How will my Academic Scholarship be paid?

Your Academic Scholarship will be paid to you in three instalments. **

**EU Students should contact sab@beds.ac.uk for confirmation on how their payments will be made.

Instalment 1

Your first instalment is the welcome package, which is £300 Aspire card credit and £50 print credit. 

Once as you have registered and received your student ID card, you will be able to register with John Smith's bookshop and will be able to spend your £300 Aspire credit in store or online.

Your £50 print credit will be preloaded onto your student ID card.

Instalment 2

Your second is £250 Aspire card credit which will be automatically uploaded to your card in February.

Instalment 3

Your final instalment will be £300 cash, or flexible payment option paid to you at the end of February.

What is Aspire Credit?

Aspire credit is loaded automatically onto your Aspire card. You will receive an email from John Smith's bookshop confirming the available credit on your card.

You can purchase a wide range of items with the Aspire credit; books from your reading list, IT equipment, bags, sports equipment and  tickets/tokens/vouchers. You can purchase items in the John Smith's bookshop in the Mall in Luton or online.

If you don't spend all of your credit on your card then it will remain on your card for next year.

• More details about Aspire

What is the Flexible Payment Option?

The flexible payment option allows you to specify how you would like to receive this instalment.

You can choose to offset the money against accommodation, as a tuition fee discount, receive additional Aspire card credit, pay childcare costs, pay for something that would help you in your studies or choose cash.

Once you have registered we will contact you and ask you to select your preferred payment options.

How will I receive my cash payment?

If you receive a student loan, we will pay any cash payments into the same bank account, through the Student Loans Funding Portal. To change bank accounts you will need to contact the Student Loans Company well in advance of the due payment date.

Where a student does not receive a tuition fee loan, the cash element will be paid by cheque. The cash payment will be made on the last day of the month in which it is due.