Hardship Fund

The Hardship Support Fund provides financial support to help you to access and remain in higher education, and can help alleviate unexpected financial hardship.

Please note: The Hardship Support Fund will close to new applications on Tuesday 2 May 2023 at 9am. Any incomplete applications will not be considered after this closing date.
 
The Hardship Support Fund opened on Monday 10 October. You can apply for the fund through the online portal via Blackbullion. To be eligible to apply you must be fully enrolled, have been assessed by Student Finance England (SFE) and have had your first Maintenance Loan payment paid.

The fund is for students who have made adequate provision to support their study and living costs, but who require financial assistance due to an unexpected and significant short-term situation outside their control.

It is limited and is not intended as a source of income but rather as a safety net for students in financial difficulty. It cannot support a student for the duration of their studies, nor meet all expenditure.

The Hardship Fund can only assist with a contribution to core living costs. It cannot help with the payment of tuition fees. Each application is assessed on individual need and there is no guarantee that an award will be made or will be on the same levels as in previous years.
 
We aim to assess fully completed forms with all documents within four weeks of submission. Assessment may take longer at peak times of the year. An incomplete form or missing documents will delay the processing of your application. If further documents or a learning resource have been requested we ask you to return/complete these within two weeks or your application may be cancelled.

Students may be able to source some extra support through various trusts and charities. Please refer to the Student Money and Accommodation Advice team's information sheet: Educational trusts and charities
 
If you're struggling with energy costs you might be able to receive certain benefits, grants and help offered by the government and energy suppliers.
 
You can also find information on financial help with energy and water bills at turn2us.
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