Financial support for all students

About the project

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.

Financial support for all students - Video

About this fund

This fund combines the previously named Discretionary fund for UK students and financial support for international students.

This page contains the key information to support the application process. Incorrect or missing information, including bank statements will delay your application.

Who is the fund for?

This fund helps students who are experiencing severe financial difficulty. It is open to all fully matriculated students.

Students in receipt of SAAS or SLC funding must have applied for their full income-assessed student loan, taking the maximum available.

• Full-time and part-time students
• UK and international students
• Undergraduates and postgraduates

Who isn’t eligible for this fund?

• Students who are registered for exams-only
• Students who have not taken the maximum support available from their funding body; we may be able to award a smaller amount
• Part-time online students; we may be able to award a smaller amount
• Exchange students; you will need to seek support from your home institution
• Students on a degree split between two institutions and the lead institution is not the University of Edinburgh; you will need to seek support from the lead institution
• Students who have not yet commenced their studies, or who are not fully matriculated

What can I get help with?

You may be eligible for support if you struggle to manage your basic living costs.

What costs could be supported?

• unexpected or emergency cost
• shortfalls in standard living costs
• commuting costs to access study if you do not have the means to pay for this
• minimum payments to debts that threaten your home or access to essential services whilst you seek professional support
• Postgraduate Research Students who have been impacted by Council Tax changes

What doesn’t qualify for support?

• tuition fees
• non-essential debts
• anticipated/future costs
• medical costs
• visa costs
• loan repayments, including repayments to friends and/or family
• historic debts
• cost which could have been foreseen before the start of the course, including costs associated with your course (like professional development, equipment, field work etc.)

Speak to someone

Before applying for support, discuss your situation with the Welfare Advisors at the Students’ Association’s Advice Place. They can advise you on your application and help you access additional support.

The Advice Place

Documents required

Screenshots will not be accepted. Please supply full digital statements or documents, preferably PDFs . Scans of paper documents are also acceptable.

Bank statements should be dated within a week of your application and show the:

• Any documentation that supports the information you provide in your personal statement.
• 8 weeks of statements from all the bank accounts you hold up to the application date, including digital savings accounts, ISAs, cryptocurrency, digital assets, social media wallets, overseas accounts and shared accounts. This includes WeChat, Alipay and Webo. Please note we must receive statements for EVERY bank account you hold even if there are no available funds in the account.
• 8 weeks of statements from all the bank accounts your spouse or a partner you live with holds, up to the application date. If applicants are holding money for friends or family - this will be treated as your own available funds
• If applicants are holding money for friends or family - this will be treated as your own available funds
• Evidence of any income your receive, pay-slips, funding, or student loan award letters.
• Evidence of any debt you have, credit card statements or default letters.
• A copy of your lease if you rent.
• Proof of your mortgage or rent costs.
• Evidence of childcare costs you pay.
• account holder name
• account number
• transaction details
• current balance.

Information we will ask you for

• your fee status
• your family situation, partner, dependents and children
• your residency situation
• a personal statement explaining why you need financial support
• sources of funding you receive
• your living situation
• your financial situation and any debts you might have
• your UK bank account details
• how many installments you would like to be paid in to help budget

Applying

The application form sits within EdHelp. You will need your University login to access the form.

Click here to apply for Financial support

Please find example budget templates below which can be used to help you manage your money.

Next steps

When you submit your application, we will email you a call number . Quote this number when you contact us.

Getting a decision

We can receive up to 1,000 applications per year. We do our best to assess applications as quickly as possible. We start assessing your application once all your documentation has been received. Collect all the required documents before starting your application for a faster decision.

You will receive an email about our decision.

How is my application assessed?

With limited funds, we must assess which students most need our help.

Priority groups

Priority will be given to students who are:

Please make it clear in your application if any of the above apply to you.

We evaluate how much money you have in income and savings and how much you spend on essential and non-essential expenses. We do this by assessing your household income, savings and spending using the documents you provide. If you have a shortfall and cannot pay for essential costs, you may qualify for an award.

• students at risk of homelessness
• lone parents
• care leavers/care experienced
• students estranged from their parents or guardians.

Circumstances that may affect your application

Awards will be reduced or refused in the following circumstances:

• Student loans – You have not applied for your full income-based student loan (if you are eligible).
• Savings - You have sufficient money available to you in savings to cover essential costs (if your savings are allocated to other costs i.e. tuition fees, medical, insurance, they are still treated as available to you).
• Non-essential overspending - We identify other ways to reduce non-essential expenses such as gambling, takeaways, alcohol, eating out, clothing or recreation/entertainment to a sustainable level.

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.

Disputes, appeals and fraudulent applications

Help managing your money

We want to be able to assist you with developing strong financial skills. Overspending can negatively affect your application.

Get started by setting a budget.

Create a budget

Save on essential bills

Save on non-essential purchases

Money and debt help

Help with gambling

We reduce or remove awards where we identify consistent regular gambling of £100 or more per month. This will also include matched betting. This is part of our responsibilities as a government funding provider. Should you need support for gambling, please see:

Gamblers Anonymous Scotland

GamCare

Gambling Therapy website

NHS gambling support

Can I apply more than once?

We aim to support as many students as possible. You can apply more than once during the academic year. Each case is considered on its merits at the time of application. However, previous applications - whether successful or not - will be taken into consideration.

Where does the funding come from?

Financial support for our students comes from two main sources - our University and the Scottish Government. If your application is successful, we will award you money from the fund relevant to your circumstances.

I don't have a UK bank account

To receive money from this fund you must have a UK bank account.

Opening your first UK bank account

Download a bank introduction letter

I'm struggling to access my bank statements

Having problems accessing your bank statements? (17.99 KB Word)

Contact details

• Website: Contact Form
• Work: +44 (0)131 651 4070
• Email: studentfunding@ed.ac.uk

Availability

• Availability: Phone lines open Monday to Friday, 10:00-14:00 UK time.

Phone Lines

Please note our phone lines are currently operating at a reduced capacity. If you are unable to reach us via phone, please use the email address listed above.

Emergency Housing Support

If students face a crisis or emergency outside of normal working hours (9am to 5pm), they, or their parents and supporters, can access support by contacting the University Security at the 24/7 phone number: 0131 650 2257.

https://www.ed.ac.uk/contacts/out-of-hours-support

If you’re a current student and have nowhere to stay, or feel you are in unsafe or insecure housing, the University can support you and help you find somewhere to live. If you don’t have somewhere to spend the night, the University will do their best to place you in temporary (usually up to 72 hours), emergency accommodation. Please contact 0131 667 1971 to speak to the 24/7 Community Support team. You can also contact Edinburgh City Council, who have emergency phonelines you can use when their offices are closed. Emergency housing out of hours team: 0800 032 5968. Social care out of hours services: 0800 731 6969. https://www.ed.ac.uk/students/living-in-edinburgh/accommodation/emergency-accommodation https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/emergencies-safety-crime/emergency-contact-telephone-numbers

This article was published on 2024-07-29

Research areas