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Accessibility statement
Carer with an elderly lady
Being an unpaid carer for a friend or family member can place enormous demands on the lives of carers.
If you are or have recently been an unpaid carer, our Carers' Scholarship could allow you to study an OU undergraduate qualification for free.
As a carer, you may have seen impacts on your school progress and your ability to stick to a timetable. You may even need to change careers to find employment that works around your caring responsibilities. At the OU, we’re here to help put higher education back within your grasp with our flexible study arrangements.
The Open University’s Carers' Scholarship is the first of its kind in the UK. We have already awarded 162 full Open University scholarships to carers so that they can study, develop their sense of identity outside of caring, and retrain to seek new employment. We aim to make ten more scholarships available in the 2026/2027 academic year, with three scholarships reserved for applicants aged 25 and under.
A scholarship covers OU undergraduate credit-bearing modules and qualifications, paying for the full tuition cost of your qualification, up to 120 credits each seasonal academic year and 360 credits in total.
To be eligible, you’ll need to meet all the following criteria:
Full details of the scheme are available in the scholarship terms and conditions.
You’ll need to provide evidence that you’ve been providing unpaid care to one or more people. This could be a letter from your current GP, social worker or carer support organisation.
You’ll also need to provide evidence of your household income or qualifying benefit.
The Carers' Scholarship wouldn’t be possible without the support of our generous donors. The scheme is kindly supported by:
The Carers' Scholarship is an OU initiative that Carers Trust and Carers UK support by promoting it to their national networks of local carers’ organisations and offering scholarship recipients broader carers support.

We’re now accepting applications for the 2026/27 academic year. To apply, you’ll need to download the full scholarship terms and conditions and the application form.
Once completed, please email your application form and supporting evidence to our Student Fees team. Their contact details are on the first page of the application form.
To ensure funds are allocated fairly, eligible applicants will be reviewed by a panel, which will assess the impact of each applicant's caring responsibilities.
Applications close at midday on 17 June 2026. We’ll email you by 3 July 2026 to confirm if you’re successful. We’ll also contact you to ensure you’re ready to study and, if needed, help you choose your course.
If you’ve got a question about the Carers’ Scholarship, our advisers are here to help. Don’t hesitate to call us on 0300 303 5303 or email us at [email protected].
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