Balliol College, Oxford
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College financial support

This page aims to convey the range of financial and other benefits that the College makes available to student members and to gather in one place the links to relevant sources of information.

All students

Graduates only

Undergraduates only

Financial Aid 

About three quarters of the financial aid that Balliol is able to distribute to its students comes from the College’s own sources of income. There are various formal schemes and, through the Financial Aid Officer, a means of taking into account unexpected hardship outside the deadlines for these. Any student with a child of nursery age can apply for a place at the Balliol Day Nursery and for a Georgina Horlick Bursary to help cover the cost.

Academic support

Support for academic excellence is a top priority. In 2008-09, 73 Balliol graduates received grants to assist research; 28 undergraduates received grants for academic projects and 18 more were in receipt of larger study awards (this exercise is advertised by email each Hilary term). In addition, 104 undergraduate members were College Scholars or Exhibitioners, with values ranging from £150 to £500 per annum, while many others earned smaller prizes for exceptional pieces of work. Undergraduates whose courses extend outside term-time can apply for vacation residence (College Handbook 4.3.4) and, if in need, for help with accommodation costs. Modern linguists are routinely assisted during their years abroad, and the College helps pay for places on university language courses for non-linguists (College Handbook 2.1.12). Clinical students are entitled to equipment grants and to support for medical electives. Graduates, meanwhile, have the opportunity to apply for a Phizackeley Scholarship in medical research or to work with university library archivists and cataloguers as the College's annually appointed Balliol-Bodley Scholar. (These benefits to graduates already on course are distinct from the graduate scholarships which the College advertises to applicants to Oxford to encourage the best students to come to Balliol.)  For those who complete either a graduate or an undergraduate degree and go on to pursue a career in teaching through Teach First, £1,000 Balliol College-Teach First scholarships are available.

At the end of a typical Trinity term, upwards of 300 junior members – graduate and undergraduate – will receive an individual letter from the Financial Aid Officer, listing the awards and aid which they have received over the course of the academic year.

College life 

The College subsidises food both directly and indirectly: catering pre-payment is the cheapest and most convenient way to eat in Hall. It also supports student clubs and societies (listed in Balliol for Beginners), both by a large annual subvention to the Junior and Middle Common Rooms, and by the funding of specific activities - as, for instance, the Musical Society Concerts, the Chapel Choir, Old Member career presentation evenings, and Doug's Lunch (weekly term-time talks hosted by the Chaplain). There are music rooms and computer facilities, a library, a studio theatre, two multi-gyms, and a sports field. In 2009-10, awards totalling £3,000 were made from the Cadle Fund for sport of all kinds at Blue or half-Blue level or above, including athletics, badminton, women’s basketball, boxing, cheerleading, cross country, road running and triathlon, fencing, Australian rules football, Gaelic football and women’s football, golf, ice hockey, judo, karting, lacrosse, netball, rugby union and rugby league, sailing, English Channel swimming, table tennis, tennis, and water polo.

Beyond Balliol  

Regular college reading parties are run, in Scotland (for PPE finalists), in the Lake District (English 2nd years), and at the Chalet des Anglais in the French Alps (various subject/MCR-JCR groups, some mixed, College Handbook 2.1.11). Last but not least, eight places on the William E. Westerman Pathfinders Programme to the USA are available annually to junior members in the final year of study.

The College’s ability to assist its students in these substantial and diverse ways is very largely dependent on the generosity of its Old Members and benefactors, past and present.