Student Support Fund

Before applying to the Student Support Fund, you must have explored and exhausted all of the below:

• Subject specific bursaries and applied for the maximum available student finance.
• The NHS Learner Support Fund for eligible Health courses
• Student bank accounts
• Budgeting by considering realistic and practical ways of managing spending, such as setting a spending target to help monitor and stretch your money over each term
• Part-time work
• Postgraduates are encouraged to explore all forms of additional funding to maximise the amount available to support the payment of tuition fees and living costs

UK undergraduate and postgraduate students are eligible to apply. Overseas and EU students can apply to the Student Support Fund, but please be aware that support is limited and would only be offered in exceptional circumstances. The Fund is not applicable for students on continuing professional development courses or courses that study less than 25% worth of credits of a full-time course.

We are pleased to remind you that you may be eligible to apply for the University Student Support Fund during each academic year.

Application Window

Applications open two weeks after the start date of your course and will close six weeks before the end of your academic year.

To determine your specific application window, please refer to the Start & End Term Dates available here 2025/2026 term dates | Edge Hill University .

If your course is not listed, it follows the standard term dates displayed at the top of the page.

We encourage you to check these dates carefully and apply in good time, as late applications cannot be accepted. If you have passed the closing date for your course and are struggling financially, we would recommend

you book an appointment with our Money Advice Team using the booking link here Money Advice portal – Edge Hill University  to discuss your personal circumstances further and we can explore short term emergency support, if applicable.

Students in receipt of NHS LSF Training Grant

If you are a student in receipt of NHS LSF funding, you can apply to the University Student Support Fund following an appointment with the Money Advice Team for a pre-assessment.

During the appointment, the advisor will be able to provide a verbal indication as to whether you would qualify for a Standard Award from the University Student Support Fund.

If you are not eligible for a Standard Award, we can signpost you to the NHS ESF Exceptional Support Fund (ESF) | NHSBSA who may be able to provide some assistance.

You can make your appointment for your pre-assessment using the booking link here Money Advice portal – Edge Hill University

If you have any questions or need support with the application process, please don’t hesitate to contact us at [email protected]

Medicine Students entering 5th/6th year of study

Applications for Medicine students will be open from 11 August 2025 and close six weeks before the end of the academic year.
Please note, where a student is eligible for an award, the first instalment will not be made until after 22 September 2025. 

We will look at your household income and that of any partner/spouse and we will then compare this to your expected reasonable expenditure, including your partner/spouse’s travel to work costs. If there is a deficit between these figures, we can pay a percentage of this up to a maximum of £4,000. This is known as a Standard Award.

It is expected that students will also be able to supplement their income from a variety of routes, for example, part-time work, vacation work, student bank overdrafts at 0% charges, savings or additional parental support where appropriate.  The standard assessment usually includes an ‘assumed income’ figure to cover these additional elements of income rather than taking into account the actual amount.

*Students who find themselves with a reduced maintenance loan and then experience a term time change in circumstances that results in a significant fall in their parent/s or partner’s declared income (of 15% or more for Student Finance England),can contact their relevant Student Funding Body to consider a Current Year Income Assessment.

If you are facing an unforeseeable financial emergency (such as an emergency and unexpected house move, essential household repairs or other emergency situations) we may be able to make an income related assessment to consider a contribution towards these costs, however, please be advised this does not include home improvements. This is known as a Non-Standard Award.

You must have applied and been fully assessed for your student funding BEFORE applying to the Student Support Fund. If you have not yet received your student funding, we may be able to offer you some emergency support as a contribution towards your living costs. Please visit our money worries webpage for more information.

What evidence will I need to provide with my application? 

The fund cannot assess the application until full evidence is attached to the application. Examples of essential evidence required would be the full break down of Student Finance loans and grants, the last three months bank statements for accounts held (savings, current, basic and any unused accounts that remain open) a spending target or budget, a document to evidence housing costs and one example of travel costs from home to university.

Additional evidence will be required based on individual applicants’ situations. Please use the application form as a guide. It’s a good idea to submit all your evidence with your application to help avoid delay.

Can I receive help with tuition fees?

Students experiencing financial hardship may apply to the Student Support Fund; however, the Fund does not cover tuition fees, and any awards due may not be used to make a tuition fee payment. In instances where a student has an outstanding tuition fee debt to the university, we reserve the right to withhold any Student Support Fund award, until such time as tuition fee payment has been brought up to date and in line with the agreed payment plan.

Can I apply more than once?

We assess your application over the whole academic year, so it is not usually possible to re-apply to the fund. However, if your financial situation since your original application was made (your income has reduced and or your expenditure/costs which can be included in a hardship assessment have increased), you can ask to be re-assessed once per academic year. Please make an appointment with the Money Advice team to discuss your situation.

How much could I receive?

If your application is successful, we will award a figure between £100 and £4,000. The exact amount that you receive will depend on your individual financial circumstances.

How will payments be made?

Payments will be made directly to your bank account. Students who are in receipt of means-tested benefits may receive their award in one instalment but other students may receive a number of instalments. There may be times when we will make payments direct to a third party such as childcare provider. Students who are self-funding their tuition fee or in receipt of post-graduate loan may receive their award in instalments following confirmation that they are up-to-date with their agreed tuition fee payment plan.

Can I appeal the decision?

The request for an appeal should be made by completing and returning a Student Support Fund appeal form within 4 weeks (28 days) of the original decision. This is an opportunity to review the original decision, to check the accuracy of the calculations and ensure that all relevant information and evidence has been considered. The appeal can also consider any subsequent evidence you wish to provide with the appeal request.

You will normally receive a response within 10 working days of receipt of the completed appeal form. It is important that you explain fully why you are requesting an appeal and submit any additional supporting evidence/information with your request(s). The Money Advice team may request additional information at this stage.

You should email your appeal form to [email protected]

Can you help me to complete the application form?

Please read the guidance provided on the application form, follow the instructions in each section and use the Supporting Evidence Checklist when completing the form. We are happy to answer any further questions you have regarding the Student Support Fund by email or during an appointment.

How long will it take me to find out if my application has been successful?

At this time, it may take up to six weeks to process Student Support Fund applications from the date that all required evidence* has been submitted.

*If we requested additional income evidence from you, you will have four working weeks to provide this. After this period, if we haven’t received the requested information from you, we will be unable to process your application and your application will be closed down.

*If we request additional expenditure evidence from you, you will have four working weeks to provide this. After this period, if we haven’t received the requested information from you, we will process your application using the evidence you have provided. This may result in your application being refused, so it is important to send us the requested evidence.