The Student Success Endowment

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.

Find out more about our Fundraising promise.

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.

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.

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.