Armed Forces: Grants
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the total cost to his Department was for bursary schemes in the armed forces for the 2024-25 financial year.
Answered by Al Carns
Bursaries are available only for applicants wishing to join the Armed Forces and are not available to existing Service personnel or any others. They are offered to students in full-time education to attract high-calibre individuals to a career in Defence, aiming to mitigate future potential recruiting challenges. Responsibility for bursary schemes is delegated to the single Services and none have current plans to cancel any of the schemes or change the eligibility requirements.
The bursary schemes on offer across the Armed Forces are listed below by Service. As at 1 April 2025 there were 740 students in receipt of a bursary; we do not make estimates of how many students could be entitled to a bursary but do not choose to apply for one. The total cost of bursaries for the 2024-25 financial year was £5,641,350.50.
Army
Defence STEM Undergraduate Sponsorship Scheme (in partnership with the Defence Academy)
Standard Army Undergraduate Scheme
Enhanced Army Undergraduate Scheme
Scholarship Scheme
Royal Army Medical Services Scheme
Royal College for Army Music Scheme
Royal Air Force
University Air Squadron Bursary Scheme
Medical Cadetship Scheme
Defence STEM Undergraduate Sponsorship (in partnership with the Defence Academy)
Royal Navy / Royal Marines
Defence Technical Undergraduate Scheme (Legacy Bursary Scheme)
RN Bursars (Legacy Bursary Scheme)
Defence STEM Undergraduate Scheme (in partnership with the Defence Academy)
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