Sports scholarships
Guidance for those wishing to apply for a sports scholarship, including information on pathways, eligible sports and application criteria.
The University of Worcester is dedicated to supporting talented young athletes in a range of sports and we welcome your interest in our the sports scholarship scheme. We recommend you read through the below information carefully before completing our application form.
Should you wish to apply for a scholarship we will require further information from you, including personal details, video footage of you performing/competing, an overview of your financial outgoings directly associated with high performance sport and a supporting letter from your current lifestyle advisor or performance director/coach.
Scholarship pathways
Once you've applied for the sports scholarship scheme your application will be reviewed by our panel. If you are successful you'll be placed on one of our two pathways; Dual Career Scholarship Student (DCSS) or Performance Potential (PP).
Dual Career Scholarship Student
As part of this pathway you'll receive:
- Individual S & C
- Individualised Sports Therapy and injury prevention
- Lifestyle advisor and academic support
- Performance Analysis Access
- UW Clothing bundle
- Gym membership
- Anti-doping education (inc ADAMS)
- Financial Support (up to £2,000)
- Sports psychology support
- Nutritional support
- Fitness testing
Performance Potential
As part of this pathway you'll receive:
- Individual S & C
- Access to Sports Therapy clinic
- Lifestyle advisor
- Performance Analysis Access
- UW Clothing bundle
- Gym membership
- Anti-doping education
- Financial Support (up to £1,000)
- Sports Nutrition and Sports Psychology
Scholarship criteria
Dual Career Scholarship Student (DCSS) athletes are expected to be training as part of an elite athlete pathway scheme as well as representing at senior or junior level National & International tournaments. They should also be performing at the level identified below in their given sport.
Performance Potential (PP) applicants are expected to be working towards an elite athlete pathway scheme in their identified sport. They should also be playing national league, or equivalent as identified below, in their given sport.
Performance level expected for your sport
This is a guide for applicants. The criteria below may allow you to be eligible for a scholarship but all applications are assessed on an individual basis.
Badminton
Dual Career Scholarship Student: Top 50 England Badminton National rankings, or an equivalent-standard country.
Performance Potential: Top 100 England Badminton National rankings, or an equivalent-standard country.
Basketball (Men's)
Dual Career Scholarship Student: Senior national team; U20’s National team; Men’s BBL playing experience, or Men’s division 1/National league play offs playing experience.
Performance Potential: England or an equivalent standard country or have recent (within one year) U18 national team playing experience. Men's division 2 may also be considered.
Basketball (Women's)
Dual Career Scholarship Student: Senior national team; U20 National team; Women’s BBL
Performance Potential: Women’s division 1/National league play offs playing experience. Representative honours (within one year) at U18 national team playing experience. Regional level and U18 preliminary squad may also be considered
Cricket (Men's)
Dual Career Scholarship Student: Contracted to a first class county and would need to be at least a County second team regular with demonstrable progress towards a first team place.
Performance Potential: Minor counties regular; academy player with a summer/development contract and appearances at second eleven for a first class county.
Cricket (Women's)
Dual Career Scholarship Student: England Women’s academy, senior academy or senior squad.
Performance Potential: Regional development centre representation and/or Women’s County Championship T20 division one
Cricket (Disability)
Dual Career Scholarship Student: National squad representation (hearing, learning, physical, visual)
Performance Potential: Lions representation (hearing, learning, physical, visual)
Football (Men’s)
Dual Career Scholarship Student: Conference National or higher or recently (within one year) finished a YTS contract with a pro club
Performance Potential: Regional league experience within; Northern Premier league ‘premier division’, Southern League ‘premier division’ and Isthmian League ‘Premier division’.
Football (Women’s)
Dual Career Scholarship Student: FA women’s super league playing experience (within one year)
Performance Potential: FA women’s championship playing experience; women’s premier league (Northern and Southern premier division) within one year.
Hockey
Dual Career Scholarship Student: England senior, development, U21 or U18 or a nation of an equivalent standard based on top 15 world rankings
Performance Potential: National League Premier Division or league (Women) or Conference East, Conference North, Conference West (Men’s or Women’s)
Netball
Dual Career Scholarship Student: England, or an equivalent-standard country at senior squad level, U21 or U19.
Performance Potential: Super league playing experience (within one year); regular prem league 1 or regular representation in the U19 National Performance League (NPL).
Rowing
Dual Career Scholarship Student: Senior or U23 level; Junior (U18) level (Junior World Championships or Coupe de la Jeunesse)
Performance Potential: Representation within performance talent (PT) programme or world class start.
Rugby (Men’s)
Dual Career Scholarship Student: RFU Championship or above; Elite player development group (U18); National league 1 or 2
Performance Potential: National league 3
Rugby (Women’s)
Dual Career Scholarship Student: England ladies (senior squad, named in EPS) or equivalent country (top 15 countries as specified by World Rugby rankings); U20’s
Performance Potential: Women’s Tyrells Premier League
BUCS, Olympic & Paralympic sports (summer and winter)
Dual Career Scholarship Student: Senior National squads where the sport is widely competed across the UK; Elite player pathway recognition with National/International representation at major competitions.
Performance Potential: Senior squad representation in sports with lower representation rates across the UK, elite athlete performance potential pathway recognition.
We recognise that there are Deaflympics and Special Olympics as well as Les Autres competitions. If you are performing on this pathway we will consider your application on a one-to-one basis. Please email sportsoffice@worc.ac.uk to enquire further.
Eligible sports
Scholarship agreement
Eligibility for Scholarship
I understand that to be eligible for the sports scholarships programme I must be a full or part-time undergraduate or postgraduate student at the University.
I understand that to be successful in my application I must provide evidence showing potential for elite international performance as well as contributing to the UW BUCS teams and/or championships.
I acknowledge that applications will be renewed on a yearly basis. Continuation on the scheme will be the result of making pleasing progress in both academic studies and sporting performance. Applications will be reviewed by an expert panel.
Terms of Scholarship
Any athlete successfully accepted onto the scholarship programme will be expected to compete in BUCS leagues or Championships where feasible. Failure to commit may result in loss of scholarship.
Athletes on the sports scholarship pathway will be expected to commit to publicity, marketing and ambassadorial work within the University.
Loss of Scholarship
I accept that the University reserves the right to withdraw my place within the sports scholarship programme where behaviour is displayed which brings the University of Worcester into disrepute, including inappropriate doping activity in accordance with WADA and UKAD, anti-social behaviour or racial/ homophobic defamation.
I understand that if I provide inaccurate information in support of my scholarship, which is subsequently found to be incorrect, the University of Worcester reserves the right to withdraw the scholarship. Furthermore if any scholarship monies have been received in these circumstances I agree to pay back to the University the full payments received, within 90 days of being notified of the requirement to do so.
Get in touch
If you have any questions about scholarships or performance sport please contact the School of Sports Admin Office:
Call: 01905 542658
Email: sportsoffice@worc.ac.uk
Follow: UW_Performance