The Government gives every university funds each year to assist students who need extra financial support because they have higher than expected costs (such as single parents). There are two types of awards:
Standard: This help may be given to meet course related costs such as childcare, books/equipment, travel or for general living costs.
Non-Standard: Help may be available to help in a crisis situation such as the repair of essential household equipment or for travel home for serious family illness or bereavement.
Eligibility for the Access to Learning Fund is restricted to home fee status undergraduate and postgraduate students who have been ordinarily resident in the UK for at least three years prior to the start of their course.
Students must be registered with the University for the current academic year 2011/12 in order to receive any award granted.
Students must be studying for the equivalent of at least 50% of a full time course, that is, a minimum of 60 credits within an academic year, except in the case of disabled students whose disability prevents them from studying for at least 50% of a full-time course. In these circumstances the student must be studying at least 30 credits (25% of a full-time course) to qualify.
Students eligible to apply for a Student Maintenance Loan must have taken their full loan entitlement prior to assistance from the Access to Learning Fund being considered. Students can refer to the guidance notes for more detailed information on how to complete the application.
Applications can take up to four weeks to be processed. All applications are means tested against defined guidance from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (DBIS) and not all applications will be successful.
Target students
The Access to Learning Fund can be of particular help to the following groups of students.
For full-time undergraduate students the priority groups are:
- Students with children (especially lone parents)
- Other mature students (especially those with existing financial commitments)
- Students from low income families
- Disabled students (especially where the DSA is unable to meet particular costs)
- Students who have entered higher education from care
- Students from Foyers or who are homeless
- Students receiving the final year loan rate, who are in financial difficulties
For postgraduate and part-time undergraduate students the priority groups are:
- Students with children (especially lone parents)
- Disabled students (especially where the DSA is unable to meet particular costs)
- Students encountering financial difficulty which could not have been foreseen
Assistance from the Access to Learning Fund cannot be granted to pay tuition fees, library fines or any other fines imposed by the University.
If you are a Postgraduate student, you are expected to show that you can meet your tuition fees and that you have made reasonable provision to support yourself through your course before we will consider your application to the Access to Learning Fund. Reasonable provision would be equivalent to £161.00 per week for a single student and £129.00 per week for a student with dependants or who is unable to work due to disability.
Applying and application forms
If for some reason you are unable to use the online application form, hard copies are available from the Student Funding Team.
Contact us
If you can't find the information you need please contact the Student Funding Team on 01273 87 2994 or at scholarships@sussex.ac.uk