Hardship Funds

If you are struggling financially or facing hardship as a result of the current situation related to Covid-19, you may be able to access some short term financial support from the Short Term Assistance Grant

The newly introduced Short Term Assistance Grant is a streamlined application process and

Awards are capped at £600 for students with dependants and £300 for students without dependants. This method of applying for and receiving an award is a temporary measure that may be withdrawn later in the academic year.

If you are seeking support towards the cost of a laptop or internet access you will need to submit an application to the Short Term Assistance Grant, along with the required information/evidence, as well as a letter or email from a University professional, who is aware of your circumstances and supports your application. Award levels are capped.

Applications to the STAG can be submitted by following this link – Short Term Assistance Grant Application

Swansea University Opportunity Award is the main hardship fund within Swansea University and is intended to support students through any unexpected or difficult circumstances whilst in University.

The Swansea University Opportunity Award has a thorough application process, and is available all year round and is designed to support students with a range of circumstances surrounding financial difficulty, from accommodation to help with cost of childcare, plus many more.

Applications to the SUOA can be submitted online by following this link – Swansea University Opportunity Award Application

Swansea University has established a small fund to provide emergency assistance for enrolled Undergraduate and Postgraduate International students who are facing financial difficulty, which were unforeseen at the start of the course or are not within the student’s control.

Applicants to the International Crisis Fund are required to demonstrate that they have made adequate measures to finance their course before they came to the University and that these arrangements have been affected by unforeseen circumstances or events beyond their control.

Please be advised that the Crisis Fund is not a form of funding and cannot be accessed to fund your studies or to ‘top up’ your income. There is no guarantee of an award for any student. Each application will be considered and assessed on an individual basis, with the strictest confidentiality by our expert advisors. Awards are made as a non-repayable grant, and are capped at a maximum £1500. We anticipate that many students may experience financial challenges due to the unprecedented times we’re currently facing, and it is important that you are aware that the fund is a limited resource. If you are struggling financially due to unanticipated difficulties and the above criteria applies, you are encouraged to submit an application to find out if you are eligible to receive an award. 

Applications for the International Crisis Fund can be submitted online by following this link - International Crisis Fund Application

Swansea University has a Hardship Fund that students can apply to, available to home and EU students who are struggling to afford the cost of a diagnostic test.

Some students will need to have a diagnostic test to identify if they have a specific learning difficulty that is impacting on their studies. Diagnostic testing comes at a price and this fund is open for students to apply to, to see if they are eligible for financial support towards their diagnostic test.

Awards will be made only where there is evidence of financial hardship.

Applications towards diagnostic tests can be submitted online by flowing this link - Diagnostic Testing Application

• The Hardship Funds are not a form of funding or supplementary funding and are intended to support students in financial difficulty due to unforeseen circumstances.
• The Hardship Funds cannot be used towards paying tuition fees.
• You must be a current student and enrolled on a course, external students/candidates are not eligible to apply.
• Swansea University Opportunity Award, Short Term Assistance Grant and Diagnostic Testing welcomes applications from Home and EU Students, studying full or part time.
• There is no cap on the number of applications that students can make to the Hardship Funds, although prior awards do form part of the assessment process.
• There is no guarantee of an award and all assessments are made on financial hardship.
• Successful applications to the funds will receive an award as a non - repayable grant.
• The International Crisis Fund welcomes applications from International Students.
• EU Students are also required to evidence adequate financial provision prior to the start of the course for living and study costs and the unforeseen circumstances that has impacted on their finances
• Applications can take up to 14 days to assess. (however we are working hard to assess applications as quickly as possible) and first time applicants are prioritised.
• Payments will be received 7-10 days following award notification.

On this page you'll find some useful hints & tips to make your application to our Hardship Funds easier for our assessors to process once it's submitted. It may seem easier to provide as little information and evidence as possible, however this will likely cause delays in processing your application. You can watch videos on completing the form and what we can and cannot accept as evidence here.

Help to complete your application