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Student Services

Hardship Funds

UK students

If after planning your budget for the year and working whenever you can, you are still unable to make ends meet, you should consider applying for a grant from SOAS’s Access to Learning Fund. This fund is provided by the government to universities to enable them to provide, at their discretion but under national guidelines, financial support to home students, where access to education might be inhibited by financial considerations or where students face exceptional or unforeseen financial difficulties.

The new form will be available from the start of the academic year, assessments will start from reading week.

The Access to Learning Fund can also help students with above average needs, for example students with dependents, disabled students, lone parents, mature students and final year students.

If you have child care costs then please complete this form to apply for the SOAS Childcare fund.

Application forms are also available from:

  • The Student Services department at Vernon Square
  • The Students’ Union office at Russell Square

EU & International students

International and European Union students, who encounter unforeseen or exceptional hardship, may be able to apply for a small grant or loan. Grants are £500 maximum. Loans are £200 maximum.

We have 24 grants of £500 each for students who fulfil one or more of the following criteria:

  • Final year undergraduate
  • From a developing country
  • PhD student writing-up
  • Masters student writing dissertation

 

We also have 6 grants of £500 for EU and International Students with childcare costs.
We have a small fund for students from India, Pakistan or Bangladesh
We have a small fund for general hardship grants and emergency £200 loans

If you feel you meet the above criteria, please email welfare@soas.ac.uk for a SOAS Hardship Fund application form.

Other sources of help

Debt counselling and advice 

is available from the Consumer Credit Counselling Service. They publish a student debt guide which is free to download. Please visit: www.cccs.co.uk/Studentdebtadviceguide.aspx

If you do get into debt, however small, the golden rule is don't ignore it, do something about it. Even if there is no way of reducing the debt or you can’t see a way out, someone else may be able to help. Talk to someone about it – there may be a solution. The Welfare Advisers are experienced at working with students with financial problems and will help to work out the best solution to every situation.

Useful websites:
International Student & Welfare Adviser

Tel: 020 7074 5014
e-mail: welfare@soas.ac.uk
Student Welfare Office, Vernon Square, Room V302