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The Student Hub➞Money matters

Student Support Fund

(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:

All Students

  • Are you experiencing unexpected financial difficulty? You will need to explain this in your application form. If you would like to speak to an advisor about this, please book an appointment.
  • What income is available to you? We include family contributions and savings (for any purpose) as standard in the assessment.
  • Have you made use of any interest/charge-free overdraft facilities available to you? Please read your bank's terms and conditions carefully before deciding to take out an overdraft.
  • Are you able to demonstrate a shortfall in your finances? Students are expected to have made reasonable adjustments to their lifestyles to ensure appropriate budgeting measures are in place.
  • Have you sought any budgeting or financial advice? We recommend 'Budgeting 101' on Blackbullion and speaking to the SUSU Advice Centre at advice@susu.org

'Home' Students

  • Have you taken out your full entitlement to financial student support for this academic year? This includes taking out the maximum amounts of Tuition Fee Loan and Maintenance Loans. If not, we may only be able to offer you short term support while you contact the Student Loans Company.
  • Have you sought part-time employment? Our average living costs suggest that without parental support, 12 hours of part-time work would be necessary to cover your monthly outgoings. Contact our Careers team for support in getting a part-time job.

Self-funding students

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. 

  • Have you made sufficient provision towards your tuition fees and living costs prior to starting your course and to cover its duration? If you haven’t, it is unlikely the fund will be able to support you.
  • Have you considered working to supplement your income? Contact the Careers team for support in getting a part-time job and check with the Visa team for any restrictions that may apply.

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:

  • Decrease in statutory or scholarship funding
  • Significant decrease in family support
  • Medical event
  • Significant rent increase during existing contract period
  • Increase in childcare costs 

A change of circumstance typically does not include:

  • Events that have occurred prior to the start of the current academic year
  • Exchange rate fluctuations
  • Cost of living increases caused by inflation
  • Budget shortfalls resulting from discretionary spending
  • Changes to income/expenses that are not recognised by SSF guidelines

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.

Apply to the Student Support Fund
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