St Peter’s RC Sixth Form
Higher Education: Access and Hardship
What are Access and Hardship Funds?
Access Funds and Hardship Funds are available through your college or university to provide help for students on low income who may need extra financial support for their course and to stay in Higher Education. In 2001-2002 the total funding available from the Hardship and Bursary Fund was £67 million in England, £3.92 million in Wales and £9 million in Scotland.
Access and Hardship Funds are administered by the individual universities and colleges and each institution is allowed to decide how its Access and Hardship Funds will be distributed. Access and Hardship Funds are usually given in the form of a grant.
Access and Hardship Funds do not usually have to be repaid, although sometimes they are given as short term loans. (back to top)
- You can be a full-time or part-time student – provided you are studying at least 50% of a full-time course.
- You can be either an undergraduate or a postgraduate.
- You must be able to prove you are in financial difficulties. Students will be assessed according to individual needs. However, some groups of students are a priority for help from Access and Hardship Funds.
- You must have already started your course.
- You must meet the ‘residence’ conditions for a student loan. (If you are from overseas, you will not be eligible for Access Funding).
- You must have applied for the full amount of your student loan. (back to top)
How do I apply for Access and Hardship Funds?
Contact your university’s student services or student support officer, or your student union. You can apply for help from Access and Hardship Funds more than once during the academic year. (back to top)
What are Hardship Loans?
Hardship Loans are available to help full-time students who get into serious financial difficulty during their course.
Hardship Loans are available in amounts of £100 up to £500. They are a loan, not a grant, and they are therefore added to your student loan and repaid in the same way as your main student loan. (back to top)
Am I eligible?
You can apply for a hardship loan if you are eligible for a student loan, but you must be able to answer ‘yes’ to the following question:
Have you applied for your full entitlement of your student loan?
If you have not applied for your full entitlement of the student loan, you must do so if you wish to apply for a hardship loan. You can apply for both at the same time.
In certain situations, you may also be able to apply for help from the Access and Hardship Fund and for a Hardship Loan at the same time. (back to top)
How do I apply for a hardship loan?
Information about Hardship Loans should be available from your student union or your university’s student services or student support office. You will need to apply in writing, with a statement of your financial circumstances, including an income and expenditure account. (back to top)
If all else fails…
The Educational Grants Advisory Service (EGAS) is a national service that advises those wanting to know about the different forms of funding for post-16 education. Although it offers information on all sources of funding, it is particularly useful for students who have been unsuccessful with the usual forms of funding such as Student Loans, Access Funds, etc. and have big financial problems. (It is extremely difficult to find additional funding for most undergraduates who are receiving financial support for higher education.)
EGAS promotes access to education as a means of reducing social exclusion and escaping the poverty trap for those on the margins of society, recognising that certain groups can be disadvantaged. For this reason, it acknowledges certain priority groups within its service provision, including:
- Lone parents.
- Students with disabilities.
- People from low income or ‘under-privileged’ backgrounds.
- Refugees.
EGAS provides the latest information available on grants, loans, bursaries and benefits and maintains a large database of educational trusts and charities. Although the service is free to all students, EGAS operates a priority service for affiliated institutions and organisations –Tel: 020 7249 6636/ 020 7254 6251 or
http://www.egas-online.org/fwa/index.html
FIND OUT MORE about Access and Hardship Funds:
Essential reading is:
"Financial Support for Higher Education Students"
– guide for 2003/2004 published by the DfES.
Free information line for copies: 0800 731 9133.
Quote ref: S/FSHE/V3.
Web:
www.dfes.gov.uk/studentsupport
June 2003