Chwefror 12 af 2012
This information applies to Scotland
The Hardship Fund is a source of financial help to students in further or higher education. In further education institutions, the Hardship Fund is only available to students aged 16 or over. Officials might call it the 'Discretionary Fund'.
The aim of the Fund is to help students who have financial difficulties or who may not be able to enter further or higher education for financial reasons.
Payments from the Fund are discretionary. If awarded, they do not need to be repaid.
Universities and colleges decide their own criteria for awarding discretionary payments from the Fund, subject to guidance issued by the relevant agency. An explanatory leaflet should be available on request from the institution to any student considering applying for help from the Fund.
Payments from the Hardship Fund are different at further education institutions and higher education institutions. A payment can be made as a one-off lump sum, in instalments or as a short term loan, for example, where the client's first student loan instalment has been delayed beyond the start of term.
There are two separate bodies issuing guidance on how to administer the Hardship Fund. The Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Council (SFC) issues guidance for further education institutions and the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) issues guidance for higher education institutions (see under heading Further information for the website addresses for SFC and SAAS).
The Hardship Fund can:-
The Hardship Fund cannot be used to meet the cost of tuition fees or to compensate for a lack of parental contributions.
Subject to the residence requirements (see under heading The residence requirements), the Hardship Fund can be used to help students in the following categories:-
This does not include nursing or midwifery students, as they are not eligible for support from the Hardship Fund.
Higher education includes courses leading to a degree, Higher National Diploma (HND), Higher National Certificate (HNC), a professional qualification at or above degree level or a postgraduate qualification. Students at higher education institutions who are doing sandwich courses, periods of work placement or who are studying abroad as part of their course are also eligible.
Students who are eligible to apply for financial help from other government schemes will normally be expected to apply for such help before being assessed for help from the Fund.
For more information about other sources of government funding, see Student Awards Agency guide to support for students in higher education.
At institutions of higher education, students on part-time courses must study for at least 50% of a full time course during the academic year to be eligible for assistance. Further education institutions may have their own policies on the eligibility of part-time students. Clients should contact their institution for further details.
Responsibility for assessing eligibility in individual cases rests with the educational institution. The student's own income and expenditure will be assessed along with that of her/his partner. A parental contribution to the student's income will be assumed in some cases, depending on the level of parental income.
The residence requirements for eligibility for the Hardship Fund are summarised below. For full details of the requirements, students should contact the institution they are planning to attend or are already attending.
To be eligible for HF, the student must normally satisfy the following residence requirements on the first day of the first academic year of her/his course (see under Who does not have to meet the residence requirements (below) for exceptions). S/he must:-
Students in the following categories do not have to fulfil all the residence requirements:-
Students in these categories should contact the institution they are attending or planning to attend to check which residence requirements apply to them.
Within the eligibility rules (see under heading Who is eligible), educational institutions are advised by the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) and the Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Council (SFC) to target their HF allocation at the following priority groups:-
Payments from the Hardship Fund may affect the client's entitlement to means-tested social security benefits, for example, income support, housing benefit or council tax benefit.
Students who are worried about the impact of the Hardship Fund on their benefits should consult an experienced adviser, for example, at a Citizens Advice Bureau. To search for details of your nearest CAB, including those that can give advice by email, click on nearest CAB.
An application should be made to the individual educational institution where the student is following, or hopes to follow, her/his course. Each college will have its own procedure, application form and information leaflet.
A student should be able to apply at any time during the academic year. It may be possible to apply more than once, but usually only where circumstances have changed or an application is being made for assistance during the summer vacation.
Students cannot appeal to the Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Council (SFC) or the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) against a refusal to grant money from the Hardship Fund. Each educational institution has its own procedure for appeals.
The National Union of Students (NUS) student welfare officer or the careers adviser at each institution will be able to provide further information about the Hardship Fund and how the Fund is administered at that institution.
The Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Council (SFC) and the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) can provide copies of guidance issued to institutions of further education and higher education respectively. The SFC website is www.sfc.ac.uk and the SAAS website is www.saas.gov.uk.
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