Disabled Veterans' Scholarships Fund

Last year, The Open University supported more than 27,000 disabled students. And, since the Disabled Veterans’ Scholarships Fund was established, more than 250 additional disabled students have been able to access higher education with us.

What is a Disabled Veterans' Scholarship? If you’ve been injured or disabled in, or as a result of, military service, you could be funded to complete a full Open University qualification.

We offer 50 scholarships every year, and all undergraduate and postgraduate modules and qualifications are eligible. You’ll have your fees waived for a maximum of 120 credits per seasonal academic year, up to a maximum of 360 credits, which is equivalent to a full honours degree.

Applicants will also be offered further specialist careers and disability support, alongside free study.

Specialist support As a part of your scholarship, you’ll also be able to access specialist careers and disability support.

Careers support Our Careers and Employability services can offer:

• individual careers consultation and support
• group forums and webinars
• links with employers and specialist organisations, including possible visits, internships (virtual and physical) and placements.

Disability support If your application is successful, you’ll be able to request specialist equipment and disability support to help with your studies. This is in addition to any support provided via a Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA).

Additional support could include:

• support and guidance on the DSA application process
• information and signposting about the support available during your studies
• alternative format module materials, such as audio or comb-bound versions of module books
• loaned equipment, such as digital voice recorders and magnifiers, and specialist software (i.e. text-to-speech software).

Additional support will be looked at on a case-by-case basis, depending on your individual requirements.

How to apply to the Disabled Veterans’ Scholarships Fund: We’re now accepting applications for the 2023/24 academic year. To apply, you’ll need to download the full scholarship terms and conditions, as well as the scholarship application form.

Once completed, email your application and supporting evidence to our Student Fees team. You’ll find their contact details on the first page of the application form.

Applications close midnight 5 July 2023. If you’re successful, we’ll email you by 21 July 2023 to confirm. We’ll also contact you soon afterwards to make sure you're ready to study and to help you choose your course, so don’t worry if you’re not sure what you want to study.

Need more information? If you’ve got a question about the Disabled Veterans’ Scholarships Fund, or need help completing your application, our advisers are here to help. Don’t hesitate to contact us on 0300 303 5303.

To be eligible, you’ll need to meet all the following criteria:

• starting OU study at OU level 1 or above for the first time in academic year 2023/24
• ordinarily resident in the UK and eligible for a UK fee
• disabled as a result of, or in, military service.

The full eligibility criteria for academic year 2023/24 are listed in the scholarship terms and conditions.

What supporting evidence will I need? You’ll need to provide evidence as a part of your application that confirms your disability arose during, or as a result of, military service. This could be a letter from your current GP or consultant, or your confirmation of medical discharge.