Hardship Fund

Please read the full terms and conditions for your entry year before applying for a university fund. They contain important information about eligibility, evidence required, and the living costs you may be eligible to receive support for.

Hardship Fund terms and conditions 2025-26

Students who are experiencing financial difficulty but whose circumstances do not meet the eligibility criteria should not complete an application and should contact the Funding Team for advice, information and guidance.

The following students are NOT eligible for this fund:

• Students who do not fulfil the definitions and eligibility criteria detailed in the terms and conditions above.
• Students who didn’t have realistic provision for all course-related costs, living costs, and tuition fees before registering for their course and before their course start date.
• Students who have not experienced an unexpected, exceptional change in financial circumstances after registering for their course, after the course start date, and within the same academic year that they applying for the fund.
• Students whose financial difficulty is not short-term, and achievable and realistic plans to pay for all course-related costs, tuition fees, and living costs for the remainder of the academic year are not in place. The Hardship Fund should not be considered a primary source of funding.
• Students who have accessed all funding opportunities and other forms of income available to them, including employment and welfare benefits that they may be entitled to, and have not used any personal savings available.
• Students whose hardship is a result of high levels of non-essential expenditure associated with lifestyle choices, including sending funds to third parties that were intended to be used for University related costs, living costs and/or tuition fees.
• Students who provide misleading, plagiarised, false or fraudulent information or evidence or withhold evidence to access financial support from the Hardship Fund.
• Students applying for funds to cover a period of intermission that is not due to medical reasons.
• Students who are not in attendance, and on an assessment only programme.
• Students whose course is sponsored by an employer.
• Students who are on a distance learning programme.
• Students who are studying through a University of Essex Partner (e.g. Kaplan, University of Essex Online, Tavistock, etc.).
• Students on Higher/Degree Apprenticeship courses.
• Students who submit their application after the applicable Hardship Fund closing date.
• Students with a continuously low or very low record of engagement with their studies (as recorded via LEAP) will not normally be considered for an award. If you can provide evidence that your low or very low engagement is the result of your short-term financial difficulty, this will be considered before a decision is made.

All funding applications must be submitted via Blackbullion, please see instructions below:

• Read the terms and conditions above and check you meet the eligibility criteria and can provide the evidence required before submitting an application.
• You’ll need to submit your bank statements as part of your application so we can assess your financial difficulty. Students with UK bank accounts should read the Blackbullion guidance on Open Banking which is a fast a secure way to upload your statements. Students who chose not to use Open Baking should watch the video before submitting bank statements manually (86% of applications are delayed due to incorrectly submitted bank statements). 
• Create an account with Blackbullion using your Essex email account or login if you already have an account. (Note: Make sure you select the ‘University student’ option, rather than ‘applicant’ when you register) Don’t worry if your course is not listed on the application form. You can still register and apply without selecting a course
• Click the ‘Funds’ tab and select ‘Hardship Fund’ button (Ensure that you select the correct fund based on the start date of your course, either in October or January)
• Read the guidance, follow the instructions to complete the online application form and submit all the required evidence as outlined on the guidance document. 
• Submit your application and evidence 

Who can apply for the Hardship Fund?

• Registered undergraduate or postgraduate students at the University of Essex.
• You must meet the eligibility criteria and be fully engaged with your studies.

What costs can the fund help with?

• The fund supports essential living costs only, such as:
• Food and household bills
• Travel for study purposes
• Accommodation (rent or mortgage)
• Childcare (OFSTED registered)
• Community and wellbeing activities (e.g., clubs, gym)Digital equipment (e.g. laptop)
• Additional costs for low-income undergraduate Home students (e.g., course materials, medical certificates)

How much can I receive?

The Hardship Fund is awarded on a case-by-case basis based on individual need and evidence.

• Full-time students: up to £1,500 per academic year
• Part-time students: up to £750 per academic year

In addition to the maximum awards above:

• Childcare: up to £750 per child (maximum of 3 children)
• Digital equipment: up to £400
• Enhanced funding: up to £500 for eligible low-income undergraduate Home students

Can the fund cover tuition fees?

How do I apply?

• Go to Funds → Hardship Fund.
• Complete the form, upload evidence, and submit.
• Need help? Contact the Funding Team at askthehub@essex.ac.uk.

How will I receive the payment?

• Payment may be made as:
• Cash, credit or supermarket vouchers via Essex Aspire (usually processed within 48 hours)
• Direct payment to landlord or childcare provider