Money Matters

Money Matters

The hardship Fund - if you are struggling with money due to unexpected or exeptional circumstances, you may be eligible to receive funding

Hardship Funds 

If you are in financial hardship, please read the information below in the Emergency Fund section as well as the Fees and Funding section which provides information about tuition fees, bursaries and scholarships. 

If you are experiencing a financial crisis, please email hardship@abdn.ac.uk to speak to an adviser before making an application to any of the funds.

Money Advice

If you are experiencing financial difficulties and would like to discuss your personal circumstances with an adviser please email hardship@abdn.ac.uk. Student Support can provide advice about student loans, loans from other sources, budgeting and financial assistance for students. They can also help you to make contact with your funding body if you are having issues.  We can signpost you to other services who can assist you with money advice.

For advice on coping with the rising cost of living, see our Cost of Living page.

Financial Assistance for UK Students

If you are a registered student, and you receive a student loan from a UK funding body, we have Discretionary Funding which may be able to assist you if you are in financial hardship. If you are not eligible to apply for a student loan due to the nature of the programme you are studying, we may also be able to assist you if you are in financial hardship.

Applications will be assessed based on unexpected and/or exceptional circumstances.  Please ensure you provide comprehensive information about your circumstances and why you are in hardship.  If you have savings that are for study related expenses eg rent, fees etc please provide evidence.

If you receive an award this will be a one off award to help support you for a short period of time eg towards the cost of food but you can apply again if your circumstances do not improve.  We cannot guarantee that further applications will be awarded but we do encourage you to contact us to discuss your circumstances with an adviser if they are ongoing.  We may ask for evidence on how your last award was spent.

Please note that awards may be awarded in food vouchers or digital equipment, and depending on your circumstances it may not always be an award made directly to your bank account.

There are no hardship funds to assist with the cost of tuition fees which are an expected cost of study.

To apply, please submit a Discretionary Application Form and return by email to hardship@abdn.ac.uk along with all the relevant evidence

Along with your signed Application form you must submit the following evidence:

  • Your award letter from your funding body, i.e. SAAS/SFE/SFW/SFNI 
  • Student loan payment breakdown letter
  • Evidence of mortgage/rent agreement
  • 1 months bank statement of ALL bank accounts including savings, ISA, Paypal etc., please ensure that these contain full account information.  Please note that the assessment team may request to ask for more evidence, especially if a previous award has been made.
  • Any other documentary evidence to support your application eg credit card statements, utility bills, evidence of rent arrears or overdue bills etc
  • If you have included your partner on your application, you are required to submit 1 months bank statement of all their bank accounts.

We can accept documents in the following formats; PDF, JPEG, PNG, Word.  If sending images please ensure that these are clearly labelled.

Please ensure that you complete the online Student Bank Details Form. Your details must be on the University of Aberdeen’s Finance System before your application can be processed. If you change your bank account you must update your new details online to make sure payments go directly into your new bank account.

If your application is received with all of the requested evidence, you should receive an outcome within 5-10 working days. This process can take longer when additional evidence is requested by the assessment team. Please note that the assessment team may ask for further evidence at their discretion, particularly for repeat applications or when the evidence supplied is unclear. 

Financial Assistance for International Students

If you are an international student and you are struggling financially due to unforeseen or unexpected circumstances you can apply to the 'Emergency Fund'.  

If you receive an award this will be a one-off award to help support you for a short period of time eg to help towards the cost of food.  If your circumstances do not improve, we encourage you to contact us to discuss your circumstances.  Please email hardship@abdn.ac.uk to arrange an appointment.  We cannot guarantee that further applications will be successful.  We may also ask for evidence on how your last award was spent.

Please note that awards may be awarded in food vouchers or digital equipment, and depending on your circumstances it may not always be an award made directly to your bank account.

There are no hardship funds to assist with the cost of tuition fees or accommodation fees which are an expected cost of study.

To apply, please submit a Emergency Application Form and return by email to hardship@abdn.ac.uk along with all the relevant evidence.  Whilst you will not be eligible for discretionary funding, this form captures the information we require about your circumstances and will allow us to assess your application using the funds we do have for International students. 

Along with your signed Application form you must submit the following evidence:

  • Evidence of any student funding you receive (if applicable)
  • Evidence of mortgage/rent agreement
  • 1 months bank statements of ALL bank accounts including overseas accounts, savings etc
  • Any other documentary evidence to support your application eg credit card statements, utility bills, evidence of rent arrears or overdue bills etc
  • If you have included your partner on your application, you are required to submit 1 months bank statements of all their bank accounts.

We can accept documents in the following formats; PDF, JPEG, PNG, Word.  If sending images please ensure that these are clearly labelled.

Please ensure that you complete the online Student Bank Details Form. Your details have to be on the University of Aberdeen’s Finance System before your application can be processed. If you change your bank account you must update your new details online to make sure payments go directly into your new bank account.

If your application is received with all of the requested evidence, you should receive an outcome within 5-10 working days. This process can take longer when additional evidence is requested by the assessment team. Please note that the assessment team may ask for further evidence at their discretion, particularly for repeat applications or when the evidence supplied is unclear.  

Childcare Fund

The Childcare Fund provides assistance with the formal childcare expenses for dependant children.  Formal childcare includes registered childminders, after-school clubs, and providers of day care and education.

Am I eligible to apply to the Childcare Fund?

If you wish to apply please read the Childcare Fund Guidelines, complete the Childcare Fund Application form and email along with your evidence to hardship@abdn.ac.uk.

If you have any queries please email hardship@abdn.ac.uk.

Please note that the childcare fund can assist with costs during term-time only.

Digital Poverty Fund

If you are a registered student, we have a Digital Poverty Fund which may be able to assist you with loan equipment such as a laptop, or WiFi equipment, if you are in financial hardship.

If you feel like this is something that might help you, please submit an Emergency Application Form and return by email to hardship@abdn.ac.uk along with all of the relevant evidence

Support for Victims of Assault/Harassment

In addition to a range of advice and emotional support we can offer if you have been a victim/survivor of assault or any form of harassment, we will work with you to ensure that any impact that your experience may have on your studies, and your funding, is minimised.

We work with funding bodies to make use of additional funding years when available and we also have funding available to support students in need with emergency, and ongoing costs, linked to your experience. We will work with you to discuss a bespoke support package that may include support with your travel expenses, living costs and emergency accommodation.

We also have a supply of stationary items, clothing and bedding that can be provided to you in order to ensure minimal disruption to your studies. We will do our best to cater for any need that we can, so please do reach out and ask for support.

To speak to someone about harassment you may have experienced, please contact student.support@abdn.ac.uk or you can make a report to us on the Online Reporting Tool.

Financial Support for Law Students

The AS Foundation is a social mobility charity focused on removing financial barriers for aspiring solicitors. They provide grants such as discounted course fees, laptops, business clothing, study resources and travel tickets to aspiring solicitors from lower socio-economic backgrounds to help boost social mobility within the field of law and make the legal profession a more diverse and representative place. 

John Robb Bursary

The John Robb Bursary is a specific grant available to students at Aberdeen University with a connection to Aberdeen. These grants are awarded from Aberdeen Endowments Trust and can be applied for at any stage of the course and are available for undergraduate and postgraduate study. Recent grants have been for £500 per year with continuation provided there is satisfactory progress made by the student. 

Please carefully read the criteria and ensure you complete the full form with all requested information.  Once complete please submit your application to hello@aet1909.org.  

Applicants will be contacted directly by the trust administrators, and will receive a cheque in the post if successful.

Advice for New Students

New students are advised to ensure that they have applied for their student finance by the date stipulated by their funding provider, i.e., SAAS or Student Finance England.

Please be aware that the payment of student finance is dependent on completion of registration. If not fully registered by the required date, there can often be delays in receiving the first payment. With this in mind, we recommend that all new students arrive with enough money to cover their living expenses for the first month at University.

Fees and Funding Opportunities

Please visit the Fees and Funding section of our website which provides information about tuition fee payments, bursaries and scholarships.

Budgeting & Money Saving

Coming to university can be a big change, and for many it’s the first time managing your own money. This might seem daunting, but don’t worry, there are plenty of ways to control your spending and even save money while at uni!

Discounts/freebies

  • Use your status as a student to sign up for student discounts, deals and freebies.  Have a read of the Summer 2023 Student Money Matters magazine for the most up to date information.
  • Get loyalty cards for your favourite shops: not only can you accumulate points, but you also might be entitled to further discounts
  • Sign up for free trial periods - just remember to cancel before the time is up!

Budget

Bank Accounts

  • Choose your bank account wisely. Never assume that your interest rates stay the same, banks can change the interest rate at any time
  • Do not get a bank account with a daily fee – if your account currently charges a daily fee, change account!

Transport

  • If you are under the age of 22, sign up for a free bus pass to save money on travel  
  • Get a free bike from BeCycle

Food

  • Arrange potlucks with your friends/flatmates to keep the cost of making a full meal down
  • Bored of your leftovers? Don’t buy expensive lunches, arrange to swap leftovers with your friends for varied meals at a low cost
  • Shop online to minimise the risk of straying from your grocery list and buying unnecessary items

 

Scams

Protect yourself against scams

A scam is a fraudulent scheme performed by a dishonest individual, group, or company to obtain money or something else of value. 

Scammers may think you are an easy target because you are away from home, family, and friends. You may be unfamiliar with local laws or not know where to go for help and advice.

Scams are now very sophisticated using impersonation techniques, stolen data, or personal details from social media to make you believe what they say is genuine.   The University is aware of sophisticated schemes which offer to pay tuition fees for students at a reduced rate. These should not be trusted.

Please only pay tuition and other fees using the University’s approved payment channels listed on our Making a Payment page.

If you fall victim of fraud you could lose your money, be unable to pay your tuition fees and living expenses so unable to continue with your studies, and for international students this could result in loss of your visa. If you knowingly participate in fraud, you could be arrested and end up with a criminal record. The University of Aberdeen will report fraud to the appropriate authorities.

Find out how to protect yourself online by watching the Information Security Toolkit or checking out Police Scotland's advice on internet safety

If you have concerns that you may have been targeted, and you wish to speak to someone, please email student.support@abdn.ac.uk or contact Police Scotland.

Hardship Data

1. The total number of applications received by the University for any of the Hardship Funds:

Academic Year

Number of Individual Applications

2023-2024 (Aug - Jan) 286

2022-2023

805

2021-2022

1354

2020-2021

1720

2019/2020

867

2018/2019

807

 

2. The total number of applications received by the University for each fund:

Academic Year 2018/2019

Number of Individual Applications

Discretionary

713

Childcare

47

International Hardship (AUSA)

47

 

Academic Year 2019/2020

Number of Individual Applications

Discretionary

648

Childcare

55

International Hardship (AUSA)

164

 

Academic Year 2020-2021

Number of Individual Applications

Discretionary

537 (UG) 89 (PG)

Childcare

34

International Hardship (AUSA)

87

Digital Poverty

20

SAAS Winter Discretionary Fund

784

SAAS Covid 19

38

Various other UOA Funds

131

 

Academic Year 2021-2022

Number of Individual Applications

Discretionary

390 (UG) 62 (PG)

Childcare

27

Digital Poverty

15

SAAS Covid 19

860

 

Academic Year 2022-2023

Number of Individual Applications

Discretionary

529 (UG) 53 (PG)

Childcare

16

Digital Poverty

20

Hardship Fund (SAAS)

187

 

Academic Year 2023-2024 (Aug - Jan)

Number of Individual Applications

Discretionary

210

Childcare

12

Digital Poverty

7

Hardship Fund (INT)

57

 

3. The total number of applications accepted, and the total number rejected by the University for any of the Hardship Funds:

Academic Year

Accepted

Rejected

2023-2024 (Aug - Jan) 250 36

2022-2023

735

70

2021-2022

1159

195

2020-2021

1466

254

2019/2020

731

136

2018/2019

760

47

 

4. The total amount of funds distributed by the Hardship Funds:

Academic Year

Amount of money distributed

2022-2023

£446,256.40

2021-2022

£ 851,689.16

2020-2021

£ 1,457,370.38

2019/2020

£437, 502.44

2018/2019

£455, 286.65

 

5. Any documentation relating to the procedures or guidelines considered by University staff when making decisions on hardship funding.

For Discretionary and Childcare Funds and International Emergency Fund, we follow the guidelines as outlined by SAAS:

SAAS - 2023 - Guidance - Discretionary Funds Guidance 2023-24.pdf

SAAS - 2023- Childcare Funds Guidance 2023-24 - FINAL.pdf

For other funds, such as the University Hardship fund, we apply similar guidelines in relation to the requirement of evidence, and we will assess based on unexpected and exceptional financial circumstances.

 

Hardship Fund Privacy Notice

Please see our Privacy Notice which details how the University processes students information when applying for hardship.