Undergraduate Funding

Funding university, both in terms of fees and living costs is an essential first step when considering studying at university. You might experience a change of circumstance throughout your time at university which might impact on your funding and it is important to deal with this as soon as possible. If you are a student receiving Student Finance England you might find the answer to your question on the SFE website, but if you need any further guidance, contact either the University Finance Team at SFO@hud.ac.uk or the Advice Centre Advice-centre@hud.ac.uk

Postgraduate Funding

If you are thinking of studying at Masters or PhD level, you may need to think about how to fund this. If you are a student who qualifies for funding from Student Finance England, you might find the answer to your question on the Government website:

https://www.gov.uk/funding-for-postgraduate-study

Alternatively, contact either the University Finance Team at SFO@hud.ac.uk or the Advice Centre Advice-centre@hud.ac.uk

Suspending and finances

If you are thinking about interrupting your studies, it is really important that you speak with your Personal Tutor. They can talk through how it will work and what you will need to do. You can find more information about the procedure on the university website: Interrupting Withdrawing and we have also provided a tips guide that can help you start to think about how it might all work: (link to our interruption guide: Academic Interruption

 If there is any part of the process that you need support with, please get in touch with us at advice-centre@hud.ac.uk

Money advice for Students with Children

If you are a student with a child, or you become pregnant whilst studying, your financial situation may change. It is important to discuss any changes with the university finance Office at sfo@hud.ac.uk as well as Student Finance England. We have put together a tips guide to help you think about your financial situation and where you might find additional support.

https://www.huddersfieldsu.co.uk/advice/finance/pregnancy If you need help with any of this then please contact us at advice-centre@hud.ac.uk

If you are thinking about interrupting your studies, it is really important that you speak with your Personal Tutor. They can talk through how it will work and what you will need to do. You can find more information about the procedure on the university website: Interrupting Withdrawing and we have also provided a tips guide that can help you start to think about how it might all work: (link to our interruption guide: Academic Interruption

 If there is any part of the process that you need support with, please get in touch with us at advice-centre@hud.ac.uk

Allied Health Courses

If you are a student studying one of the prescribed Allied Health courses, you may be eligible to apply for the NHS learning Support Grant. This is a source of funding in addition to your loan that you receive from SFE and it does not need to be repaid. Details can be found at:

https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/nhs-learning-support-fund

The fund consists of a training grant which is intended to help towards living costs, additional support for students with dependent children and help towards travel and dual accommodation costs whilst on placement.

If you need help and support regarding this please contact either the University Student Finance office at SFO@hud.ac.uk or the Advice Centre

CPR (Compelling Personal Reasons)

https://www.huddersfieldsu.co.uk/advice/money/cpr

University Learning Access Fund

If you are a home student (eligible for a Tuition Fee loan and Maintenance Loan) and you have exhausted all other avenues of financial support or have had an unexpected bill or payment to make which has left you in financial hardship then you may be eligible to receive funds from the University Access to Learning Fund. It is a sum of money to help towards basic essential living costs and does not normally need to be paid back. The form can be completed on line at:

The University Finance team will assess your eligibility but if you need help completing the form you can make an appointment with us at the SU by emailing advice-centre@hud.ac.uk

Most full-time students are not eligible for means-tested welfare benefits including Universal Credit. There are however, some exceptions and these include:

• Students with disabilities
• Lone parents
• Students with a partner who is entitled to Universal Credit;
• Students in receipt of DLA or PIP;
• Some students who have had to take time out due to ill health and are waiting to re-join at the start of the academic year.

If you need further advice on benefits you can contact Citizens Advice Bureau Citizens Advice

SU Advice Service Emergency Loan

There may be certain times where using an overdraft facility, a foodbank or asking friends and family for support is not enough.

The Advice Service offers a small emergency loan scheme for students in times of short term financial hardship or to help tide you over if you are waiting for a payment to come through.

This is a loan of up to £20 which you can access through the Advice Centre by having a short financial assessment with one of our advisors.

If you would like to enquire about applying for an emergency loan you can get in touch with the service by emailing advice-centre@hud.ac.uk from your student email account, with details of your circumstances and your most recent bank statement.

Our advisors will determine your eligibility for this loan using a questionnaire which focuses on your financial situation such as your income and expenses.

We can discuss a repayment date to suit you and repayment can be made by bank transfer.

If you have any other worries or queries surrounding your finances, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us!

Budgeting

As a student it can be difficult to figure out what you have available to spend each week. The income you get might come in at different points during the term which can make it hard to budget. Whether you get Student Finance once a term, wages weekly or monthly, or family support through the holiday period – planning ahead will help you budget and keep in control of your finances.

The first thing to think about is how long you need your loan to last, is it just for the term or will you need money during the holiday period as well? Who pays for your social life over Christmas? Do you intend on having a summer holiday? Buying presents for friends?

There are some really useful budgeting tools online such as Student Budgeting Tools

Using a budgeting sheet such as this can help you see clearly what you have spare, or more importantly where you need to cut down on spending, coffees and takeaways can really add up, planning your meals and cooking in bulk will save money, buying non branded items and cooking from scratch will help too. If you drive into uni, park where its free and walk in.

Despite all your efforts to reduce spending, you might still find yourself short and may need to consider increasing your income:

Part time work

One way in which you can maximise your income during your time at University is to find flexible part time work in Huddersfield during term time or at home during breaks and holidays. Working part time can also be a great way to enhance your CV and gain valuable experience for your future career.

You can use the University’s Job Shop to search for student friendly part time work in and around Huddersfield. You can sign up to Job Shop: Careers

It is also a good idea to take your CV to Retail shops, Bars, Restaurants and Coffee Shops. Make sure your CV is tailored to that job role, speak to the person who does the hiring, go prepared, look presentable and be enthusiastic about their business.

The University’s careers service: University Careers Service is also a valuable resource for developing your employability skills. Access practical guidance and support on writing your CV, completing job applications and preparing for interview and much more.

We appreciate that trying to find flexible employment during this time may be very difficult and we have provided you with information on a few more options of financial support for your time at University below.

Student Overdraft Facilities

Another way to maximise your income during your studies is to use a Student Bank Overdraft facility. An overdraft is when a bank lets you spend more money than is in your account up to a pre-agreed sum. This can be a great way to have some emergency cash flow in times of unexpected financial difficulty.

A wide variety of banks offer student accounts with an overdraft, which ranges from £500 to £3000. The overdraft usually has 0% interest and banks can offer flexibility in paying this back once your studies come to an end.

Please bear in mind that if you use an unarranged overdraft, you may be charged fees by your bank.

Further information and guidance on banking is available here: Further information and guidance on banking

Debts and Gambling

If you are worried about paying bills or have a problem with gambling, the sooner you seek help the better. There are a number of charities and organisations that can help:

Get help with gambling problems

Government Debt Advice: https://www.gov.uk/national-debtline

Charity Debt Advice: https://www.stepchange.org/

Get in touch with us at advice-centre@hud.ac.uk and we will help you to find the right support.

Fraud, scams, phishing

Are you worried that someone has stolen personal information from you or had access to your bank account? You might have received an unexpected email asking you to confirm your bank details, security codes or passwords. You might have noticed that money has disappeared from your bank account.

• Contact your bank straight away.
• Find a genuine telephone number for your bank by looking at their website online.
• Never reply to an email or use the telephone number contained within an email – it might direct you straight back to the scammers.

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/debt-and-money/banking/banking-security-and-fraud/

https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/section/information-for/individuals-families

https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/information/report-suspicious-emails

You may be able to apply for extra help from educational trusts and charities. This can be a time consuming and slow process but a number of students have achieved successful outcomes. Charities and trusts will often only help specific groups. For example, they may be restricted to helping students on certain courses, above or below a certain age, from particular parts of Britain, or in defined occupations/professions.

How to apply to a charity of trust

The first stage is to check the website for the instructions or to contact the trust or charity giving brief details of your situation. If you fit their criteria then the organisation will usually send you their own application form.

You may need to write a letter explaining why you are applying. You should include:

• Title of your course
• University start date and what year you're currently in
• Age
• Place of birth
• Brief details of your previous study
• Explanatio of your financial difficulty and why you are applying
• Estimated financial requirements
• How your studies would benefit yourself or others
• Any information about why you are appropriate for that trust fund

Awards are often quite small (around £300 - £500) and charities generally make one-off payments.

WHERE TO LOOK FOR FUNDING

Scholarship Search

You can search for scholarships and funding that you might be eligible for in the Scholarship Search database. There are £250 million worth of scholarships and grants available to students annually. This can be used for undergraduate and postgraduate courses and can be used by UK, EU and international students.

Find out more about scholarship search

Turn2Us

This website has details for hundreds of grant-giving charities that may be able to provide financial support. Not all the charities are just for students, most of them are based on your personal situation (e.g. if you have a disability or if you have children). If you do an advanced search you can find the charities that best match your circumstances. Turn2us can be used by undergraduates, postgraduates and UK, EU and international students.

T: 0808 802 2000 (09:00–17:30, Mon to Fri) For people who can’t use the website.

Find out more about Turn2Us

Guide star

This website has details for hundreds of grant-giving charities that may be able to provide financial support. Not all the charities work exclusively for students, most of them are based on personal circumstance such as if you have a disability or dependents. An advanced search can reveal the charities that best match your circumstances. This can be used by undergraduates, postgraduates and UK, EU and international students.

E: info@guidestarinternational.org

Find out more about Guide Star

Prospects

This website is specifically for postgraduate students. It has details of research council awards, scholarships, bursaries, charities and trusts. It also has a regularly updated list of funding opportunities from UK higher education institutions.

Find out more about Prospects

British Council Guide to Scholarships

This website is specifically for international students who want to study in the UK. The site hosts a full list of the scholarships and bursary options available to specific groups. This is just a brief list and searching through one of the above databases will give you a list of charities that match your particular circumstances.

Find out more about Student Disability Assistance Fund

Gilchrist Education Trust

Applications are considered from students who have made proper provision to fund a degree or higher education course but find they are facing unexpected financial difficulties that may prevent them from completing it. For example students who are required, as part of their course, to spend a short period studying abroad may be eligible.

T: 01903 746 723

Find out more about the Gilchrist Education Trust

The Savoy Education Trust

You can apply to this trust for a small grant of usually no more than £500 to assist you if you are undertaking a hospitality related degree course and need help with fees or to purchase items required for the course such as books, uniforms and practical equipment.

0207 849 3001

Find out more about the Sir Richard Stapley Educational Trust

The Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme (TASS)

TASS is a partnership between National Governing Bodies of Sport and Educational Institutions, designed to help athletes in higher and further education. The programme has been created to help students fulfil their sporting potential by maintaining a sensible balance between academic life whilst training and competing as a performance athlete. Scholarships are up to £3,500. You should speak with your governing body to establish whether they are willing to nominate you for an award.

T: 0191 607 8270

Find out more about TASS

Unity Foundation

This is a charitable trust from Unite Students aimed at estranged students and care leavers. Successful Applicants get support with accommodation. They award scholarships to students with a wide range of backgrounds and academic grades.

Find out more about Unite Foundation

Compelling Personal Reasons (CPR): This is a term used to describe any reasons you may need to apply for an extra year of finance. This might be mental health reasons, bereavement, disability, or anything that has immensely disrupted your year of learning.

Compelling Personal Reasons

A penny saved is a penny made. Follow our top money saving tips and tricks to save yourself ££££ each year! Looking to save money while you study? You’ve come to the right place. Discover how to cut the price of everything, from rent reductions to cash back on your commute. We’ve created a Student Money Guide to help you save money and make it through University without the added debt: