Access to Learning Fund (Hardship Fund)
Our hardship fund is called the Access to Learning Fund. It is a non-repayable grant administered by the ÃÛÌÒÖ±²¥ to help eligible students who are experiencing financial difficulties.
Who can apply?
You must be a Home or EU (but not non-EU International) student as defined by Student Finance England and registered on a course at the ÃÛÌÒÖ±²¥. Or you may be registered as a ÃÛÌÒÖ±²¥ Student at a Partner College, but ‘Direct Funding’ students who pay fees directly to the Partner College are not eligible.
- A Home student is defined as a person who meets certain residency conditions (the same conditions apply to eligibility for statutory student support, for example, for the student Maintenance Loan).
- An EU student is normally defined as someone who is an EU national, who has lived in the EEA or Switzerland for three years or more before their course starts and was living in the UK on the first day of their course.
The Access to Learning Fund is limited and not all applicants will receive financial help or cover for their entire financial shortfall. In particular, help is given to students who may be financially disadvantaged.
Find out more
For full details, including information on how to apply, please see our .