How do I get my flight grant?

Hi,

I am about 5 weeks from when I am supposed to be flying out to Hong Kong to start my year abroad. It was originally indicated to me that I would receive some sort of form to fill out regarding getting a grant for flight expenses when my student finance statement came through, but that came through about a week and a half ago and I haven't received or heard anything about the grant. I'm also really struggling to understand how it works despite reading as much as I could find on it - Do I receive the funds prior to buying the flights or is it REimbursed, because the flights are generally quite expensive. I'm also struggling to find a clear indication of what kind of flight I can be given the grant for - obviously I won't be booking first class and it will be economy, but would I need to go so cheap that I'd have to go through multiple stopovers or can I go for a direct?
Additionally, is would this grant be connected to a grant to cover medical insurance?

Thanks