(Receiving the Student Support Fund) is going to allow me to focus on my education and help relieve the financial stress and anxiety - which is so invaluable to me.
The Student Support Fund is a limited pot of money designated to help Home/UK students who find themselves in unexpected financial hardship.
We encourage any student with money concerns to submit an application regardless of household income, age, course level or having made a previous application to the Fund.
The Student Support Fund has now closed for the 24/25 academic year.
The Summer Support Fund is now open and will will close for the 24/25 academic year on Sunday 7th September, 11:59pm.
The Self-Funded Student Support fund will close for the 24/25 academic year on Sunday 7th September, 11:59pm.
If you are an international student, please apply to our International Student Support Fund.
The Summer Support Fund is now open and will close for the 24/25 academic year on Sunday 7 September 2025, 11:59pm.
If you have completed your final year at university, we will be unable to consider you for financial support.
Final year students retaking exams are eligible to apply to the fund but must apply in the 10-day period after marks release to be eligible (10th July 2025).
Final year students whose course continues past 23 June 2025 are eligible to apply.
A few things to keep in mind
On average the form takes approximately 20 minutes to complete, depending on your situation. Once an application is received, an advisor will be in touch within 10 days working days with either an assessment update or outcome.
Applications are reviewed in line with Student Support Fund guidelines. Awards are discretionary, and we cannot guarantee one will be granted.
If awarded, the first £50 of an award will be paid by Tesco/Sainsbury's vouchers. You will be able to select a supermarket preference when applying. Any remaining award will be paid in a single payment.
Students who applied for the Student Support Fund during the 2024/25 academic year can apply for the Summer Support Fund.
The Summer Support Fund is a discretionary Fund, and therefore has no right of appeal.
The Student Support Fund has now closed for the 24/25 academic year.
We can help with the completion of the application form if you have questions or require additional support. Please contact us to book an appointment. The SUSU Advice Centre advice@susu.org are also able to help with completion of the application form and how to gather the appropriate documentation.
The Student Support Fund and Summer Support Fund does not cover: tuition fees, resit fees, visas and associated costs, or support for family or friends (only for the individual student).
Before you apply, consider the following:
Home/UK statutory-funded students are students who are in receipt of the Tuition Fee Loan and means-tested Maintenance Loan from Student Finance (UK) or the NHS equivalent.
Home/UK self-funding undergraduate students are students who are not in receipt of the Student Finance (UK) Tuition Fee Loan and means-tested Maintenance Loan or the NHS equivalent. They are required to make sufficient financial provision ahead of their course.
Home/UK self-funding postgraduate students are either students who are funding their course themsleves, through a third party, or students who are in receipt of the Student Finance (UK) Master's Loan or Postgraduate Doctoral Loan. As students in receipt of the Student Finance loans can only receive a single loan, which is meant to cover both tuition fees and living costs, they are required to make sufficient financial provision ahead of their course.
Students must be fully enrolled to be eligible; students who are Writing Up, on Nominal Roll, or Submitted status are ineligible for the fund, as students must be paying full tuition fees in the academic year they are in.
If you are a self-funding student who has had an unexpected change of circumstance, which has resulted in financial hardship, you can apply to the Self-Funded Student Support Fund. We may be able to provide a one-time award of up to £540 in the 24/25 academic year to allow time to explore alternative funding options or have your funding return to normal levels.
The fund cannot be used towards the payment of tuition fees. If you are struggling to pay your tuition fees, please contact the Student Hub studenthub@soton.ac.uk to discuss if a payment plan may be suitable.
The fund will close for the 24/25 academic year on Sunday 7th September, 11:59pm.
Please note that budgets are reviewed every academic year and funding information for 25/26 will be updated here in September 2025.
More information about qualifying changes of circumstance can be found in the next section.
To continue to the 2024/25 Self-Funded Student Support Fund application, please scroll to the end of the page.
A change of circumstance may lead to an award from the Student Support Fund for students whose financial plan has been negatively impacted.
A change of circumstance is an unexpected event that has occurred since the start of the current academic year and can be sufficiently evidenced. It may include:
A change of circumstance typically does not include:
If you’re unsure if you meet the eligibility criteria for the Student Support Fund, please see our Frequently Asked Questions below or contact us at stufunds@soton.ac.uk as we will be happy to discuss all situations.
If you are successful in your application, we will pay the funds directly into the account the University holds for you. Please make sure these details are up to date. To check what details we hold, you will need to access Student Records Self Service System. Click on Personal Information, then ‘Update Payment Details’.
For more information on the fund, including eligibility and the application process, please see our Student Support Fund Frequently Asked Questions.