The University of Manchester has launched a new Financial Support Tool aimed at helping students and prospective students find funding information more easily. The tool is now live on the university website and is entering its final testing and feedback phase. It matters because funding information has been spread across nearly 200 webpages, making it harder for students to compare support and for staff to keep details current.
Key facts
- The Financial Support Tool launched this week on the University of Manchester website.
- It brings together undergraduate financial support schemes for home students in one filterable list.
- The tool covers bursaries, scholarships and grants.
- Future updates are planned to add taught postgraduate support schemes.
- International students are still directed to the university’s existing International fees and funding pages.
What does this mean for students and applicants?
For home students and prospective students, the practical change is simpler access to funding information at an important stage in choosing a university. Instead of searching across many pages, users can now find undergraduate support schemes in one place and filter them more easily. The university says user research shaped the language, search, filtering and categorisation.
The new tool is also expected to change how finance content is managed internally. In the coming months, some existing student finance webpages may be changed, linked to the new catalogue, or deleted and redirected. Colleagues have been asked not to create new webpages for student funding information while governance and training are completed.
- Home students: use the new tool for undergraduate bursaries, scholarships and grants.
- Prospective students: check the tool when comparing financial support before applying.
- International students: continue using the university’s International fees and funding pages.
- Postgraduate students: future expansion is planned for taught postgraduate support.
Why is the university changing its funding pages?
The university says the change addresses a longstanding problem: funding information was spread across almost 200 webpages. That made it difficult for students to find what they needed and harder for staff to keep information accurate and up to date. The new tool is intended to simplify that experience and reduce barriers to choosing Manchester.
It is also presented as a joint effort between the Access, Student Development and Success team and the External Digital Experience Programme. Student funding specialists, recruitment colleagues, web professionals and digital specialists worked together on the project, which the university says aligns with its Access and Participation Plan and Manchester 2035 ambitions.
What happens next?
The project team plans to keep refining the tool, governance and content processes based on feedback. It also intends to finalise the admin interface and training for colleagues who will manage scheme information, then begin work on expanding the tool to include taught postgraduate provision.
For editors and staff working on funding content, the immediate instruction is to route requests for new student funding pages through the central Content or Faculty web teams. The university says this interim approach will help keep information consistent while the new processes are completed.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the new Financial Support Tool for?
The tool is for home undergraduate students and prospective students looking for bursaries, scholarships and grants. The university says it will later expand to include taught postgraduate support schemes.
What should international students do now?
International students should continue to use the university’s existing International fees and funding pages. The new tool does not replace that route.
