SUMMARY

Thanks to a bequest from an old member of the College, Dr Dennis Elgar, Selwyn makes various grants to students without any need for an application and in addition to those outlined in the rest of this section of the Student Guide. The various amounts are shown as credits on the students’ bills. Some of these grants, in line with the donor's wishes, are particularly focused on providing extra support with financial need, defined as those who receive a Cambridge Bursary.   

• Selwyn Elgar Award for all students

• Elgar Matriculation Book and Equipment Grants of £100 will be made to all undergraduates in their first term of residence as a credit on their bill. As mentioned above, Cambridge Bursary recipients will receive a further grant later in the academic year, once their Bursary status is confirmed, of £150 for full Bursary holders and £100 for partial Bursary holders.

• Selwyn Elgar Awards for students in receipt of a Cambridge Bursary

• Elgar Vacation Residence Grants are intended to offer the opportunity to stay in Cambridge during the Easter vacation to students for whom financial considerations may be a barrier to doing so. Eligible students will be entitled to a maximum fourteen nights in any given vacation. Students in receipt of a partial CBS or PTUBS grant will receive a credit on their bill at the rent code of the room they occupy for up to 14 nights residence outside FPR. That amount covers the cost of the room for each night. Students in receipt of a full CBS Bursary will additionally be eligible for a £5 per night credit on their College bill to help with food costs. The grant is not limited by year of study or subject.  If a student needs to remain in residence outside the FPR dates during the Christmas or summer vacations, they should consult their Tutor to discuss whether they should make an application for financial support in the usual way. 

• Elgar Finalists’ Grants are made to all eligible undergraduates in their third year of study in Cambridge, including third year medical and veterinary students and others who may progress to a fourth year. The grant is intended to help with such things as application fees, interview travel and other expenses that arise as they consider their next steps. A grant of £300 will be paid as a credit on the College bill in the Easter Term to all third-year students in residence and to fourth year students who have returned from a year abroad. Each student will only be eligible for one such grant during their undergraduate career and fourth years will not be eligible for a second grant.
   
• Elgar Extra Matriculation Book and Equipment Grants for Bursary holders.  In addition to the grant which is paid to all first-year undergraduates in their first term (see above), full CBS bursary holders in their first year will also receive a second grant later in the year (when their bursary status is confirmed) of £150, and partial CBS bursary holders will receive a second grant of £100.

• Elgar Energy Cost Grants for Bursary holders.  You will be aware that the cost of gas and electricity is rising sharply, and this is reflected in larger than usual increases in rents this year (gas and electricity, and indeed all utilities, are included in a single rent charge at Selwyn).  To help Bursary holders with the extra cost, full CBS holders will receive an Energy Cost grant in Lent term, or whenever their bursary status is confirmed, of £180, and partial CBS bursary holders will receive a grant of £100.  This has been extended to apply in 23/24 given the ongoing impact of energy pricing on rents.

• Elgar Formal Hall Grants are intended to ensure that all students feel that Formal Hall is affordable and thus helps ensure that students from less well-off backgrounds do not feel excluded from full participation in College life. Students in receipt of a full Cambridge Bursary will receive up to six free tickets (not guest tickets) per year; those on partial Cambridge Bursary support will receive three per year. This is worth £90 p.a. to full bursary holders and £45 p.a. to partial bursary holders. Eligible students should order tickets in the usual way and the College will ensure that tickets up to the specified limits will be paid for from Elgar funds, shown as credits on the student’s bill alongside the charge for the ticket. These tickets may not be transferred to others.

• Additionally, and looking ahead beyond your undergraduate course, the Elgar Master’s studentship allows current Selwyn students from Widening Participation backgrounds to progress to a Cambridge MPhil. No separate application is necessary. The College will make the selection from the eligible students who have been conditionally accepted by the University.

Please direct any billing queries/grant/credit requests to studentbilling@sel.cam.ac.uk