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Grants and bursaries for Christian education

(Updated October 2024)

Sarum College has a limited number of bursaries available to UK residents who would be unable to study with us without financial support. We use clear criteria for awarding bursaries, but earlier applicants may receive preference where all other application eligibility criteria are equivalent.

We are grateful to the Community of St Denys Trustees whose funding helps to enable the College to offer this financial support.

View Sarum College bursary options

Sarum College is also a learning provider with the Enhanced Learning Credits Administration Service (ELCAS) which offers financial support to serving military personnel to pursue lifelong learning. Details here

Below are listed selected trusts which provide grants towards Christian education. This information is subject to change as charities alter their terms, application dates and funding priorities so it is important to fully research the specific criteria and application procedures of the individual trust(s) before making an application.

If you are a Sarum College student or a prospective student exploring study here and would like some general advice and guidance about writing a grant proposal, contact Christine Nielsen-Craig at cnc@sarum.ac.uk.

All Saints Educational Trust
Telephone: 020 7248 8380
Email: aset@aset.org.uk
Website: aset.org.uk

Makes personal grant awards to teachers, intending teachers and students in Religious Studies, Home Economics and related areas.

Funding Priorities
 first degree or diploma students of Religious Education
 students on a programme of study carrying or leading to UK ‘Qualified Teacher Status’ such as PGC(D)E
 applicants with a church connection
 applicants who can supply a reference from a priest or minister of religion
 serving teachers who want to gain further qualifications relevant to advancement within the education profession
 students pursuing second or higher degrees who are planning a career in training teachers

Applications

Requests for applications are due early in the year ahead of study. The deadline for applications is on the website

Association for Promoting Retreats (APR)

APR Trustees operate a Bursary Fund to help and encourage more people to go on retreat, whatever their financial circumstances. As an APR member, Sarum College can apply for bursaries on behalf of potential retreatants. The bursary covers up to 50% of the retreat cost to a maximum of £150.

The bursary can be used in a variety of ways: for an independent retreat, a guided retreat we offer (visit the course and events calendar for options).

Details of the scheme

APR also has introduced a scheme to support teachers and headteachers in Church of England schools. View the guidance

Clergy Support Trust

Clergy Support Trust is the largest charity focused on the well-being of Anglican clergy and their families. The trust is independent from the church and offers a wide range of grants and support services. Wellbeing grants offering generous cover for the cost of sabbaticals, retreats and respite breaks for cares and their families.

Sarum offers excellent retreat and respite packages with pricing within the Clergy Support Trust grant offer. For details, visit Sarum College: Personal Stays, Retreats, Study Breaks

website: Clergy Support Trust

Culham St Gabriel’s
Telephone: 01865 612035
Email: enquiries@cstg.org.uk
Website: cstg.org.uk/grants

Culham St Gabriel’s is an endowed charitable trust dedicated to educational work in support of religious education (RE).

Funding Priorities
 Religious Education as a school curriculum subject
 Spiritual and moral development as a whole-school responsibility

Ecclesiastical Ministry Bursary Awards (clergy sabbaticals)

Ecclesiastical’s MBA grants are awarded to individual clergy in the Anglican Church in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. The grants are open to Ministers, Archdeacons, Bishops, Deans and Assistants.

The MBAs can help you breathe life into your ministerial development in ways that enrich both you and the wider church. The experience of a sabbatical can be life-changing for individual clergy and have a long-lasting impact on your congregation and community. Read case studies from previous recipients below

The application window runs between April and September. During that time all relevant forms and information are available on the website.

Visit the website for details, the current deadline, and the forms required to make an application.

The Foundation of St Matthias
Telelphone: 01179 060100
Email: stmatthiastrust@bristoldiocese.org
Website: stmatthiastrust.org.uk

The Foundation’s primary objective is the advancement of education in the Dioceses of Bath & Wells, Bristol and Gloucester, with a preference for higher and further education; such education contributing to the advancement of the Church of England.

Funding Priorities
 The education and training of persons who are, or intend to become, engaged in social welfare work as social workers, community workers, youth workers, teachers, supervisors or pre-school groups or otherwise;
 The education and training of persons intending to become ministers of the Church of England or of a Church in communion therewith;
 The study of music or other arts subject to the main object of the charity

Applications
By 31st May (for consideration in July) or 30th September (for consideration in November).

Hockerill Educational Foundation
Email: info@hockerillfoundation.org.uk
Website: hockerillfoundation.org.uk

Personal awards are made to teachers, intending teachers and others in further or higher education, with a priority to the teaching of RE. No awards for those training for ordination or mission, or clergy who wish to improve their own qualifications, unless they are also involved in teaching in schools. Awards are not given for follow-up Masters degrees.

Applications
Accepted from December for the following year. Applications received by the first deadline of 31st March will be considered in May and may stand a better chance
of success.

John James Charitable Trust
Website: johnjamestrust.org

The John James Trust exists to promote education in the Christian faith amongst children and young people; support people in training for Christian ministry; relieve poverty and distress created by sudden or unexpected circumstances pursue; any other charitable purpose consistent with those expressed before.

Applications
The trustees meet every three months to consider applications and if grants are awarded they are generally paid in March and September.

Leaders of Worship and Preachers Trust
Telephone: 01923 231811
Email: lwptoffice@lwpt.org.uk
Website: lwpt.org.uk

Leaders of Worship and Preachers Trust is an ecumenical charity that offers several grants each year towards vocational training for those considering preaching. Grants can be used towards course fees and materials for any recognised course that enables the applicant to explore or develop their preaching skills. This may include ‘gap year’ style courses as well as continuing professional development courses.

Grants are awarded twice a year. Meetings usually take place in June and November for grants to then be awarded in August and January.

Applications
2022 closing dates for applications are 3 May and 3 October.

Sarum St Michael Educational Charity
Telephone: 01722 422296
Email: clerk@sarumstmichael.org
Website: sarumstmichael.org

Aim is to advance the work in education originally done by the college. The charity makes grants to individuals ineligible for student loans to help them pursue their further education. Eligible applicants must live or study (including by distance learning) in the Diocese of Salisbury or one of its adjacent dioceses (Bath & Wells, Bristol, Exeter, Oxford and Winchester).

Those doing second degrees and postgraduate studies may apply. Grants may be given towards the costs of a dissertation and for books. An increasing number of first degree courses lead to master’s degrees: the Charity prefers applications for master’s degrees that follow a first degree.
Vocational courses – the Charity will consider the proposed course of study and how it will help the applicant pursue his or her career and in the service of others.

Applications
Governors meet four or five times a year to consider grant applications. Please check the website for forthcoming dates.

St Boniface Trust

The trust is a small charity set up to advance the Christian Religion in accordance with the principles of the Anglican faith in all parts of the world, especially for the provision of education and training of clergy and lay people by the award of scholarships and maintenance allowances, or any purpose concerning their spiritual or temporal welfare.

St Boniface Trust, in partnership with Sarum College, has limited funds to offer a special grant for wellbeing breaks to help towards the cost of a short break away from home and work for the sake of physical, mental or spiritual health.

This grant is for clergy in full-time ministry who are experiencing an unexpected difficulty or crisis in their ministry or personal life. Individual grants are capped at £500 which covers the cost of a five-night bed and breakfast stay at Sarum College in Salisbury, as well as a cooked lunch each day.

Further details and application form

St Hild & St Bede Trust
Telephone: 01388 601627
Email: w.hurworth@btinternet.com
Website: sthildandstbedetrust.co.uk/how-to-apply/

The Trust is a charity which uses the interest received annually on its investments to support the development of education in the Dioceses of Durham and Newcastle.

St Luke’s College Foundation
Telephone: 01822 613143
Email: director@Stlukescf.org.uk
website

Application deadline dates: Between January and 1st May each year. The last date for requesting an application pack is 10th April. Grants are made for the following academic year.

The Trustees earmark about £40,000 pa to make grants to individuals for studies and research in Theology and Religious education. Personal awards are made to support individuals who are studying Theology or Religious Education; or who are undertaking research – leading to a Master’s degree or PhD – in these fields. Personal awards are not made for study in any other subject areas.

Personal Awards are usually only made for studies and research at postgraduate level, which lead to the award of a university degree or credits. Personal awards are normally only made to UK-based students studying at UK institutions and with few exceptions, these are given to support serving clergy, ministers, church workers and teachers of RE who are undertaking postgraduate studies and research linked to their role. Support for full-time PhD students is very limited.

Society of the Faith

The Society aims to tread a neutral path between current controversies in the Church of England, welcoming those in communion with the See of Canterbury and who also wish to popularise the Catholic Faith.

Those conducting scholarship which shares our aims, are invited to consider two grant programmes:

The Liddon Fund makes grants to those aged 25 or under when beginning the course and preferably lay scholars. Details here.
Douglas Grants are open to anyone, clerical, lay or ordinands, engaged in research which supports our objectives.
Visit the website for details on how to apply

The Women’s Continuing Ministerial Education Trust
Telephone 01822 613143#Website: Women’s Continuing Ministerial Education Trust

The trust offers grants to assist women in the pursuit of their professional development. Grants are offered to female clergy, female accredited lay workers, and religious sisters in England and Scotland in need of financial support for their continuing training. Retreats and Sabbaticals will not normally
be considered, however, wherever possible, funding towards the cost of the fees will be awarded. Initial Ministerial Education courses are not part of the Trust’s remit and funding towards such ventures will be given only in exceptional circumstances.

Other Trusts
The Church of England Year Book has a list of grant-making bodies (under Organisations), not all of which will contribute to education purposes but instead give grants through diocesan bishops for other needs.

The Church of England Year Book has a list of grant-making bodies (under Organisations), not all of which will contribute to education purposes but instead give grants through diocesan bishops for other needs.

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