We understand that being a student can leave you pretty tight on the financial front. That's why the Student Publication Association (SPA) has set up its Financial Assistance Scheme, helping those otherwise unable to afford it some support in attending our national conference and awards, this year at the University of Glasgow.

It's the biggest student journalism conference in the country, and we want to ensure that as many people as possible are able to attend, regardless of circumstance and background.

"It allowed me to connect with other student journalists here...and there's just so many workshops and talks that gave me so much information on how to be a journalist that I wouldn't have had access to otherwise." - Fleur Feeney, 2022 bursary recipient

The SPA launched our Diversity Bursary in 2020, with an aim of improving representation in the media, and has had support from the NCTJ, The Printing Charity, and News Associates, among others.

Last year, 14 students from across the country were able to come to #SPANC22 in Sheffield who would not have otherwise been able to come.

But don't just take our word for it - click below to hear the thoughts of those who benefitted at #SPANC22

With the cost of living crisis biting, we have rebranded the fund as the Financial Assistance Scheme for 2023. However, with the same aims, the SPA is seeking to support individuals who are currently underrepresented in journalism. This includes, but is not limited to, those from lower socio-economic backgrounds, from ethnic minority backgrounds, those who identify as  LGBTQ+, or have a disability.

For #SPANC23, the Financial Assistance Scheme is kindly supported by The Media Society. Peter York, the society's honourary president, said he was particularly interested in addressing the class barrier in journalism. He added: "Making interesting and important occupations like journalism accessible to people with different life experiences is really important."

"The bursary gave me the possibility to afford travel and the costs of the conference without breaking the bank. I am really grateful to have been able to do this, as I often feel that possibilities for underrepresented/working class backgrounds could do with a lot of improvement in the industry. The SPA really set a good example on that." - Rory Buccheri, 2022 bursary recipient

Applications are open now, and you can apply by filling in our form here. We will award as many eligible funding bids as possible, however the SPA executive committee and trustees have the final say. Decisions will be made on a rolling basis but completed by March 20, 2023.

If you don't qualify for the bursary we still may be able to help by advising on how to lobby your union or university to fund tickets. Email geri@spajournalism.com for more information.

Running from 31 March – 2 April, in partnership with Glasgow Guardian, [qmunicate] magazine and G-You Magazine, we'll be hosting a whole range of talks and workshops with some of the biggest names in the media, plus hosting our annual national awards night.

With thanks to our sponsors...