The Student Success Endowment exists to level the playing field in higher education. It provides students from low-income households with the financial support they need to go beyond the barriers they face and to access equal opportunity at university.
NTU’s Autumn Appeal asks our alumni community to combine forces, to rally behind this cause, and to enable disadvantaged students to join their peers in saying yes to discovering new passions, hobbies, and networks.
The Student Success Endowment is an income-generating investment that will channel all the dividends it accrues into financial support for NTU's most deserving students. This will enable us to nurture students at NTU who are experiencing financial inequality with an annual payment – which they can use to say yes to the same extra-curricular opportunities and experiences as their peers.
A gift today, will have the power to make a significant and long-lasting impact on those who often have to settle for less. The combined support of our alumni will make real change in the lives of students who need it most. By making a gift to the Student Success Endowment you are committing to an equal playing field for all. The more we continue to raise, the bigger the bursary that each student receives will be.
With your help we can go above and beyond, supporting current and future generations of NTU students.
Join us and say yes to tomorrow, today.
Hear from those who have already benefitted from the Student Success Endowment:
The Student Success Endowment: Everes
Architecture student Everes found the support of the Student Success Endowment invaluable when building a society for Queer People of Colour at the university. This funding also helped her access industry software and develop language skills to pursue her dream international career.
The Student Success Endowment: Scarlett
With support from the Student Success Endowment, English student Scarlett could afford to travel to graduate job interviews while balancing academic demands and student living costs. This funding allowed her to focus on her dissertation and preparing for graduate life without financial stress.
The Student Success Endowment: Ben
When trainee Occupational Therapist Ben secured a placement with a community healthcare service, The Student Success Endowment (SSE) helped cover expenses and enabled him to focus on delivering high-quality care to patients, helping them regain independence and continue living safely in their own homes.
The Student Success Endowment: Emmanuel
Broadcast Journalism student Emmanuel gained experience in radio and magazine journalism thanks to the support of the Student Success Endowment. He found new skills, confidence, and friendships through student publications and journalism societies.
The Student Success Endowment: Kelly
Architecture student Kelly is passionate about designing buildings that prioritize people and community. Thanks to the support of the Student Success Endowment, she has been able to take this passion further and leads an NTSU society to provide meals to those without homes.
The Student Success Endowment: Paige
For Graphic Design student Paige, the Student Success Endowment helps her pursue her creative career ambitions and manage her daily commute. The funding contributes towards materials for her artistic portfolio as she prepares for a career in illustration, while also supporting driving lessons.
The Student Success Endowment
Endowments are particularly meaningful as they offer a dependable, perpetual source of funding. Engaging with The Student Success Endowment at Nottingham Trent University offers myriad benefits to disadvantaged students, to society, and to the world in which we live and work.
Visit an overview of the Student Success Endowment for more information on how the fund operates.
Student Success Endowment FAQs
Nottingham Trent University charity number: XN80664
Charitable status
As a Higher Education Corporation, the University has "exempt charity" status, which derives from the Charities Act 1993 (subsequently consolidated in the Charities Act 2011). Exempt charities benefit from charitable status but are not registered with the Charity Commission.
The University is subject to regulation by the Office for Students which, since 1 April 2018, has been the principal regulator of those higher education institutions (HEIs) in England that are exempt charities.
Visit HMRC for more information
Fundraising promise
All our activities adhere to the Fundraising Code of Practice, ensuring that every donation you make is put to the best possible use.
The Student Success Endowment (SSE) supports NTU students from low-income backgrounds by helping them access extracurricular opportunities—such as placements, societies, leadership roles, and networking events—that enhance their confidence, skills, and future career prospects.
Endowments offer a dependable, perpetual source of funding. The interest generated by the fund provides a bursary for each eligible undergraduate student every academic year.
The SSE is dispersed in January each year to home undergraduate students with an annual household income of £27,500 or less.
The fund is designed to level the playing field so that all students can make the most of their time at NTU. In 2025 over 8,100 students received this funding. That’s around 1 in 3 undergraduate students.
All eligible students receive their funding automatically, based on their household income, at the start of each Spring term. This ensures that funding is dispersed equally to every student who needs it, without the need for an application.
No, the SSE is not the same as a hardship fund.
NTU offers a number of different hardship funds that are designed to help students with their essential living costs if their student funding is not enough to cover their budget.
These are funded by the University (or in some cases external organisations such as the NHS) for eligible students who can evidence that their funding is not sufficient or that they have experienced unforeseen circumstances that have placed them in financial difficulty.
The SSE, on the other hand, provides a bursary to home undergraduate students who have joined us from an annual household income of £27,500 or less.
The SSE is not intended to cover essential living costs, it is designed to provide extracurricular opportunities to students who may otherwise not be able to afford them, with the intention of enhancing their time at university and levelling the playing field with their peers.
University tuition fees cover the cost of a student’s teaching and provide access to university services such as employability advice and wellbeing services that support and enhance their learning experience.
Tuition fees are not designed to provide extracurricular activities such as society or sports club memberships, costs associated with work placements or social activities. This is where the SSE steps in to, offer such experiences to students who may otherwise be unable to afford them.
In the UK, tuition fee rates for undergraduate courses are regulated by the government. Universities (including NTU) that are registered with the Office for Students and designated as “approved (fee cap) providers” must adhere to maximum fee limits set by the government each academic year.
Most UK undergraduate students are eligible for a tuition fee loan to cover these costs, and may also apply for a maintenance loan to help with essential living expenses while studying. This does not need to be paid back until a student has left university and is earning more than the repayment threshold.
Yes! We regularly share stories and updates from students who have benefited from the fund, so you can see the real difference your support is making. You can expect to receive updates via email so please ensure that you opt-in to receiving stewardship and fundraising messages from NTU.
The Student Success Endowment is professionally managed by global asset management firm Cazenove Capital. Cazenove manages over £10 billion in charitable assets. The firm adheres to a robust responsible investment policy, has maintained carbon neutrality since 2020, and is a founding member of the Net Zero Asset Managers Initiative.
The SSE Investment Committee, comprising independent trustees, will continue its close collaboration with Cazenove in the year ahead to ensure the fund delivers strong returns in support of our students.
Absolutely. Legacy gifts are a powerful way to support future generations of NTU students. Please get in touch at giving@ntu.ac.uk and we can provide guidance on how to include NTU in your Will.
We’d love to hear from you. Please feel free to contact giving@ntu.ac.uk, and we’ll be happy to help.
Say yes to tomorrow, today...
The Student Success Endowment is an initiative that will deliver real and meaningful social transformation, and we invite you to be a part of it.