Student Support Fund

Students in financial hardship can also apply for financial assitance towards maintenance costs from the Student Support Fund

Guidance notes (Student Support Fund) Student Global Relief Fund application 2023-24

Managed by the Student Financial Support team in Registry.

If you are in receipt of an award which has been taken away due to an event of a social or political upheaval, environmental or industrial disaster, or health or economic crises, or where a regional or national level institution has withdrawn their funding or where banks have stopped money leaving the country or where UK banks have stopped withdrawals from a certain nationality’s bank accounts, you may be eligible to apply for financial help through the Student Global Relief Fund.

The Student Global Relief Fund is funded by the College alongside generous donations from our students, staff, alumni and other supporters. The aim of the fund is to help current students who lose their funding and experience genuine financial hardship with their cost of living and tuition fees. All students are able to apply.

You are expected to provide documentation that you had the appropriate level of funding in place before you started your studies. The Fund is to be used when there are no further financial avenues available to you. The fund is available to subsidise longer term costs associated with studying, if the need stretches over years then you will be required to complete an assessment each year. We reserve the right to reject an application when there is substantial demand.

All applicants will be assessed by a single mechanism to ensure transparency and fairness. The assessment mechanism is based on a set of values associated with the Cost of Living Cost of living in London(CLL). The CLL framework is intended to identify the cost students would normally have during their studies.

SGRF - Eligibility and application

Eligibility

All registered Imperial College London students are able to apply.

Awards are not usually made within the first term of the academic year, unless exceptional circumstances have occurred after commencing study.

Please see full eligibility details on our Student Support Fund student guidance 2023-24.

How to Apply

Applications to the Student Global Relief Fund must be made via the Blackbullion platform. You will need to set up two factor authentication for secure access and apply via the Funds section in the Blackbullion platform. Once you have applied you will also be asked to complete the ‘Budgeting 101' pathway within the Blackbullion platform.

Please note the Blackbullion Privacy Notice applicable to this data protection: Blackbullion Privacy Notice

Value of awards

Awards will not exceed the amount of the original award or the Cost of Living in London figure for that study level and will be less any statutory funding that is available.

Grants

A grant does not need to be paid back. Awards are based on what we can see that you need to ensure you can pay for your living costs and tuition fees.

Loans

You can apply for a loan, or we may offer you a loan instead of a grant, which will need to be paid back. You will need to demonstrate how you will repay in your application and a loan may be offered instead of a grant where the national situation may be temporary.

 

Assessment of your application

All students have different levels of income and expenditure. We will apply a cap (based on the Cost of Living in London values) for all general living and household costs, such as rent, food, travel and utility bills.

As part of the assessment of your application, we will consider any information provided through your supporting statement alongside a financial surplus/shortfall calculation. We will assess each application on its own merit.

Applications are closely examined by an administrator who may also ask to meet with you in person to discuss your application. The administrator will make an initial assessment and recommend action based on their findings to a senior member of the Student Financial Support team who will review the recommendation and make a formal decision on the application.

You will be asked to be assessed annually in order for your funding to continue, this is to ensure that your situation hasn’t changed. Where the original award has been reinstated and there has been a duplication of funding the funding from the central fund needs to be repaid, repaying the grant for living costs first.

We aim to have an outcome of your assessment within 10 working days providing all the relevant documentation has been provided, however due to the nature of the fundraising involved it may take longer.

Documents required and what we use them for
  • Scholarship and/ or loan confirmation
  • Most recent 3 months bank statement. We use this to confirm your current bank balance
  • Pay slips if applicable so we can confirm your income
  • Proof of outstanding debts like a credit card statement so we can confirm your expenditure
  • Household utility bills so we can confirm your expenditure
  • Accommodation tenancy agreement so we can confirm your expenditure and your living arrangements
  • An email from your personal tutor supporting your application. They will need to confirm your attendance and that you are performing well academically and can attest to your potential
  • If you are living with your partner you will also need to send us their bank statements and confirmation of any financial commitments
  • If you are apply for assistance due to childcare costs we will need to see your child’s birth certificates and confirmation of their nursery costs
  • In addition you may send us any other documentation which you feel may support your case such as a doctor’s letter or bailiff’s letter

We accept scanned copies of these documents which are kept securely. If you send us hardcopies you can collect these from the Student Hub or we will destroy these once they are no longer needed using our confidential waste disposal. 

How to calculate your income

Please note that you must register with the Blackbullion free online financial education platform and complete the Budgeting 101 pathway as part of your application to the Student Support Fund. You will likely find the Budgeting resource useful in identifying and calculating your income and expenditure.

Below is an example of the income table you will need to be complete.

Example: If you are in receipt of a £4,000 Bursary you will enter this as below:

Summary of the table's contents
IncomeWeekly          (£)Annual    (£)       39 or 52 weeks
 Grants    
 Bursary / stipend    £102.56   £4,000
 Scholarships    
 Loans    
 Parental Contribution    
 Savings    
 Part-time work    
 Partner’s income    
Other (specify)    
Total  
How to contact us

We are always available to discuss your situation confidentially and assist with completing the application form.  Please contact us through by email at student.funding@imperial.ac.uk if you have any further questions.

You can appeal decisions by writing to sfs.feedback@imperial.ac.uk, who will consider your original application alongside any additional information you provide.