What is the Access to Learning Fund?
The Access to Learning Fund (ALF) is a discretionary grant, funded by the government, to help students in financial difficulty. ALF grants do not need to be paid back and can range from £100 to £2000.
This fund is intended to assist with general living and course-related costs, not tuition fees or 'lifestyle choices'.
There are two types of Access to Learning Fund
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 2012/13 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.
All applications are means-tested, therefore some applications will be unsuccessful.
For more information please refer to Direct Gov