CILEX Foundation

About the CILEX Foundation Charity

The CILEX Foundation is an independent, registered charity supporting CILEX members, CILEX students and those who aspire to become CILEX Lawyers.

We help address inequality and underrepresentation in the legal sector. By removing financial and social mobility barriers to legal education and career progression, more talented and aspiring lawyers are achieving their career goals.

Our support includes scholarships, bursaries, and grants, along with access to development opportunities, wellbeing and money advice services.

We also offer organisations and individuals the opportunity to give back – through partnership, volunteering and fundraising to enable our important work to continue.

Since 2021 we have awarded more than £400,000 in scholarships, bursaries and grants to promising students who would have been otherwise unable to further their career in law.

CILEX Foundation Scholarship

The CILEX Lawyer Scholarship encourages aspiring legal professionals or early-career legal staff to study the full CILEX Lawyer qualification. Full funding is available to allow candidates to complete their CILEX qualifications and qualify as a CILEX Lawyer.

The CILEX Foundation Launchpad to Law Scholarship allows those with minimal or no legal work experience to explore life in the legal profession, at a pace that suits them. By combining initial course funding with career enhancing and personal development opportunities, they are given a head start in their early legal career.

What is the CILEX Lawyer Scholarship?

 
The CILEX Lawyer Scholarship provides funding to enrol on the CILEX Professional Qualification, currently valued at £13,200.

The award is paid directly to the learning provider, allowing you to begin you studies at the earliest opportunity.

What is the CILEX Foundation Launchpad to Law Scholarship?

 
The CILEX Foundation Launchpad to Law Scholarship provides funding for the CILEX Certificate in Legal Practice, representing the first year of study.

The Launchpad to Law scholarship also provides the applicant with one year’s membership to CILEX, allowing them to benefit from access to professional development tools and networks.

Additionally, the applicant may be offered other targeted support, personal development or career enhancing opportunities to maximise the benefit of the funding.

On completion of the CILEX certificate in Legal Practice, the applicant will be supported to apply for further funding to continue their CPQ studies (subject to candidate eligibility and availability of funds).

Who can apply?

 
To be eligible for either the CILEX Lawyer Scholarship or CILEX Foundation Launchpad to Law Scholarship, you will need to show us that you:
– Face financial barriers that prevent them from accessing the CPQ qualification
– Experience socio-economic challenges in accessing legal education

You will also need to show you are eligible to join CILEX as a member and enrol on the CPQ, starting at either:
– The CPQ Foundation Stage*, for those with no prior CILEX learning
– The CPQ Graduate Stage, for candidates with an LLB who are Black, Asian, or from other underrepresented ethnic or heritage groups.

* This includes the CILEx Certificate in Legal Practice for those considering the Launchpad to Law Scholarship.

More information on how we assess the eligibility criteria can be found here.

How to apply?

 
You will need to submit a digital application form through your MyCILEX portal.

If you need support in completing your application, please contact the Charity Support Team at [email protected] or via the Contact Us page.

Before applying, you must read the document ‘Information and Guidance to applicants’.

When to apply?

 
The application portal will open on Monday 29th April 2024. The portal will close on 7th June 2024.

Only applications made during this period can be accepted.

How are applications assessed?

 
Applications are assessed initially by the CILEX Foundation to confirm eligibility.

Eligible applications will then be put forward for shortlisting by a panel of specialist volunteers.

If successful at the shortlisting stage, candidates will be invited to attend an online interview.

The outcome of the applications will be decided by a panel of the CILEX Foundation’s Trustees.

We anticipate that awards will be announced in July/August 2025.

Will I receive funding if I meet all the eligibility criteria?

 
No. The CILEX Lawyer Scholarship is expected to be in high demand and satisfying eligibility criteria does not guarantee payment of an award. An assessment process will be undertaken to select the successful candidates.

Assessors will consider the information provided in your application form, and you may be asked to attend a short online interview. Please ask us for support in submitting your application form to ensure you stand the best chance of success.

You can also find more about how to submit a strong application, by attending one of our online ‘Apply with confidence’ sessions. These will be held throughout the application period, and will be advertised through CILEX channels.

I have studied CILEX qualification in the past, can I apply?

 
If you have completed a CILEX qualification in the past, including a CILEX apprenticeship, legacy qualification or CPQ modules, you will not be eligible for funding under the Scholarship programmes.

Instead, please refer to the Bursary section on this page to check whether you are eligible for funding.

Will you share the details of my application with CILEX, my learning provider, Employer, or any other party?

 
The CILEX Foundation will only share your data with your permission, or if you agree for us to make a referral to another agency or support service. There may be some exceptions, such as where we are required by law to disclose information, or if we become aware that a person is at risk of serious harm.

For more information on how we use your data, please see our privacy notice.

The CILEX Foundation Bursary

The CILEX Foundation Bursary is designed to encourage existing CILEX members to further their legal career, by contributing to the cost of their CILEX studies.

Applications to the spring Bursary funding cycle will open on Thursday 27th March 2025 and close on Thursday 10th April 2025.

A later funding round is expected to be held in late summer 2025, subject to funding availability.

Eligibility criteria

 
You must be a current CILEX member and:

– Live in England or Wales

– Are applying to study a CILEX approved course.

– Face financial barriers that prevent you from continuing your CILEX studies.

How to apply

 
You will need to submit an application through your MyCILEX portal. There will be an application process to complete and evidence of financial or personal circumstances will be required.

We recommend you read the document ‘Information and Guidance to applicants’ before starting the process.

The Millicent Grant Award Programme

The Millicent Grant Award Programme runs alongside the scholarship and bursary awards and funds CILEX qualifications for promising students from Black, Asian and other under-represented ethnic or heritage groups.

You do not need to make a separate application to be considered for entry onto this programme – you will be asked to indicate your interest when you apply for either the Scholarship or Bursary award.

CILEX Foundation Welfare and Support Programme

The CILEX Welfare and Support Programme is designed to support CILEX members who are experiencing money worries or unexpected hardship. By partnering with PayPlan we can provide members with free, confidential, regulated money advice.

PayPlan are a leading advice service, and will provide Money Management, Income Maximisation and FCA regulated Debt Advice, along with 1:1 support in complex or critical cases such as following bereavement, redundancy or long term ill health.

Currently, we are not accepting applications for financial welfare grants.

Donate to us

A donation to the CILEX Foundation will support our work in providing opportunities to study and work in Law, to students from under-represented groups.

As an independent charity, we rely on the generosity of our donors.

CILEX Foundation registered charity number 1185862
CILEX Foundation Privacy Statement