Bursaries, Awards and Mentorship
The Stationers’ Foundation bursary programme provides financial and mentoring support to students on a variety of MA/MSc courses, leading to a career in the content and communications industries.
On successful completion of their master’s programme and recommendation by their mentor, recipients will be invited to become a Freeman of the Stationers’ Company, with the expectation to participate in the life of the company and the Young Stationers.
Post Graduate Bursary Scheme
Up to 16 bursaries of up to £9000 are awarded annually to students on the the courses listed below. Please apply direct to the course director listed.
Payment of the annual membership fee will be waivered for the first three years.
Cardiff University MA News Journalism – duncanc2@cardiff.ac.uk MSc Computational and Data Journalism – odonnellA4@cardiff.ac.uk
MA Publishing – E.Tait@kingston.ac.uk
City St George’s, University of London MA Magazine Journalism – Ben.Falk@city.ac.uk MA Publishing – patrick.brindle.2@city.ac.uk
London College of Communication, University of the Arts London MA Publishing – f.hall@lcc.arts.ac.uk
University College London MA Library and Information Studies – a.hicks@ucl.ac.uk MA Publishing – d.boswell@ucl.ac.uk and MA Archives and Records Management – Hannah Smyth hannah.smyth@ucl.ac.uk
University of Reading MA Communication Design – typography@reading.ac.uk .
University of Salford MA Journalism – A.Lindsay@salford.ac.uk
Queen Mary University of London MSc Data Science – hayley.cork@qmul.ac.uk
The Sparrow Awards
Thanks to the generous donation of Sir John and Lady Sparrow, one or two additional bursaries are awarded annually. Awardees will be selected from the applicants for the main postgraduate bursary, who just miss out on an award and will be matched with a Stationers’ mentor.
Guidelines for Applicants 2026
Awarding The Bursaries
Short-listing will take place based on the following criteria:
Academic Merit
Financial Need
The quality of the application
Interest in becoming an active member of the Stationers' Company
Bursary Recipients
Final decisions will be communicated to the candidates as soon as possible.
Bursary funds will be transferred to each university to contribute towards their fees in early September. The selection panel’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into concerning this.
There will be an Awards Ceremony at Stationers’ Hall for Bursary Recipients, their guests and mentors on 16th November each year. It is essential that bursary recipients attend this event.
The interview panel will be made up of at least two Stationers and the Course Director from the candidate’s postgraduate course.
Award decisions will be based on performance at interview. Candidates will make a presentation (a maximum of 10 minutes) in support of their application and show examples of their work.
The presentation should demonstrate and evidence the candidate’s achievements to help the panel understand the quality of their work. Candidates may want to explain the background to their work and demonstrate how this will lead into their next area of study and career. We recommend bringing your presentation on a memory stick, for use with our AV equipment. Your device may not be compatible with our equipment.
Financial Assistance
For Students on Courses not Listed Above – Application Deadline 31st July 2026
Financial Assistance Application Form
The Stationers’ Foundation Bursaries, Mentoring and Awards Committee may offer a Financial Assistance Awards for academic courses in communication and content including papermaking, packaging, publishing, bookbinding, conservation, librarianship and archiving. Recent wards have averaged £1300 and could be higher or lower.
Awards are open to United Kingdom residents to develop their potential in one of the above industries, in a way which would not be possible without an award. They could be used for course fees, travel and subsistence, books and technical research equipment. Candidates in employment, could use these in lieu of salary, or for courses normally funded by employers or by grants.
This application form must be returned to the Education Coordinator, in Word/PDF format by 31st July (please contact the Education Coordinator if there are any exceptional circumstances that prevent this) and must provide an outline of the proposed programme which the applicant wishes to undertake.
Awards will be made in August following the application. All recipients will be required to attend an Awards Ceremony at Stationers’ Hall on 16th November 2026.
For enquiries contact Katie Dare, Education Coordinator at education@stationers.org
Francis Mathew Awards
A memorial to Francis Mathew, a former manager at The Times
The Stationers’ Foundation offers Francis Mathew Award each year to candidates in the printing, publishing and paper industries and associated trades.
Up to four awards, normally of £3,000 are available annually for applicants at the start of their career and of British nationality, and either employed in or intending to make a career in these industries. The aim is to enable the winners to travel to gain experience and further their knowledge of the industries at home and abroad. Awards are made based on academic potential and financial need.
This application form must be returned to the Education Coordinator, in Word/PDF format by 31st July prior to starting your course (please contact the Education Coordinator if there are any exceptional circumstances that prevent this) and you must provide an outline of the proposed programme.
Awards will be made after interviews in London in the August following the application. Successful candidates will be expected to submit a report on completion of their project. For enquiries contact Katie Dare at education@stationers.org