University financial support

About the project

Sometimes, you might find it difficult to manage your living costs or participate fully in University life because you are struggling financially due to unexpected changes in your circumstances. The University administers a range of funds to support you.

We know that managing your finances is more important than ever this year. Rising bills, food and transport are affecting us all.

Find information below on budgeting, saving on bills and managing debt.

Cost of living help

Money and debt help

Financial support for all students

The Scottish Government and the University offer a fund that supports students experiencing financial difficulty. This means-tested fund is focused on supporting living costs when students face unexpected circumstances. It can not help with tuition fees or costs which could have been reasonably foreseen. We are currently experiencing high volumes of applications to the financial support fund. We aim to process applications as quickly as possible, however please be advised that there may be some delays.

Childcare Fund

The Scottish Government makes means-tested childcare funds available for students using registered childcare in the academic year 2026/27. The funds are made at the discretion of the University on an individual needs basis. We aim to cover childcare costs in full but sometimes this is not possible depending on funding offered by the Scottish Government We will always ensure we prioritize the extra childcare costs faced by engaging in study. This may mean that awards differ year to year. If you have received support in previous years and meet the criteria listed and have taken the full free childcare allowance you are entitled to then we should be able to confirm entitlement for semester one shortly after you submit all evidence.

Nursing Students

The Scottish Government makes funds available to support nursing students in financial difficulty. This means-tested fund is focused on supporting living costs. It can not help with tuition fees.

Student Participation Grant 2026/27-CLOSED

The Participation Grant will be available during the 2026/27 academic year to remove financial barriers students face in taking part in sport and joining student societies that enhance their time at Edinburgh. The Participation Grant is now closed for applications for semester one of the 2026/27 academic year. The next round of applications will open in semester two. We are currently experiencing high volumes of applications to the Participation Grant. We aim to process applications as quickly as possible, however please be advised that there may be some delays.

International Students' Emergency Fund

The Scottish Government has made funds available to support students studying in Scotland who are not eligible for home fee status and/or living cost support in the academic year 2025-2026. The funds are focused on supporting short-term living costs. The funds cannot be used towards tuition fees.

Disputes, appeals and fraudulent applications

We hope that your application process goes as smoothly as possible. If you have any issues with our decisions, we have a dispute and appeals procedure that you can follow. If we discover that your application or any documents you provide us are fraudulent, we will investigate.

Advice on how to manage your money

We have gathered helpful resources to support all students with budget and accessing additional forms of support they may be entitled to.

This article was published on Monday 29 July 2024

Research areas