Student Support Funds at Kingston University

With the current cost of living and a distinct lack of increases to the overall UK student maintenance loan provision, some home students may currently be struggling to meet the living costs that typically go alongside full-time study. Whilst there's definitely ways you can help out your bank account - such as find a part-time job on or off campus and sticking to a strict budget - if you're a Kingston University student, there's support available from the university itself. Here's a quick run-down of Kingston University's three main support funds. :smile:

Student Support Fund
The Student Support Fund is the first of Kingston University’s support funds, intended to support both undergraduate and postgraduate Home fee-paying students who experience a shortfall in their living expenses. It can help meet both standard costs you might experience as a student (such as rent and groceries) and non-standard costs (such as emergency household repairs or new medication).

I personally made use of the Student Support Fund when I found out I had a large portion of rent due months in advance of my next Student Finance NI maintenance loan payment. After filling out a short form detailing my average current expenses, I was given the opportunity to explain my financial situation in detail. Then, after submitting three months of bank statements to support my expenses estimation, I was contacted within three weeks by the KU Bursary team with the details of the amount awarded to me and when it would be paid.

Please note that it's a good idea to apply some time in advance of when you would actually require the funds - although decisions typically take around four weeks, they can take longer at peak times! The funding documents and link to apply on the Money page of MyKingston, so I'd definitely recommend checking it out if you're a home student currently experiencing some financial difficulties.

Travel Fund
The Travel Fund is a Kingston University support fund intended to help support students with any travel costs they might incur relating to their course.

Travelling, as we all know, can be expensive, especially when you're a university student on a budget. If your course offers a study abroad option that you want to take part in, arranging flights and meeting living costs in your chosen destination can sometimes be quite pricey - so hopefully this fund can help ease some of that financial pressure.

The 2024/25 Travel Fund should open later this month, so if you're planning to take part in the Study Abroad programme/one of the university supported volunteering schemes, or simply need some help funding a course-related field trip, make sure to keep your eyes peeled for when it opens and apply soon. The caps for the maximum amounts awarded can be found on MyKingston.

Back On Track Fund
The Back on Track Fund is a support fund aimed at undergraduate home students with household incomes of less than £42,875 who are currently a short-term financial problem - whether that be a sudden increase in the costs of commuting to university, affording a tenancy deposit or re-purchasing lost/stolen property.

As the fund is limited, it's recommended you only apply if you need it and meet the full eligibility criteria. After applying, you should receive an outcome within 10 working days.

The Back on Track Fund will be relaunched shortly, so if you are experiencing a short-term financial problem, check out the Money section of MyKingston for further details on applying when it opens. If you're experiencing financial difficulties before then, reach out to one of the university’s several money advisors at [email protected] for further advice and support.

Hope this was helpful! If you have any questions or personal experiences of using the KU student support fund like I do, feel free to drop them down below! :biggrin: