Student finance expert explains how students can claim £500 for having the name Graham

This week on That Money Show the conversation focuses on advice for students struggling financially, especially in light of increased Maintenance Loans. Tom Aliingham emphasizes that bursaries, grants, and scholarships are not limited to high-achieving students from low-income backgrounds; they can be available for a wide range of reasons, such as being vegetarian or vegan, or having a specific surname like Graham in Glasgow.

Speaking to Gabriel Nussbaum, Tom said: "One thing I would always say, and I may have even said it on your show before, so forgive me if I have, but it definitely bears repeating, is that bursaries, grants and scholarships, are not just for the students with the highest grades or from a low income background or who excel in a sport or anything like that. You know, those probably do make up, I would say maybe the majority, you know, maybe 60% of bursaries, grass and scholarships. But there are a huge number out there that are available to students for all kinds of weird and wonderful reasons."

He continued: "So the examples I always come back to, just to underline just how new she can be, is the Vegetarian Society, which pays 500 pounds to students who are vegetarian or vegan. That's it, simple as that. There's the Graham Trust, which in the Glasgow area. If your surname is Graham and you study at an institution in the Glasgow area, bang straight away, £500. Again, simple as that. And again, those are two very niche examples. You might not have Graham as a surname. You might not live in Glasgow or study in Glasgow, but it does underline the fact that there are so many weird and wonderful reasons why you could be eligible for funding."