The 2026 National Awards are now open for entries
Gaining inspiration/moodboards
#SPANC26 Financial Assistance Scheme now open
We know our industry is unequal — and as students, you rarely have spare cash lying around.
We also know the difference attending the SPA’s National Conference (SPANC) and winning our awards can make to your future career. Previous members and award winners have gone on to secure jobs at the BBC, Sky News, The Times, The Guardian, and many more.
We see it as a core part of our mission at the Student Publication Association (SPA) to help diversify the industry and give opportunities to those not traditionally represented.
That’s why we’re pleased to bring back our Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS) for 2026, helping those otherwise unable to afford to come to Norwich for #SPANC26.
What’s the background?
The latest NCTJ Journalists at Work Report released in 2025 confirmed a lot of what we already know on equality, diversity and inclusion for journalists.
It found that journalism as an industry is facing continuing challenges, particularly in the area of social class. Journalists are more likely to come from professional homes than the wider workforce. The industry remains concentrated in London. Journalists also tend to be older, with only 12 per cent of journalists aged 29 and under compared to 22 per cent of the overall workforce.
What does the SPA already do?
As a charity we already try to do all we can to make sure we are giving people a hand up. Membership of the SPA is free, which is not the case for some other student media groups, and we work year-round to bring in sponsorship to ensure SPANC ticket prices are subsidised to the lowest possible amount.
Our resources are free for our members to access, including online workshops with industry professionals and support for any issues you’re having, and our awards have no entry fee.
We have a strict diversity policy to try and make the speaker line-up at our events representative, which seeks, amongst other measures, to avoid all-male panels. We will always provide advice to any new publications offering a voice to fresh writers if they need help.
But we know this is not enough and we’re always open to ideas for how we can improve.
What is the Financial Assistance Scheme?
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, The Media Society, News Associates, and The Herald among others.
Journalism in the past has been quite an elite profession and emits a very single and narrow voice. Diversity and it’s perspective should be included in all stages of journalism, especially one that is celebrating people’s achievements. Without the Financial Assistance scheme, I simply wouldn’t have been able to afford [to come to SPANC], but also I had to take a weekend off from work which meant I lost out on income. Thankfully with the FAS, I didn’t have to worry about that during the weekend.
Getting the help from SPA to be able to attend the conference, meet so many amazing and like-minded people has been life changing. I have learned so much over the course of the weekend, talked to industry professionals and student journalists, and only reassured myself that I chose the right career path.
I have been a member of the Gaudie team for four years now, so I’ve been really looking forward to attending SPANC. If in the past years I couldn’t, it was often because our union leaves us to pay from our own pockets and I wasn’t able to do that. 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. SPA really set a good example on that. It’s also a great opportunity to change how the industry works. We need more diverse voices, shaping the debates during conferences, making their voices heard…and simply thriving, when sometimes it is difficult to do so. SPA has done a wonderful job in providing that prolific space.
In 2023, we rebranded the fund as the Financial Assistance Scheme. With the same aims, the SPA is seeking to support individuals who are currently underrepresented in journalism in attending SPANC. This includes, but is not limited to, those from lower socio-economic backgrounds, from ethnic minority backgrounds, those who identify as LGBTQIA+, or have a disability.
SPANC is 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.
Previously, students from across the country were able to come to #SPANC25 in Exeter who would not have otherwise been able to attend.
Funding will cover all basic costs associated with attending #SPANC26, including:
- Travel to and from the event from within the UK or Ireland;
- Accommodation for up to two nights;
- Tickets to the full conference and awards evening;
- Meals during the conference weekend.
The scheme may also see some applicants awarded partial funding.
We recommend applying early because decisions will be made as applications come in.
You can apply by filling in the form below.
Each year we try to award as many places on the scheme as possible, however the SPA executive committee and trustees have the final say on how many places to allocate to the scheme. Decisions on applications to the scheme will be made on a rolling basis and shall be completed before ticket sales close.
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 our Representation Officer, Emily, on representation@spajournalism.com for more information.
For questions on the FAS, email Emily on the address above, and/or jem@spajournalism.com.
To open the form in a separate tab, click here.
