardship*
• Anyone based in the UK and wanting to study here
• Learners who evidence clear goals and career aspirations within the People Profession
• Learners who have not yet started their course
• Learners who are not currently studying another degree, or qualification in the UK
• Learners who have not completed a post graduate degree at a UK University
• Please note that funds are limited and are awarded on a discretionary basis, based on the decision of the application panel, which is final.  Not every applicant will receive funding towards their course and applicants should factor this into their individual planning and situation.

• We encourage applications from candidates who bring diverse perspectives and who are under-represented in the HR profession and facing barriers to their progression.

*Financial hardship is defined as being unable to afford the course without financial aid and having exhausted any other available options.

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Bursaries cover partial or full costs of studying a CIPD qualification, plus the cost of the CIPD student membership fee while studying on your course. Funding is paid directly to your study centre.

You and your study centre fill out a short application which is provided by the centre, once completed, the centre will submit this to the CIPD Trust.

Once we have received your application form, you may be invited to a short interview, after which we will decide if we are able to offer you a bursary, and for what amount.

We complete all our interviews online through Microsoft Teams or Zoom, so you will need access to a device with video capabilities. Please note interviews will be recorded for review purposes and promptly deleted within 14 days of the interview.

It can take between 14-30 days to be notified of a decision. We recommend you apply one month prior to your course start date. Please note that this is only a guide and not a guarantee.

Find a centre based on your learning needs via our: Find a centre portal.

The purpose of the interview is to understand your situation. We want to talk to you about why you’re interested in pursuing a career in HR, learn more about you and your aspirations and see if we can help.

You’ve done the hard work through the application! Just have a think about why you want to be CIPD qualified and what it’ll mean for your future. And at the interview, just be yourself. We will also want to understand your financial situation to see how best we can help.

We’re committed to making our application and interview process accessible to everyone.
If you need the application form in a different format, please let us know and we’ll provide it.

If you’re invited to interview, we’ll work with you to make any adjustments that help you succeed. This could include (but isn’t limited to):

• Sending interview questions in advance
• Having a peer from your centre or a job coach attend
• Providing speech-to-text support

If you require adjustments to complete your studies, we recommend discussing these with your study centre before applying.

No. The CIPD Trust Bursary Fund is designed to support those facing barriers to entering the profession and kick-starting their career in HR.

We are on hand throughout your course to support you with updates on CIPD conferences, resources and how to make the most of your membership. We’re also keen to capture your thoughts on how the bursary has impacted your situation and made a difference. We’ll ask you to share your thoughts with us so that we can support others in a similar situation to reach their potential.

We also want to stay connected to help you as you establish and progress your career in the People Profession.