If you are in financial hardship, please read the information below 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.
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, or due to studying part-time, 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 of why you have these funds.
If you receive an award this will be a one off payment to help support you for a short period of time, e.g. 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.
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 (or rent payments clearly shown on bank statement)
1 month bank statement of ALL bank accounts including savings, ISA, Paypal etc. Please ensure that these contain full account information and are recent, i.e. including up to the date of application. Please note that the assessment team may request further statements, especially if a previous award has been made.
Optional - Any other documentary evidence to support your application e.g. 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 month 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 15 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.
If 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, e.g. 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
Evidence of mortgage/rent agreement (or rent payments clearly shown on bank statement)
1 month bank statement from ALL bank accounts including savings, ISA, Paypal etc. Please ensure that these contain full account information and are recent, i.e. including up to the date of application. Please note that the assessment team may request further statements, especially if a previous award has been made.
Optional - Any other documentary evidence to support your application e.g. 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 month bank statement from all of 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 15 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 2023Student 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
Keep track of your spending with the personal budget planner. Everyone's income and expenditures and financial priorities will be a little different so make sure you figure out what's best for you!
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.
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.
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.
