Access to Learning Fund (Hardship Fund)

Access to Learning Fund

The University Hardship Fund is called the Access to Learning Fund. It is a non-repayable grant administered by The University of Worcester to help eligible students who are experiencing financial difficulties. In particular, help is given to students who may be financially disadvantaged.

To make the application process as quick as possible, all documents are completed and submitted online. 

Eligibility

Home Student

A Home student is defined as a person who meets certain residency conditions (the same conditions apply to eligibility for statutory student support from Student Finance England, for example, for the student Maintenance Loan).

EU Student

An EU student for Access Fund purposes is normally defined as someone who is an EU national, eligible for Home Fee status. EU students not eligible for help with living costs from Student Finance England will have a notional figure for assumed income included in their assessment.

Please note: International students (not eligible to apply to the Access to Learning Fund) who are in YEAR 2 OR ABOVE, with an unexpected financial difficulty requiring one-off short-term help to avoid it impacting on their success at university can apply to the International Student Hardship Fund

How to Apply

• Read the Access to Learning Fund Guidance Notes before completing an application, for information on eligibility criteria, a step-by-step guide to filling in the online application form, and details of what supporting evidence is required by the assessors.

• If you need any help or support completing your application, please book an appointment with one of the University’s Money Advisers via firstpoint online

Apply

When you are ready to complete your application, please click the button below to complete the application form and submit your supporting evidence.

Points to Remember

Important Points to remember before submitting your application

• Applicants must already have started their course.
• All the supporting evidence requested MUST be provided, to avoid delaying the student’s application.
• Students must have applied for all the financial support to which they are entitled, including the maximum Student Loans, Grants & allowances following financial assessment by Student Finance, or a Postgraduate Loan as appropriate, and any Welfare Benefits or Universal Credit that they (or their partner) are entitled to.
• The fund is limited and cannot always make up the whole of a student’s financial short fall.
• The fund cannot be used to help students pay their tuition fees.
• If you need help or support completing the application, please book an appointment with a Money Adviser via firstpoint online, or by emailing firstpoint@worc.ac.uk or phone 01905 542551
• Students’ Union Student Advisers can also help with the completion of application forms.

Students can apply to the Access to Learning Fund once per academic year. However, if you have already applied to the Fund during the academic year, and then experience a change of circumstances, you can reapply to the Fund using the Change of Circumstances application form – see details below.

Change of Circumstances Application

This is only for students who have already received an award from the Access to Learning Fund this academic year (including nil awards) and have since experienced a change in circumstances, which they feel may warrant a further award from the Fund.

Please note: it would need to be a significant change in circumstances which has occurred after your first award from the fund – see examples below.

Examples of change of circumstances

A new unexpected cost such as essential car repairs, replacement of essential household goods, unexpected bill etc.

Loss of income – for example due to redundancy, reduction in working hours, illness, change to Welfare Benefits or a change to your student income.

Financial pressure caused by relationship breakdown.

Increase in costs due to change in your studies, for example increased placement travel costs or increased childcare costs.

How to Apply

Read the Change of Circumstances Guidance Notes before completing an application, for information on eligibility criteria, a step-by-step guide to filling in the online application form, and details of what supporting evidence is required by the assessors.

• If you need any help or support completing your application, please book an appointment with one of the University’s Money Advisers via firstpoint online

Apply

When you are ready to complete your application, please click the button below to complete the application form and submit your supporting evidence.