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 short term financial support from the Short Term Assistance Grant (STAG). We can help with essential costs such as accommodation and bills, but the need for the award is not prescriptive. Evidence of hardship will be required and awards are not guaranteed.

The award is to provide a streamlined application process for short-term financial assistance, therefore awards will be assessed on a needs basis but capped at a maximum of £1000 (dependant on an individual’s circumstances). Do remember that we continue to accept applications to the  (SUOA). You may wish to apply for funds via this route if you anticipate your financial needs exceed the maximum available via the STAG.

Please note, you can still apply even if you have received an award previously. Applications are open to all enrolled UG & PG students whether studying on a part-time or full-time basis. Students studying NHS courses are also eligible to apply.

If you are an EU student – you continue to be eligible to apply. If you are an International student – please see our information regarding the International Student Crisis Fund (ISCF)

*Please note - All applications are accessed via the same page.  Please ensure you select the correct form using the ‘Fund’ dropdown menu 

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

*Please note - All applications are accessed via the same page.  Please ensure you select the correct form using the ‘Fund’ dropdown menu 

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.  Unforeseen costs due to the impact of Covid-19 will be considered.

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

*Please note - All applications are accessed via the same page.  Please ensure you select the correct form using the ‘Fund’ dropdown menu 

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]

*Please note - All applications are accessed via the same page.  Please ensure you select the correct form using the ‘Fund’ dropdown menu 

Many of you will have heard the Welsh Government announcement that additional resources for universities have been provided to prioritise funding for students who are struggling to meet essential expenses as a direct result of the current pandemic. The package will also include further financial support for students identified as more adversely impacted by the pandemic.

We have been working closely with the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW) to ensure the funding is allocated fairly and consistently for all our students and we thank you for your patience at this time.

The distribution of this funding has taken considerable planning in a short space of time, however we are pleased to inform you we will be announcing details and how to access this funding in the next couple of weeks.

Additional details and how to access the funding will be provided via email and on our webpages.

In the meantime, Money@Campuslife administer a number of hardship funds in the form of a non-repayable grant to help current students who are struggling financially.

• 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.

Our Hardship Fund is designed to support those students facing financial hardship due to unforeseen circumstances.

As part of our application process we ask to see students' bank statements. On occasions we identify non-essential spending on students' bank accounts, which means if this spending had not happened they may not be in financial hardship.

We here at Money@Campuslife want to support students to avoid financial hardship, and from making a few simple changes to your regular spending habits not only could it help you avoid financial hardship but you could also be quids in.

Take a look at the areas below and see which could apply to you and where you, too, could make savings…