International Students' Emergency Fund

The Scottish Government has made funds available to support students studying in Scotland who are not eligible for home fee status and/or living cost support in the academic year 2023/234. The funds are focused on supporting short-term living costs. The funds cannot be used towards tuition fees.

About this fund

The University has been awarded £12,346 from the Scottish Government to assist international students.  To qualify for support, students must have experienced a change in their financial circumstances and be at risk of not being able to continue with their studies due to that hardship caused by global conflict. Changes of circumstances can include being unable to return home because of conflicts, unable to access currency, or the fear of persecution.

 

When to apply

Applications open

Applications close when funds are exhausted

Who is the fund for? 

This fund helps students who are experiencing severe financial difficulty. 

  • Must have commenced studies in the academic year 2023/24 or earlier.
  • Must be fully matriculated on a full or part-time mode of study and physically studying in the UK.
  • Must be facing financial hardship as a result of a significant change of circumstances and at risk of not being able to continue with their studies.
  • Must be non-UK domiciled on an international fee place OR be UK domiciled but not eligible to receive living cost support from a UK funding body.
  • Must have applied to the Home Office for a form of leave or extension and are NOT eligible for living cost support from SAAS. Asylum seekers are eligible as they are not entitled to living cost support from SAAS.

Who isn’t eligible for this fund? 

  • Students who have a fee status of Home
  • Students who are UK domiciled
  • Students unaffected by worldwide turmoil
  • Students who have yet to fully matriculate for their degree programme or are on an interruption of studies
  • International joint degree, visiting or exchange students. Students should seek support from their home institutions
  • Those not eligible, should seek support from our Financial Support Fund

What can I get help with? 

You may be eligible for support if you struggle to manage your basic living costs.  

What costs are supported? 

  • shortfalls in living costs 
  • debts that threaten your home or access to essential services 
  • unexpected or emergency cost

What doesn’t qualify for support? 

  • tuition fees 
  • applying for funds to support family living outwith the UK​​​​​
  • travel costs for study abroad 
  • non-essential debts  
  • anticipated costs
  • replace loss income

Speak to someone 

Before applying for support, discuss your situation with the Welfare Advisors at the Students’ Association’s Advice Place.  They can advise you on your application and help you access additional support. 

The Advice Place 

Applying 

The application form sites within EdHelp. You will need your University login to access the form. 

Documents required 

  • Any documentation that supports the information you provide in your personal statement. 
  • 8 weeks  of statements from all the bank accounts you hold up to the application date , including digital savings accounts, ISAs, cryptocurrency, digital assets, social media wallets, overseas accounts and shared accounts.  This includes WeChat, Alipay and Webo.
  • 8 weeks of statements from all the bank accounts your spouse or a partner you live with holds, up to the application date. 
    • If applicants are holding money for friends or family - this will be treated as your own available funds
  • Evidence of any income your receive, pay-slips, funding, or student loan award letters. 
  • Evidence of any debt you have, credit card statements or default letters. 
  • A copy of your lease if you rent. 
  • Proof of your mortgage or rent costs. 
  • Evidence of childcare costs you pay. 

Screenshots will not be accepted. Please supply full digital statements or documents, preferably PDFs. Scans of paper documents are also acceptable.

Bank statements should be dated within a week of your application and show the:

  • account holder name 
  • account number 
  • transaction details 
  • current balance. 

Information we will ask you for 

  • your fee status 
  • your family situation, partner, dependents and children 
  • your residency situation 
  • a personal statement explaining why you need financial support 
  • sources of funding you receive 
  • your living situation 
  • your financial situation and any debts you might have 
  • your UK bank account details 
  • how many instalments you would like to be paid in. 

Application Form

 

Next steps 

When you submit your application, we will email you a call number. Quote this number when you contact us. 

Getting a decision 

We can receive up to 1,000 applications per year. We do our best to assess applications as quickly as possible. We start assessing your application once all your documentation has been received. Collect all the required documents before starting your application for a faster decision.  

You will receive an email about our decision.

Your first payment will be transferred to your nominated UK bank account within 10 days, provided your bank details have been added. 

 

How is my application assessed?  

With limited funds, we must assess which students most need our help.  

Priority groups 

Priority will be given to students who are: 

  • asylum seekers
  • lone parent 
  • care leavers/care experienced 
  • students estranged from their parents or guardians

We evaluate how much money you have in income and savings and how much you spend on essential and non-essential expenses. If you have a shortfall, you may qualify for an award. 

We do this by assessing your household income, savings and spending using the documents you provide. We evaluate your essential expenses against a capped amount per week. 

 

Circumstances that may affect your application

Awards will be reduced or refused in the following circumstances: 

  • Student loans – You have not applied for your full income-based student loan (if you are eligible). 
  • Savings - You have sufficient money available to you in savings. 
  • Non-essential overspending - You spend more than £500 per month on non-essential expenses such as takeaways, alcohol, eating out, clothing or recreation/entertainment. 
  • Gambling - You spend £100 or more per month on gambling 

If you are successful, we will pay to your nominated bank account. Please use this link to add the details: 

Finance - Add or Amend My Email Address or Bank Details on My Student Record - Self-Service Portal (unidesk.ac.uk)

 

Disputes, appeals and fraudulent applications

We hope that your application process goes as smoothly as possible. If you have any issues with our decisions, we have a dispute and appeals procedure that you can follow. If we discover that your application or any documents you provide us are fraudulent, we will investigate.

Disputes, appeals and fraudulent applications

Resources

Frequently asked questions

 

Contact

Scholarships and Financial Support Team

Contact details

 

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