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 a limited pot of money designated to help Home/UK students who 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. All funds will close for the 24/25 academic year on Sunday 22nd June, 11:59pm.

If you are an international student, please apply to our International Student Support Fund.

A few things to keep in mind

On average the form takes approximately 20 minutes to complete, depending on your situation. Once an application is received, an advisor will be in touch within 10 days working days with either an assessment update or outcome.

Applications are reviewed in line with Student Support Fund guidelines. Awards are discretionary, and we cannot guarantee one will be granted.

We can help with the completion of the application form if you have questions or require additional support. Please contact us to book an appointment. The SUSU Advice Centre advice@susu.org are also able to help with completion ofthe application form and how to gather the appropriate documentation.

The Student Support Fund does not cover: tuition fees, resit fees, visas and associated costs, or support for family or friends (only for the individual student).

Before you apply, consider the following:

All Home/UK 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
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
Have you sought part-time employment? Contact the Careers and Employability Service for support in getting a part-time job
Have you sought any budgeting or financial advice? We recommend speaking to the SUSU Advice Centre at advice@susu.org

Home/UK Statutory funded students

Home/UK statutory-funded students are students who are in receipt of the Tuition Fee Loan and means-tested Maintenance Loan from Student Finance (UK) or the NHS equivalent.

Have you accessed all statutory funding for which you are eligible? It is expected that applicants will have done so. This includes having your maintenance loan means-tested so you can receive the highest possible loan amount and possibly become eligible for the undergraduate bursary
Do you receive financial support from your family or have personal savings? The Student Support Fund assessment will typically include all family contributions and savings (for any purpose)
Have you made use of an interest-free, charge-free overdraft? These student accounts are typically available to all Home/UK students. Please remember to read your bank's terms and conditions carefully before taking out an overdraft
Have you sought budgeting advice? We recommend making a 1:1 appointment with one of SUSU Advice Centre’s helpful budgeting advisors, so you can make the best use of your funding

Home/UK Self-funding students

Home/UK self-funding undergraduate students are students who are not in receipt of the Student Finance (UK) Tuition Fee Loan and means-tested Maintenance Loan or the NHS equivalent. They are required to make sufficient financial provision ahead of their course.

Home/UK self-funding postgraduate students are either students who are funding their course themsleves, through a third party, or students who are in receipt of the Student Finance (UK) Master's Loan or Postgraduate Doctoral Loan. As students in receipt of the Student Finance loans can only receive a single loan, which is meant to cover both tuition fees and living costs, they are required to make sufficient financial provision ahead of their course.

Have you made sufficient provision towards your tuition fees and living costs prior to starting your course and to cover its duration? 
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 considered working to supplement your income? The University offers a range of flexible, part-time employment opportunities. Contact the Careers team for more information.

If you are a self-funding student who has had an unexpected change of circumstance, which has resulted in financial hardship, you can apply to the Self-Funded Student Support Fund. We may be able to provide a one-time award of up to £540 in the 24/25 academic year to allow time to explore alternative funding options or have your funding return to normal levels.

The fund cannot be used towards the payment of tuition fees. If you are struggling to pay your tuition fees, please contact the Student Hub studenthub@soton.ac.uk to discuss if a payment plan may be suitable.

Please note that budgets are reviewed every academic year and funding information for 25/26 will be updated here on 1st August 2025.

More information about qualifying changes of circumstance can be found in the next section.

To continue to the 2024/25 Self-Funded Student Support Fund application, please scroll to the end of the page.

Changes of circumstance

A change of circumstance may lead to an award from the Student Support Fund for students whose financial plan has been negatively impacted.

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
Exchange rate fluctuations

A change of circumstance typically does not include:

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

If you’re unsure if you meet the eligibility criteria for the Student Support Fund, please see our Frequently Asked Questions below or 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 Student Records Self Service System. Click on Personal Information, then ‘Update Payment Details’.

For more information on the fund, including eligibility and the application process, please see our Student Support Fund Frequently Asked Questions.

Student Support Fund Application Self-Funded Student Support Fund Application International Student Student Fund