Application for Financial Assistance

inFormAtion For All students Please read the following information before completing the application form. When you have completed the form, sign and date it, remove this top sheet and send the form, together with all documentary evidence attached, to: Discretionary Fund Application Scholarships and Student Funding Services Old College South Bridge Edinburgh EH8 9YL The University administers a number of discretionary funds provided by the government to offer stop-gap assistance to UK national undergraduate and postgraduate students experiencing genuine financial difficulties. We also administer a discretionary Childcare Fund provided by the Scottish Government as well as a Common Bursaries Fund for EU, overseas and other categories of students who may not be eligible for a UK Government award. Limited funds are also available to help students who have interrupted their studies for medical reasons. You can apply to the funds at any point in the academic year and you can apply more than once. However, the available funds are limited and are designed to provide non-repayable assistance for students in financial difficulties they are not sufficient nor intended to be a students primary source of income. In general, any maintenance award will be calculated for the remainder of the academic year appropriate to your programme of study from the date your application and documentary evidence is received. The EUSA Advice Place at Potterrow and Kings Building offers free, confidential and independent advice on a range of issues including money issues, benefits, accommodation problems, etc. Part or all of an award may be paid direct to Accommodation Services to repay an outstanding debt or to EUSA to repay an outstanding small loan or late award debt. Limited support is available to students during the summer vacation in certain circumstances if they have to remain in Edinburgh during this period. Applications will normally be assessed within 15 working days following receipt of the form and appropriate documentation in Registry.If successful, it can take up to a further 10 working days for a payment to be processed and received. The end of semester 1 is a peak period for the receipt of large numbers of applications and, in order that we can ensure payment of any discretionary awards before the University closes for the Christmas/New Year period, students are advised to submit any applications by mid November. Applications cannot be processed until all relevant documentary evidence is supplied. Any requests for further information will be made to students university email accounts. uK undergrAduAte students (including Pgde students) Full-time UK students must have taken out a maintenance student loan, if eligible, and applied for the full amount to which they are entitled before receiving help from the government discretionary funds. Students do not need to have taken out their tuition fee loan (if eligible) in order to receive assistance from the government discretionary funds. Childcare support is available from the Childcare Fund for formal registered childcare expenses for dependant children this includes, childminders, after school clubs, sitter services and providers of pre-school education. However, please be aware that it may not be possible for the funds to meet your childcare costs in full. If your childcare arrangements are not registered, you can still receive support from the discretionary funds. uK PostgrAduAte students The monies available from the government discretionary funds are less than those available to undergraduate students and students are expected to have already exhausted all the other possible sources of funding available to them including bank overdrafts. eu, overseAs And selF-Funding students If you are an EU, overseas or self-funding student, you are not eligible for assistance from any of the government discretionary funds but you can apply to the University for an emergency award from the Common Bursaries Fund if you suddenly find yourself in financial difficulties due to unforeseen problems. These funds are extremely limited and therefore awards are significantly lower than awards given from Government Funds. Students who have interrupted their studies for medical reasons, may be eligible for a limited award from the Common Bursaries Fund and should speak with staff at any of the EUSA Advice Places.

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Application for Financial Assistance for Matriculated Students

About you
University Student Number Surname Title First Name

All correspondence will be sent to your semester address. If you apply in the three weeks prior to the vacation period, please indicate if you wish correspondence to be sent to your home address.

Semester Address

Home Address

Postcode Phone Marital/Civil Partnership Status

Postcode Phone Age

About your studies

College (eg HSS) Degree and programme studied (eg MA French/MSc Politics) Current year of study Expected date of graduation

For oFFice use only

Matriculated Method of Study Fee Status/Nationality DATE: Yes FT Home No PT EU Overseas

About your FinAnciAl circumstAnces

Are you in receipt of any funding towards your living costs? - If yes, please supply a copy of your award letter(s) (showing parental contribution where appropriate) (eg student loan, bursary award, funding council, sponsor, scholarship, career development loan) Do you receive any income from other sources? No Yes

No

Yes

- If yes, please specify (eg regular allowance from parents, part-time work, tax credits, state benefits, money from lodgers, child support)

Do you have any capital/savings (this includes shares, money in building society, bank, etc)? - If yes, please supply appropriate documentary evidence

No

Yes

breakdown of Anticipated Household expenditure Please provide a breakdown of your anticipated household expenditure during the academic session. Use a separate sheet of paper if necessary. Please give all amounts as per week figures and note that when calculating your weekly rent, you should multiply your monthly rent by 12 and divide by 52. Weekly Expenditure accommodation food gas, electricity telephone clothes travel books and stationery entertainment child care costs other (please specify) Office Use only Office Use Only

Provide details of all bank accounts and overdraft limits (continue on special circumstances page if nesscessary) Name of Bank: Account no: Overdraft limit: If you have not applied for an overdraft, why not? Name of Bank: Account no: Overdraft limit:

Do you have any source of credit available to you (eg Mastercard/Visa/Store cards)?

No

Yes

Give full details of amount available and repayment details Please supply copies of your most recent statement(s)
Source Credit limit Outstanding debt Monthly repayment

Do you have any other outstanding debts (eg utility bills/rent/mortgage)? - If yes, please provide documentary evidence
Description of debt

No

Yes

Outstanding amount

Have you applied for a Small Loan through EUSA?

No

Yes Yes

- If yes, what amount is outstanding? - If yes, what amount is outstanding?

Have you applied for a Late Grant Award through EUSA? No

About your PArtner/dePendAnts

Do you have dependants who live with you whom you are expected to financially support? - If yes, please provide details name/date of birth/childcare arrangements (if applicable) Name of child Date of birth Childcare arrangements No Yes

Do you have dependants who do not normally live with you but for whom you provide financial support? - If yes, please provide details and amounts

No

Yes

Do you have a spouse/partner who shares a household with you? Does your spouse/partner have any income available to him/her? - Please provide details of all income (and appropriate documentary evidence, eg payslip, bank statement)

No No

Yes Yes

About WHere you live

Do you live with your parents or guardian? Do you live in University accommodation? Do you pay rent? How much do you pay per month? please provide documentary evidence Do you have a mortgage? How much do you pay per month? please provide documentary evidence No No No No Yes Yes Yes Yes

How much is your monthly insurance payment? please provide documentary evidence Name of lending institution

About your sPeciAl circumstAnces

All students should provide a written statement in support of their application. If you are applying for additional support as a result of exceptional circumstances, please supply supporting documentary evidence. Please continue on a separate sheet if necessary.

FinAnciAl AssistAnce monitoring Form

introduction this form is not used as part of the assessment of any award. The University is committed to a policy of Equal Opportunities to ensure that all applicants to the discretionary funds are treated fairly. This information is necessary as part of our monitoring responsibilities. The information you provide will be used for statistical monitoring purposes only. Personal information 1. Surname/family name Other names 2. University Student Number statistical information 3. Are you: Male Female

4. Which category best describes the ethnic group to which you belong: Asian or Asian british Indian Pakistani Bangladeshi Chinese Other please specify:

black or black british African White British mixed other ethnic background 5. Do you regard yourself as being disabled? Yes No Irish Scottish Other please specify: Caribbean Other please specify:

Please ensure that you have completed all appropriate sections of the application form and completed the financial assistance monitoring form. Please read and sign the declaration below. I understand that the University does not guarantee that all eligible students will receive an award from the discretionary funds. Also I understand that receipt of an award this academic session does not guarantee that such an award will automatically be available to me again. I declare that the information given on this form is complete and correct. I understand that, if I give information which is incorrect or incomplete, action may be taken to recover any award made to me and I may be barred from matriculation or graduation until the award is recovered.

Signature

Date

cHecKlist For documentAry evidence

Please supply photocopies only as these documents will be held on file and cannot be returned. Please note that your application will not be assessed until full documentary evidence has been received, it is in your own interest to use this checklist to ensure that you have included all the documents required to process your application.

you must suPPly

Award letter - both sides Student loan schedule - both sides (if applicable) Evidence of rent or mortgage payments three most recent months bank statements or printouts for all your accounts, including partners/spouses showing receipt of the current sessions latest grant/loan/bursary payments and current balance Proof of overdraft limit from bank

You must supply if applicable

Evidence of childcare costs - this must show evidence that there is registered or formal childcare if applying to the Childcare Fund Evidence of application for Career Development Loan Evidence of award(s) from trusts, charities, bursaries etc Evidence of capital/savings available to you Benefits (Tax Credits, Income, Housing etc) Wage slip for part-time work Most recent credit card statement(s) Evidence of rent or mortgage arrears Any other documentary evidence to support your statement of financial difficulties

The completed, signed and dated form, together with all documentary evidence attached, should be returned to: discretionary Fund Application Scholarships and Student Funding Services Old College South Bridge Edinburgh EH8 9YL