2019/20 online application will be available via MyGlasgow, MyCampus Student Center from Monday 16th September.

In the meantime, please take time to read over the application process guide, supporting document guide and fund guidelines below.

If you intent to apply for the fund(s) please begin collating your supporting documents so you can submit a full application when the funds open.  Applications with documents missing will not be processed.

Application Process Guide - Discretionary & Childcare Funds

Supporting Document Guide - Discretionary and Childcare Funds

Eligibility

In order to apply for the Discretionary Fund you must:

Be in receipt of your full student loan entitlement (if eligible).

In order to apply for the Childcare Fund you must:

Be a full-time UK domiciled student.

Be eligible for tuition fee support from SAAS (not Student Finance).

Be in receipt of your full student maintenance loan entitlement (if eligible).

All students applying to the funds should be able to clearly demonstrate financial hardship via a shortfall between income and expenditure.

Who is not eligible?

• International Students (excluding EU students who have been ordinarily resident in the UK prior to starting their course and who are in receipt of the full student loan entitlement - if eligible).
• Young UK students who live in the family home during term-time and have no dependants.
• Students who have not taken out their full SLC student loan entitlement (if eligible).
• Students who are in receipt of an NHS Bursary (Nursing and Midwifery students).
• Students in receipt of Student Finance England/Northern Ireland/Wales tuition fee funding are not eligible for the Childcare Fund but can apply for the Discretionary Fund.
• Part-time students can’t apply for the Childcare Fund but can apply for the Discretionary Fund.

Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) provides Discretionary Funds to institutions. Guidelines issued by SAAS suggest that where a student is eligible to take out an SLC loan and has not done so then it would be reasonable to conclude that his or her circumstances were not sufficiently difficult to warrant assistance from the Discretionary or Childcare Funds.

Information

Funds are limited and we advise applicants to submit completed applications (including all supporting documents) as soon as possible after the start of the academic year.

Any funding awarded is unlikely to meet all needs and is not intended to be a student's primary source of income.

Long term awards will be paid in monthly instalments as a non-repayable grant; short term awards will generally be paid as a one-off non-repayable grant.

Childcare costs will be verified in liaison with childcare providers and any fraudulent claims reported as appropriate.

Childcare Fund awards are paid direct to students; we do not pay childcare providers direct.  It is your personal responsibility to ensure your childcare provider receives payment for the service provided.

Any student eligible to apply for a Student Loan is required to upload documentary proof of their full Student Loan entitlement when submitting an application. It will also be assumed that any assessed parental contribution is received in full unless a letter is provided detailing contrary circumstances.

Discretionary Fund - What support is available?

Accommodation Costs

Grants for accommodation costs will only be awarded if you live in:

• Your own home
• Accommodation rented from a private landlord
• A Council/Housing Association property
• Accommodation sub-leased from the University
• The University residences.

Support will not be provided towards particularly low accommodation costs or students who stay in the family home.

Student Carers

Students who are carers may be awarded a grant in recognition of the extra costs associated with this status.  Please clarify your status as a carer in your personal statement and upload any documentation which verifies your status.

Estranged Students

Estranged students may be awarded a grant from the fund in recognition of extra costs associated with this status.

An 'estranged student' is someone who no longer has the support of their family due to a breakdown in their relationship which has led to ceased contact. This might mean biological or adoptive parents or wider family members who have been responsible for supporting a student in the past. Estranged students have no experience of being in care and do not have a corporate parent responsible for them.

The University of Glasgow has specific support in place for estranged students, so if you are not care-experienced, but will be studying without the support of your family, please let us know.

Declaration of estrangement here will always be treated confidentially, and will only ever be used in a positive way, allowing us to contact you in regards the extra support that is available for you.

Disability

You may be eligible for a grant if you have additional costs arising from a disability, which are not already met by a grant awarding agency.

Mature/Independent Students

You may be eligible to receive an additional grant from the Discretionary Fund if:

• You are 25 or over on the first day of the current academic year
  or
• You are under 25 but have been granted independent status by your funding agency and are experiencing financial hardship

You will not be considered as a mature student if you receive any young student bursaries or allowances.

Part-Time Undergraduate Students

Part-time undergraduate students may also be eligible for support towards course and travel costs. You must be studying 60 credits or more.

Childcare Fund - What support is available?

Registered/Formal Childcare Costs

Registered Childcare Pro Forma

Grants can be made towards registered or formal childcare costs which are not covered from any other source, for full-time students eligible for SAAS tuition fee funding.

Students in receipt of Student Finance England/Northern Ireland/Wales tuition fee funding are not eligible for the Childcare Fund but can apply for the Discretionary Fund.

We cannot consider any childcare costs incurred by you before the start of your academic year for therefore your Registered Childcare Pro Forma should only be completed from the official start date of your academic year.  

Lone Parent Childcare Grant

The Lone Parents Childcare Grant (LPCG) is may be awarded to lone parents who have formal registered childcare expenses while studying.

How to apply

You can apply for both funds online, via your MyGlasgow Student Centre (click on the Financial Aid Applications link, under the Financial Aid heading on the left hand side of your Student Center).

If you believe you are eligible to apply for the Discretionary Fund and/or Childcare Fund but do not see the funds when searching via the Financial Aid Applications page, please contact the Financial Aid Team to explain how you meet the eligibility criteria.

It can take up to 4 weeks to process your completed application, especially during busy periods e.g. start of the academic year.

An application is only deemed as complete when all required supporting documents have been uploaded.

How to Submit an Appeal

If you disagree with the decision reached you are entitled to submit an appeal for your application to be reviewed.  When submitting an appeal, please clearly state your grounds for appeal and where appropriate supply additional documentary evidence to support the process.  All appeals must be received within 14 days of confirmation of the outcome of your original application. The review process can take up to two weeks and you will be notified via email of the outcome.

How to Request a Reassessment of your Application

If your financial circumstances change significantly after your application has been assessed please contact the Financial Aid Team to discuss a reassessment.

Appeals and Reassessments do not guarantee the award of funds.

Discretionary Fund GDPR Privacy Notice

Eligibility

All students registered on a degree programme are eligible.

How to apply

Crisis loans may be requested in person by attending a brief interview with a member of the Student Financial Aid Team in the Fraser Building, 1000 - 1200 Monday to Friday (new office hours).

Please contact the team in advance to arrange an appointment, wherever possible.

Please bring your student ID card and any supporting documentary evidence, i.e. bill to which the financial emergency relates.

Please also bring a printed mini-statment from your bank account (ATM on level 1 of the Fraser Building) or be prepared to show your current balance via a mobile device. 

Available support

A small amount of cash may be given as a short term loan. Loans are only offered to those who can demonstrate means of repayment.

The repayment deadline will be discussed with a member of Financial Aid Team.

If you have an outstanding crisis loan and have not repaid by the agreed date, no further loan will be issued to you.

Enquiries

If you have any questions about crisis loans please contact reg.finaid@glasgow.ac.uk

Dumfries Campus Students please contact Dumries Student Services: studentservices-dumfries@uws.ac.uk.

The University Hardship Fund is an endowment fund which provides limited funds to assist registered students of the University who, due to circumstances beyond their control, are experiencing genuine hardship, which is detrimental to the successful completion of their studies. Students should exhaust all other resources available to them before submitting an application.

The fund will not provide ongoing support to any single individual.

Eligibility

Registered students of the University of Glasgow, with the undernoted exceptions are eligible for support.

Who is not eligible:

• Students registered for a degree at the university but studying at an associated institution such as the Glasgow School of Art and the Scotland's Rural College
• Students entering the university under the Junior Year Abroad Scheme or other exchange schemes
• Home (UK) students with a non-standard form of study such as 'Dissertation Extension', ''Exams Only', 'Thesis Pending' etc. are normally not eligible to apply for support.  Please contact reg.finaid@glasgow.ac.uk to discuss your circumstances, or apply to the Discretionary Fund if you are Thesis Pending.
• Postgraduate students registered on a one year Masters Degree Programme will only be considered by the Committee in the most exceptional circumstances

Applicants who have received assistance from other funds may still be eligible for funding.

Applicants who have received support from the University Hardship Fund in a previous academic session will only be eligible for additional support under exceptional circumstances, as judged by the Financial Aid Team and University Hardship Fund Committee.  Mismanagement of personal finances would not be deemed sufficient reason for a second funding application.

How to apply

Collect an application form from one of the following locations:

• The Financial Aid Team, Registry, Fraser Building
• The International Student Welfare Adviser (Fraser Building)
• Student Services (Dumfries Campus)
• The School of Veterinary Medicine

Discuss your situation with your Advisor of Studies/Supervisor/Honours Convenor (Arts honours students only). Give them a completed application form with a copy of the Notes Of Guidance and the report form, together with any documentary evidence to support your application.

If you are an international student, you should firstly contact the International Student Support Team based in the Fraser Building to discuss your situation.

Once your application is submitted, together with all supporting documentation, you may be asked to appear before the Committee, which meets at regular intervals. The purpose of the interview is to allow you an opportunity to provide additional information and to assist the committee in reaching a decision on the application. The interview panel will normally be two people from the Committee and a representative from the Registry.

You will receive information of the outcome within a week, via an email sent to your University of Glasgow email account.

Available support

If the Committee decides to make a payment, this will be made as a grant.

Further information

This is not a scholarship or a compensation fund. It does not enable students to embark on a course of study or assist those who have made inadequate financial provision for their course of study. It does not provide ongoing support for an individual student.

Please note that an award from the Committee required to clear a particular debt will require documentary proof that the debt has been paid.

The University of Glasgow Hardship Fund is not available:

• To pay tuition fees
• To provide field course expenses, or conference expenses
• To provide assistance during the Christmas and Easter vacations (limited support may be available during the summer, but the Committee does not meet in August)
• To provide funds to meet the costs of writing up and binding a thesis
• To provide funds for students who are required to register beyond the minimum period of study for a degree e.g. 1 year for a Masters programme
• The loss or theft of personal belongings unless the student can demostrate that this has caused genuine hardship
• To clear debt accrued prior to commencing studies at the University of Glasgow

The Part-Time Fee Grant (PTFG) is administered by SAAS (Student Awards Agency for Scotland) and provides help each year towards the cost of tuition fees for part-time Undergraduate students studying 30-119 credits at a Scottish institution.

How to apply

An application only counts towards a year of the course. You must apply annually and submit a new application for each year of study.

1. Download an application form from the SAAS website
   
2. Complete enrolment on all courses for the full academic year via MyCampus.
   Select SAAS as your sponsor and confirm how much of your fees you would like SAAS to pay via the Part Time Fee Grant.  You will then be able to complete registration.
   
   
3. Complete SAAS PTFG application form
   
   If you are changing from full-time to part-time please cancel any full-time SAAS application before beginning the Part-Time Fee Grant application process.
   
   
4. Submit completed SAAS PTFG application form to the Student Services Front Desk on level 2 of the Fraser Building or by post:
   
   University of Glasgow
   Financial Aid; Registry,
   Fraser Building; Level 2,
   65 Hillhead Street; G12 8QQ
   
   Do not submit your application form unless you have enrolled on all courses for the full academic year and completed your application form.
   
   University of Glasgow will verify the number of credits you are enrolled for by checking your MyCampus record and endorse your application form via official stamp.
   
   You will be contacted within 5 working days via student email when your application is ready for collection. If you require your application form to be returned to you by post, please provide a stamped addressed envelope.
   
   If you enrol on further credits at a later date you may become personally liable for additional tuition fees.  Please notify reg.finaid@glasgow.ac.uk if you add credits before your form has been endorsed or parttimefeegrant@scotland.gsi.gov.uk if you do so after your application has been submitted to SAAS.
   
   If you have not been contacted within 5 days of submitting your form, Telephone: + 44 (0)141 330 8778/2216 or Email: reg.finaid@glasgow.ac.uk.
   
   
5. Collect your endorsed application form from the Student Services Enquiry Team (level 2 of the Fraser Building).
   
   
6. Check the number of credits on your stamped form is correct and match the funding you require.
   
   
7. Submit application to SAAS along with all required supporting documents.
   
   You should collect your application form and submit your full application to SAAS immediately after the form has been endorsed.
   
   The University of Glasgow will not submit your application form direct to SAAS on your behalf.
   
   
8. If you have not received your Award Notice within 28 days please contact SAAS immediately:  0300 300 3137 or parttimefeegrant@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
   
   
9. If award confirmation not received from SAAS by end of November 2018, notify finance-student@glasgow.ac.uk to explain why funding not confirmed.
   
   
10. Successful applicants will receive an Award Notice confirming the fee amount covered by SAAS.
    
    
11. The SAAS deadline for applications is 6 months from the start of your course however you should submit your application to the Financial Aid Team as soon as possible after your course begins and you have completed full enrolment for the year.

IMPORTANT NOTES:

If you are studying courses with Centre for Open Studies you should submit your application form to the Information Office in St Andrews Building and contact the Centre for Open Studies for full information on their application process:

Centre for Open Studies
Telephone: +44 (0)141 330 1835
Email: openstudies-enquiry@glasgow.ac.uk

It is strongly recommended you submit your application form to both the University of Glasgow and then SAAS as a matter of urgency.

The University of Glasgow will pursue any outstanding fees immediately if SAAS funding is not awarded by the end of December.  The University of Glasgow will only pursue students for fees, not SAAS.

If SAAS decline your application for any reason, you will be liable for the full costs of any outstanding tuition fees.

If you are changing from full-time to part-time please cancel any full-time SAAS application before beginning the Part-Time Fee Grant application process.

If you have any questions regarding your application, please contact SAAS directly on 0300 300 3137 or parttimefeegrant@scotland.gsi.gov.uk

What are my tuition fees?	You can check your tuition by logging into your MyGlasgow account. Further information on tuition fees for RUK students is available here.
Am I eligible for any additional funding as well as my Student Loan?	If you agree to share details of your household income with the University of Glasgow (answer "yes" on your Student Loan application) you will automatically be considered for the RUK Access Bursary. If you are an undergraduate student, your admissions application will be used to assess you for the RUK Excellence Scholarship. The Scholarships Team will contact you direct if you are awarded either of these funds.
How do I get paid?	Sign and return your loan paperwork to Student Finance/SAAS. Enter your Student Support Number (13 characters) from your loan paperwork on MyCampus when completing registration. Complete registration on MyCampus. The University of Glasgow will confirm your registration to the SLC, who will release your maintenance loan.
When will I be paid?	Provisional payment dates will be listed on your loan paperwork however before you can receive payment you must complete registration on MyCampus. After you complete registration on MyCampus it can take approximately 8 working days for your payment to reach you.  Subsequent payments should reach you closer to the dates listed on your loan paperwork.
My maintenance loan payments are incorrect.	Contact Student Finance or SAAS.
I am repeating a year of study, what do I do?	Create a support call via your MyGlasgow page providing as much detail as possible and assign to the Financial Aid team within the Registry. The Financial Aid team will then submit a Change of Circumstance request on the SLC system to update your loans. If you are repeating on an Exams Only basis you are not eligible for Student Loans. If you are repeating on a part time basis you may not be entitled to Student Loans, depending on the circumstances.  For example, if you are only enrolled on semester 2 courses you may only be eligible for loans for that part of the year.
Student Finance has told me the University needs to submit a Change of Circumstances.	Create a support call via your MyGlasgow page providing as much detail as possible and assign to the Financial Aid team within the Registry.
The University has contacted me regarding a tuition fee debt but I have a fee loan from the SLC.	Make sure your 13 character Student Support Number is recorded on MyCampus. Check your loan paperwork and MyCampus fees to ensure you have loans for the full fee. Create a support call via your MyGlasgow page providing as much detail as possible and assign to the Financial Aid team within the Registry.
The University is charging fees for my final year but my course on the Student Loans system doesn't allow me to take out a fee loan.	Please contact the financial aid team, who should be able to create and assign you to a course which includes fee loans for your final year. This situation can occur when you have already benefitted from a 'free' year, where no tuition fees were charged by the University e.g. a Study Abroad year.  When this happens, you will be charged a fee for your final year (excluding 5 year language degrees which do not charge fees for the year abroad or the final year).
How do I confirm my Study Abroad arrangements with Student Finance?	Please indicate on your loan application that you will be abroad and provide date/location details. Student Finance should then issue you with a Course Abroad Form (CAB1), which can be signed off by the University of Glasgow team organising your period abroad (normally the Study Abroad Team or your College/School Office).  Completed CAB1 should then be submitted to Student Finance. Study Abroad may entitle you to additional funding or early loan payments; please liaise with Student Finance for further information.
I was supposed to be overseas for the full year but have returned early.	Please notify your course admin contact, Financial Aid team and MRIO Go Abroad team via email. Please note your fees for the year will increase if you return early however these can normally be covered by an SLC tuition fee loan if you notify the financial aid team.
I want to withdraw from my studies.	Please liaise with your advisor of studies and course admin contact and submit a formal withdrawal request. Please consult the refund policy for information on your tuition fee liability in event of a withdrawal from studies.
I am transferring to the University of Glasgow from another University.	Make sure your 13 character Student Support Number is recorded on MyCampus.  Create a support call via your MyGlasgow page asking for a Transfer In Change of Circumstances to be submitted to the SLC.  Assign to the Financial Aid team within the Registry.
I am transferring to another University and leaving the University of Glasgow.	Please follow the withdrawal process as above and ask your new University to submit a Transfer In Change of Circumstance via the SLC portal.

When creating a support call via MyGlasgow please include your name, student number and SLC student support number (13 characters).

Dental students at the University of Glasgow can apply for a grant of £4,000 a year from second year onwards to help with the cost of their studies. This is called the Dental Student Support Grant (DSSG).

Full information including the application form is available on the Scottish Government's webpages.

The application deadline for 2018/19 is 31st December 2018 however an early application is recommended.

Students awarded DSSG will receive two instalments of £2000, at the end of September and the end of January (will differ if you apply late), paid direct via Financial Aid on MyCampus.  Any students awarded DSSG must ensure they enter UK bank details in MyCampus.

If you are due to receive payments via MyCampus Financial Aid from the University of Glasgow, you should enter UK bank details in MyCampus (pdf).

If you do not enter UK bank details on to your MyCampus account, payments will be delayed.  Please see the Student Stipend Calendar for further information.

Eligibility

In order to apply for a grant from the Nursing & Midwifery Discretionary Fund you must:

• Be a full-time or part-time (studying 60 credits or more) UK Resident student studying for a pre-registration Nursing/Midwifery University of Glasgow degree.
  and
• Be in receipt of your full bursary entitlement.

However, the available funds are limited and we advise applicants to submit completed applications as soon as possible after the start of the academic year.

It is difficult to say in advance the amount of grant that will be awarded. However, the total amount awarded is unlikely to meet all needs and is not intended to be a student's primary source of income. All awards will be paid in 3 installments: 1st installment paid upon application approval; 2nd in Jan; 3rd in March.

Please note, before paying instalments for childcare costs we will check with your childcare provider(s) that your child(ren) are still receiving childcare from them. Only then will we release payment to you. It is your responsibility to pay your childcare provider directly. 

Discretionary Fund

Accommodation Costs

Grants for accommodation costs will only be made to you if you are living in:

• Your own home,
• Accommodation rented from a private landlord,
• A Council/Housing Association,
• Accommodation sub-leased from the University, or
• The University residences.

Support will not be provided for particularly low accommodation costs.

Disability

You may be eligible if you have additional costs arising from a disability which are not already met by a grant awarding agency.

Mature/Independent Student Premium

You may be eligible to receive an additional premium from the fund if:

• You are 25 or over on the first day of the current academic year of your course, or
• You are under 25 but have been granted independent status by your funding agency and are experiencing hardship

You will not be considered as a mature student if you receive any Young Students Bursaries or allowances.

Students on part-time undergraduate degree programmes

As well as being eligible to apply to the Discretionary Funds under any one of the above categories, part-time students only may also be eligible for limited support towards course and travel costs. You must be studying 60 credits or more.

Dependant Child(ren)/Registered Childcare

Students with dependant child(ren) or who have dependant child(ren) who are in registered childcare but cannot access the Childcare Fund.  Grants can be made towards registered or formal childcare costs which are not covered from ANY other source.  Students will be expected to have applied for the childcare element of Tax Credits if eligible.  Students should also have applied for the NHS Dependants’ Allowance, Single Parents Allowance and Childcare Allowance for Parents, if eligible.

Additional eligibility information

Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) provides Discretionary Funds to institutions. Guidelines issued by SAAS suggest that where a student is eligible to take out an NHS Bursary and has not done so then it would be reasonable to conclude that his or her circumstances were not sufficiently difficult to warrant assistance from the Nursing & Midwifery Discretionary Fund.

Any student eligible to apply for a bursary will therefore be required to produce documentary proof of their full bursary entitlement when submitting an application form. It will also be assumed that any assessed parental contribution is received in full unless a letter is provided detailing contrary circumstances.

Who is not eligible?

• Students not registered and studying for a pre-registration Nursing & Midwifery degree at the University of Glasgow.
• International Students (excluding EU students who have been ordinarily resident in the UK prior to starting their course and who are in receipt of the full student loan entitlement - if eligible)
• Young, UK students who live in their parents home during term-time and have no dependants
• Students who have not taken out their full NHS Bursary entitlement (if eligible)

How to apply

Complete the application form below and submit along with ALL relevant documentary evidence to Registry, Financial Aid Team on Level 2 of the Fraser Building for processing. It normally takes up to 4 weeks to process acompleted application.  During busy periods e.g start of academic year application processing times may be longer.

Nursing & Midwifery Discretionary Fund Application Form

Nursing & Midwifery Fund Guidance Notes

Changes of financial circumstance

If your financial circumstances significantly change please contact a member of the Financial Aid Team to discuss your situation.Each case is considered on its individual merits at the time of application. However, previous applications - whether successful or not - will be taken into consideration.

Being re-assessed is not a guarantee of further funds.

If you disagree with the decision reached you are entitled to request a review of your application. Reviews are handled by email: reg.finaid@glasgow.ac.uk

How to request a review

Request a review of your application in writing, clearly stating the grounds for appeal and, where appropriate, supplying additional documentary evidence to support the review process. All requests for review must be received within 14 days of the date of the original decision letter. The review process can take up to two weeks.

The Financial Aid Team will pay annual membership fees for students who are Asylum Seekers and unable to access Student Loan funding.  Students requiring support should email the Financial Aid Team from their student email account, attaching proof of their Asylum Seeker status that they have been refused Student Loan funding.