On this page you will find information about:
- The two financial programmes provided by the Women's Section's fundraising.
- The eligibility criteria for the grant schemes.
- How to apply to each grant.
The RBL Women's Section has two separate grant schemes which provide financial support for the children of people who are currently serving and veterans. The schemes are called The Children's Welfare Fund and The President's Award Scheme.
The Children's Welfare Scheme
The Children's Welfare Fund can award grants for current and former service personnel, and their partners, with the cost of essential items for their dependent children if they are facing financial hardship.
To be eligible for assistance the
children must be financially dependent on the service person or their partner and:
- 16 and under, not in further education
- or under the age of 21 and in full-time education, and
- be medically dependent.
Some examples of support, but not limited to, are:
- Children's bed frames and matresses
- School uniforms
- Mobility needs
- Children's beedroom carpets
How to apply
Contact the RBL if you are having financial difficulty and need to speak to someone about your circumstances. A member of staff from our Contact Centre will discuss your circumstances and any difficulties you are experiencing. They will then allocate your case to the relevant team, to a dedicated member of staff who is best placed to help you. As they work with you, the Children’s Welfare fund will be considered for potential support for you if required.
To find our more about the support the RBL could offer you, contact us via
Telephone: 0808 802 8080
Telephone overseas: +44 (0)20 3376 8080
Calls are free
from UK landlines and main mobile networks
Email: [email protected]
The President’s Award Scheme
The President's Award Scheme (PAS) was set up by the Royal British Legion Women’s Section to assist those in financial need with costs linked to educational needs. The Scheme can provide two different types of financial support:
Educational Grants
Education Grants are one-off grants that can be awarded to help with costs linked to education.
The types of grants that can be applied for include:
- course fees
- public transport costs to attend courses
- textbooks
- course equipment (stethoscopes, chemistry equipment, etc)
- laptops
- printers
- software (relevant to course)
- specialist clothing, or
- childcare costs linked to course attendance.
Please note that assistance is not limited to this list, and applications should still be submitted if you require help with a cost that is not shown above. The Committee will consider each application on its merits, and will make exceptions where needed, so please detail your request in the application as much as you can.
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for an Education Grant, applicants must be:
- The current or former service person
- The partners or former partner of a current or former service personnel
- A child 16 years and under, not in further education
- Or a child under the age of 21 years old and in full-time education.
And:
- undertaking an educational course lower than post-graduate level and not related to a work placement
- applying for a grant for the first time (unless circumstances are exceptional)
- the course being studied for is in the UK.
Applications submitted with incomplete sections or missing evidence may not be considered.
How to apply
Download and complete the Educational Grant Application Form and return it to the email or postal address listed below.
Download the application form to begin your application
Applications are reviewed monthly for Educational Grants. The deadline for applications to be considered is the last day of the month. For example, for your application to be considered in June, you must submit the application by the 31st of May.
Send in your application
Send in your application along with any relevant evidence before the deadline.
By email: [email protected]
By post: Central Grants Team - PAS The Royal British
Legion, Haig House, 199 Borough High Street, London SE1 1AA
Educational Scholarship - University Accommodation Costs
Educational Scholarships can assist the dependents of current/former service personnel with the costs of accommodation while studying at university away from home.
Scholarships are up to £2,000 per academic year. Scholarships can be re-applied
for each academic year that you are studying, up to a maximum of 3 years total.
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for an Accommodation Scholarship Grant, applicants must be:
- under the age of 21 (when applying for the first time)
- a dependent of a current/former service person
- staying away from home to attend university
- undertaking an undergraduate course
The Committee is unable to consider applications for assistance with accommodation for post-graduate studies.
Applications submitted with incomplete sections or missing evidence may not be considered.
How to apply
Download and complete the Accommodation Scholarship Grant Application Form and return it to the email or postal address listed below.
Download the application form to begin your application
The committee meet to review applications for Educational Scholarship's, three times a year, in January, June and September. The deadline for applications to be considered is the 1st of the month before the meeting. For example, for your application to be considered at ht e June meeting, you must submit it by 1st May.
Send in your application
Send in your application along with any relevant evidence before the deadline.
By email: [email protected]
By post: Central Grants Team - PAS The Royal British
Legion, Haig House, 199 Borough High Street, London SE1 1AA
To find out more about the support the RBL could offer you, contact us via
Telephone: 0808 802 8080
Telephone overseas: +44 (0)20 3376 8080
Calls are free from UK landlines and main mobile networks
Email: [email protected]
Other support available
There is also more in-depth information on provisions available to children of Armed Forces families, including advice on childcare options, the Education Advisory Team: Defence Children Services (DCS) and how the Armed Forces Covenant supports service children.
Additionally, the Royal British Legion is here to provide a range of other support to the Armed Forces community.
Learn about how the Royal British Legion might be able to support you on our Knowledge Base website.
