Scholarships

As a college, we are fortunate enough to offer a selection of scholarships to students from lower-income households. Applications for 2026-2027 are now closed, but you can read more below.

Applications for 2027 are not yet open.

Scholarships include:

Margaret Bloomfield Scholarships -  Applications are currently closed.

The Margaret Bloomfield Scholarship is awarded to one student each year and is worth £5,000 per year for a maximum of 4 years. The scholarship is open to UK home applicants from lower income households (below £47,200 per year as assessed by Student Finance England).

Margaret Bloomfield was an English Literature student at St Mary's (1944-47). After graduating from university, she had a successful career in Education. Margaret died in February 2023. In her will, Margaret left St Mary’s College a legacy with the words “In gratitude for my four happy years at St Mary’s which made possible my rewarding career”.

While the college has several existing generous donations supporting students from lower-income households, these scholarships are  the first permanently endowed, fully financed scholarships in St Mary’s College’s 125-year history. 

Doris and Stanley Williams Scholarship - Applications are currently closed.

The Doris and Stanley Williams Scholarship is awarded to one student for entry to St Mary's and it is worth £5,000 per year for a maximum of 4 years. The scholarship is open to UK home applicants from lower income households (below £47,200 per year as assessed by Student Finance England).

Durham Inspired St Mary’s Scholarship - Applications are currently closed.

The Durham Inspired St Mary’s Scholarship, set up in 2019 is offered due to the generous support of St Mary’s alumni and is specifically intended to support applicants from underrepresented backgrounds.  The scholarship of £4,000 a year for up to 4 years is intended to help students get the most out of their time at Durham University and can be used to pay for the things that would help most, such as textbooks, laptops, memberships or sports activities and it does not need to be repaid. 

St Mary's Postgraduate Scholarships

The college currently offers four Durham (UK home) undergraduate students, starting their postgraduate degree, a scholarship of £4,000.

Scholarship details are as follows:

Beatrice Hollingsworth Science Scholarship - Applications are now closed.

Applications for the Beatrice Hollingworth Science Scholarship are welcomed from students of Durham University who are due to graduate in Summer 2026 with First Class Honours or an Upper Second degree in a Science subject, and who intend to embark, in the following academic year (2026-27), on a full-time Masters course leading to a higher degree in Science at Durham University.  Applications are welcome from students with undergraduate membership of any Durham College but applications from current St Mary's students will be prioritised. Successful applicants will be expected to be a member of St Mary's College for the duration of their scholarship. Applications are considered in consultation with the Faculty of Science.

Mary Thoits Scholarship - Applications are now closed.

Applications for the Mary Thoits Scholarship are welcomed from students of Durham University who are due to graduate in Summer 2026 with First Class Honours or an Upper Second degree, and who intend to embark, in the following academic year (2026-27), on a full-time course leading to a higher degree at Durham University. Applications are welcome from students with undergraduate membership of any Durham College but applications from current St Mary's students will be prioritised. Successful applicants will be expected to be a member of St Mary's College for the duration of their scholarship. whilst retaining membership of St Mary's College. Applications are considered in consultation with the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, Faculty of Social Services and Health and the Business School (depending on applicant details).

If you would like to speak with us about funding a scholarship, please get in touch: stmarys.alumni@durham.ac.uk 

Terms and conditions below:

Postgraduate Scholarship T&Cs

St Mary's Scholarship and Bursary Terms and Conditions

Financial support for current students

Thanks to the generosity of our alumni community, St Mary’s College is able to offer a range of financial support to students once they are enrolled at the University. 

St Mary’s Bursary

All undergraduate home students with a household income below £47,200 (as assessed by Student Finance England) are automatically awarded the St Mary’s bursary in September of their first year.  This bursary pays for their JCR membership for the entirety of their undergraduate degree, their WOW (Induction) week ticket and the loan of an academic gown for the length of their degree. Eligible students will be contacted about this directly during the onboarding process in late August/early September of their first year.

Sports and Societies Participation Bursary

At St Mary’s College we believe that finance should not be a barrier to participation in college sports and societies.  Students with a lower household income (below £47,200 as assessed by Student Finance England) are able to claim support towards college sports and societies subscriptions.  This support is typically in the region of between £40 to £80 per academic year.

Student Opportunities Fund

The Student Opportunities Fund is to support students with wider student experience activities.  This may include activities such as field trips, internship placements, attending academic conferences and participation in a sport or society.  For example, the fund has recently supported students performing competing in the National Ballroom Dancing Championships, attending an international conference on the Holocaust and costs associated with a summer Mathematics research project.

Students can bid in to the fund each term and awards are decided by a panel twice per term. This fund is open to all current St Mary’s students regardless of household income or nationality.

Catering Bursary for commuting students

Students from the northeast who choose to live at home in their first year are able to apply for a catering bursary to support their participation in college life. This bursary enables students to access a specified number of meals per week in college free of charge.  For example, a student may want to eat in college before or after a sports practice with a college team to enable them to socialise and eat with friends.  This bursary will be advertised to eligible students to apply for at the start of each academic year.