(Receiving the Student Support Fund) is going to allow me to focus on my education and help relieve the financial stress and anxiety - which is so invaluable to me.
The Student Support Fund is now open for the 22/23 academic year. Please read through the information below and click on the 'Apply to the Student Support Fund' button at the bottom of this webpage to apply.
Please note, if you are a final year student then the last date you will be able to apply to the Student Support Fund is Wednesday 31st May 2023.
The Student Support Fund will be closing to all continuing students on Friday 16th June 2023.
The Student Support Fund is a limited pot of money designated to help students that find themselves in unexpected financial hardship.
We encourage any student with money concerns to submit an application regardless of household income, age, course level or having made a previous application to the Fund. On average the form takes approximately 20 minutes to complete, depending on your situation.
During the application, an advisor will assess your income and expenditure, usually over a standard 39 week period which is the standard academic year (this can be changed at the discretion of the advisor). You will be required to provide your most recent bank statements and a statement that shows your balance across all accounts on 26th September 2022. The advisor will determine if there is a shortfall and if you are eligible for an award of up to £3500 over the assessment period. Please note, awards are discretionary and made in line with Student Support Fund guidelines. We can never guarantee an award will be granted.
As this is a heavily subscribed service it may take up to 10 days to receive the outcome of your assessment.
The fund does not cover: tuition fees, resit fees, visas and associated costs, support for family or friends (only for the individual student)
Before you apply, you should consider the following:
Self-funding students are classed as any students who are not receiving support from Student Finance or the NHS. This includes international students (including EU students who do not have settled status) and postgraduate students.
Changes of circumstance
A change of circumstance may lead to an award from the Student Support Fund for self-funding students whose financial plan has been negatively impacted or statutory-funded students who require additional support.
A change of circumstance is an unexpected event that has occurred since the start of the current academic year and can be sufficiently evidenced. It may include:
A change of circumstance typically does not include:
If you’re unsure if you meet the eligibility criteria for an award from the Student Support Fund, please contact us at stufunds@soton.ac.uk as we will be happy to discuss all situations.
If you are successful in your application, we will pay the funds directly into the account the University holds for you. Please make sure these details are up to date. To check what details we hold, you will need to access Self Service Click on Personal Information and then ‘Update Payment Details’.
For more information on the fund, including eligibility and the application process, please see our Frequently Asked Questions.