BURSA, Burse, originally signifies a purse. In middle-age writers it is more particularly used for a little college or hall in a university, for the residence of students, called bursales or bursarii. In the French universities it still denotes a foundation for the maintenance of poor scholars in their studies. The nomination to burses is in the hands of the patrons and founders thereof. The burses of colleges are not benefices, but mere places assigned to certain countries and persons. A burse becomes vacant by the bursar's being promoted to a cure.