A guide to student hardship funds in 2023
Students have been hit hard by the cost of living crisis. In fact, one in five students at top universities have considered dropping out as a result of financial strain, and a quarter of students are going without food and other essentials.
Luckily, UK universities have student hardship funds available to support low-income students enduring financial hardship.
But what is a student hardship fund, who is eligible, and where can you find them? This post tells you everything you need to know about accessing student hardship funds in 2023.
What is a student hardship fund?
A student hardship fund is a financial support program designed to support students that are experiencing financial difficulties.
Unlike student maintenance loans offered as part of Student Finance, student hardship funds are usually provided by universities or other educational institutions, and most won’t need to be paid back in the future.
These funds are typically designed to help students cover essential expenses such as rent, food, and bills. The goal is to support students financially to ensure that they have the opportunity to complete their education, despite their hardship.
Who is eligible for a student hardship fund?
Generally, student hardship funds are offered to students from low-income backgrounds, or those facing other types of adversity, like bereavement, illness or disabilities.
However, there’s no single set of criteria for all hardship funds since most schools and universities will have their own rules when it comes to eligibility.
That said, there are a few factors that tend to be considered when deciding whether someone is eligible for a student hardship fund, regardless of what university they’re at.
However, above all else, universities will want to determine what a student’s income and expenses look like. They will also consider how much maintenance loan you will get in these calculations.
Since the purpose of a student hardship fund is to support students through financial difficulties, universities will expect candidates to have an income below a certain threshold. Similarly, if students are eligible for benefits like Universal Credit, they may also be eligible for additional financial assistance.
Universities will usually also expect to see some evidence that you’re unable to cover essential living costs without additional support. Your maintenance loan will be factored into this equation too since most student hardship funds require students to have applied for the maximum maintenance loan and other bursaries before being eligible.
Universities will also consider other things like bereavement, illness or unforeseen circumstances that have put the student into financial disarray. This is because these events often send students into financial hardship unexpectedly, and the support they need is more urgent as a result.
What different types of student hardship funds are there?
Different universities offer different types of hardship funds for different circumstances.
For example, LSE offers a ‘Childcare Fund’ for students with dependents under the age of 18 experiencing unforeseen financial hardship. The University of Edinburgh offers a similar scheme, alongside many other universities.
Some universities also offer individual student hardship funds for students suffering hardship relating to housing, immigration and disabilities, too.
Some universities also create student hardship funds in response to unprecedented events. For example, the University of Westminster created a ‘Cost of Living Assistance’ scheme in response to the current cost of living crisis. Similarly, many universities created additional hardship funds to support students during the COVID-19 pandemic.
How much money do student hardship funds offer?
The amount of financial assistance that students can receive from student hardship funds varies depending on the college or university providing them.
According to research shared by Unbiased, students received an average of £826 from student hardship funds during the 2020/21 academic year.
However, some hardship funds will offer up to £3,000, and others may only cover specific expenses, meaning the available sum is lower.
In general, these funds are designed to cover the cost of emergency expenses or unexpected situations. As a result, the amount of assistance provided is typically limited to a specific amount.
Where to find student hardship funds
You can find information about your university’s hardship fund by looking on your university’s website, or by contacting your course director or student union.
To make finding this information easier for you, we’ve compiled a list of the different financial support pages for UK universities, as well as the email addresses you can use to contact your university’s financial support team.
You can access this by signing up to The 93% Club’s platform using the button below.
How to apply for a student hardship fund
The process for applying for student hardship funds varies depending on the university you attend. However, there are a few steps that applicants will need to follow regardless of which university they go to. We’ve listed these below.
Check your eligibility: Before applying for hardship funds, you should check whether you meet the eligibility criteria set by your university. This information can usually be found on the university's website or by speaking to a member of staff.
Gather evidence: To support your application, you may need to provide evidence of your financial circumstances, such as bank statements or receipts for essential expenses. Most application forms will outline exactly what those reviewing the application will need to see, so it’s a good idea to check this first.
Fill out an application form: Most universities will have an online application form that you can fill out to apply for hardship funds. However, you may also be able to request a paper application form.
Submit your application: Once you've completed the application form and gathered all necessary evidence, you should submit your application to the university's hardship fund team. You may be required to attend an interview or provide further information to support your application, so be prepared for this.
Wait for a decision: The university will review your application and make a decision on whether to award you hardship funds. This process can take several weeks, so be patient and keep in touch with the university if you have any questions or concerns.
What happens if your application is successful?
If your student hardship fund application is successful you’ll be notified, usually via email.
The email should outline the outcome of your application, and how much you are being awarded in total. These can be one-off payments or they can be recurring payments split into months or terms. Either way, there should be a date that the award will be provided by, and this will help you to budget accordingly.
After this, the money is typically paid directly into their bank account or through other means such as a voucher or prepaid card.
However, some students may be asked to provide evidence of their financial circumstances after the award, too. To save you from frantically searching for these months later, it’s a good idea to keep bank statements or receipts for essential expenses.
What happens if your application is unsuccessful?
Unfortunately, university hardship funds only have a finite amount of money, so not all applications will be successful.
However, you are able to appeal the decision if you believe you should be entitled to the bursary because you meet the criteria, or because your situation has changed. Most universities will set out this appeal process on the application.
If you’re still unsuccessful following your appeal, there are a few other forms of financial support and advice that could prove useful, like bursaries, loans and scholarships. The Scholarship Hub is a great resource for finding these additional funding programmes, so it’s definitely worth checking out.
But if you’re looking for more information and advice on finance management at university, check out the resources below:
The National Debtline: advice and support on how to avoid slipping into debt
The Money Charity: financial support and tips on how to save and make money
Student Space: general information about wellbeing and finance management
Money Saving Expert: details about university fees, loans and grants from Martin Lewis
Turn2us: information about where to find benefits, grants and advice as a student
SaveTheStudent (Bills): advice on how to save money on your bills as a student
Big Issue: tips for budgeting as a university student during a cost of living crisis
We know that making your money go further as a student is hard, and it can be incredibly stressful at times. If you feel like you’re struggling with your mental wellbeing, please reach out for some professional support.
How do student hardship funds support social mobility?
Student hardship funds can provide much-needed financial support to students who are struggling to make ends meet. These tend to be individuals from low income families that aren’t in the position to support the student financially.
Without these hardship funds, it would be difficult (if not impossible) for some students to attend university. This could be because they can’t afford their accommodation, food, utility bills, learning resources or even travel.
This can result in students from working-class families dropping out of university altogether. In fact, a recent study revealed that almost a quarter of students believe that they are less likely to complete their degree given the rising cost of living.
Research by the Russell Group Student’s Union had similar findings, with more than half of respondents saying that their academic performance has suffered as a result of the cost of living crisis, often because students are having to take on additional paid work to cover costs or skipping lectures as they can’t afford travel costs.
This is problematic given the close correlation between higher education qualifications and increased earning potential. If students from low-income families can’t afford to attend university and achieve the degrees that enable them to increase their future income, how can they become socially mobile?
Student hardship funds make intergenerational mobility possible by providing the much-needed finances that working class students need to complete their education more comfortably. This, in turn, enables them to increase their potential earnings post-graduation and climb the social ladder.
want more support like this?
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