Student Funding Service

The university has received funding from the Scottish Government in order to support students that find themselves in ‘Digital Poverty’ IE not having the funds to buy a device that allows them to study online due to the pandemic. Under the regulations of the scheme the university has purchased laptops that can be lent to students for the duration of their course.

We realise that some students face particular financial difficulties and priority will be given to the same group that are a priority for the Discretionary (Hardship) Funds. These will be students that are care experienced, carers, estranged, single parents, young students in receipt of the young student bursary, and mature students in receipt of the mature student bursary. Applications are not limited to these students however and will be looked at on a case by case basis.

Please email technologysupportfund@qmu.ac.uk if you wish to apply for the long term loan of a laptop, giving a brief explanation of your circumstances. You will then be sent the link to the short online application form along with information about the evidence you will need to submit to support your application. This will normally be evidence of funding from your funding authority eg SAAS and a recent bank statement.

Students that cannot apply for a laptop through this initiative are those that have chosen not to take the student loan available to them, research students and students already in receipt of a laptop through Disabled students allowance.

Unfortunately we are unable to make short term laptop loans due to, for example, a student having their laptop repaired.

Each of the following funds are available to help students that find themselves in financial difficulty or require support with registered childcare costs. In order to access any of these funds you must complete the Application for Financial Assistance.

The Discretionary Fund

This fund is provided by the Scottish government and can help students that find themselves in difficulty with unexpected or unforeseen financial circumstances. All undergraduate and postgraduate students from the UK that have accessed the full student funding package available to them can apply. Assessments are made based on household income and expenditure for the academic year. Nursing students and International students cannot apply to this fund.

The Childcare Fund 

This fund is provided by the Scottish government and can help students that have registered childcare costs such as nursery, childminder and after school club. All undergraduate and postgraduate students from the UK that have accessed the full student funding package available to them can apply. Assessments are made based on household income and expenditure for the academic year. Nursing students, Paramedic Science students and International students cannot apply to this fund. 

The Nursing Discretionary Fund  

This fund is provided by the Scottish government and can help nursing students that find themselves in difficulty with unexpected or unforeseen financial circumstances. All undergraduate students from the UK that have accessed the full student funding package available to them can apply. Assessments are made based on household income and expenditure for the academic year. Due to the size of the fund there is no support for childcare costs available and the maximum award in any academic year is £500. 

The International Hardship Fund  

This fund is provided by the university and can help students that find themselves in difficulty with unexpected or unforeseen financial circumstances. All undergraduate and postgraduate students from outwith the UK can apply. Assessments are made based on income and expenditure for the academic year.

You can use the online application to make an application to the Childcare Fund, Discretionary Fund (formerly the Hardship Fund), Nursing Discretionary Fund or the International Hardship Fund.

Please read the notes carefully before completing the form and submit the supporting evidence in the correct format. This would be through scanning and sending by pdf attachment to studentfunding@qmu.ac.uk.

Online Budgeting

 There are several websites where you can put in details about your income and expenditure. An online calculator then works out the difference. Change a few figures and see the impact of spending more or less on different things or the result if you gave up a part-time job.

 Other sites include:

• MoneySavingExpert.Com's budget planner – a different approach which looks at how much you spend over the whole year, not just each month. Really useful for all students.
• Budget Calculator – a helpful calculator for undergraduate students who get their funding from Student Finance England
• British Council Website 
• The Money Advice Service's budget planner – very useful if you have children or a mortgage. There are some other budgeting tools on the same site including the cutback calculator and moneystretcher.

What to do next

Once you've worked out the difference between your income and expenditure, you can start to take action.

• Can you cut back on spending in any area?
• Do you need to do something about debt?
• Could you apply for Discretionary or Assistance Funding?
• Should you think about getting a part-time job
• Are there other sources of funding you could consider?
• Decide how much you can spend on different things – and try and stick to your budget

Check the top tips for living well on not a lot...

It’s YOUR money; don’t settle for less, plan for more.

                  Shop savvy

• Go shopping with a friend and share the multi-buy offers
• Buy Store's own brands; cheaper but just the same
• Never go to the supermarket hungry
• Always use a price comparison website – use cash back sites like QUIDCO
• Try charity shopping for clothing, books, gifts etc. – lower your carbon footprint too
• Always ask for a student discount even if not advertised
• Download vouchers from Money Saving Expert – good tips too!‌
• Look out for voucher codes on the My Voucher Codes website
• Don't take kids shopping with you!

                  Write it down

• Always write a shopping list and only buy what you have written down‌
• Give yourself a budget and stick to it

                  Eat well for less

• Cook food from scratch and freeze the rest for later
• Cook together with your flatmates
• Bring a packed lunch instead of buying lunch
• A coffee a day, costs mount up. Bring your own coffee flask

                   Some useful sites

• Money Saving Expert – tips for making your money go further and not spending at all
• Get The Money Charity Spendometer app – one way to keep track of spending. Check our budgeting page for more detailed tools too.

Anyone can fall into debt from time to time, however it is important that you don’t bury your head in the sand and ignore the debt. There are some easy practical steps you can take to avoid debt.

                  Trying to avoid debt

• Managing your money – begin by planning a budget.
• Maximise your income – look at the options you have to access additional (free) money and the information on University Hardship Funds.
• Minimise your expenditure – look at your budget and check the things you can do without or that you can buy cheaper. Go onto money saving websites for vouchers and money back schemes, use your student card for discounts; check out websites such as Money Saving Expert.

                   Existing debt

• If you have debts before starting university, don't ignore them. Find out what you can do to minimise payments or make the debt more manageable.
• Some debts are more important to pay than others, for example always make sure that you pay your rent and have a roof over your head.

                   Useful links

• Money Advice Scotland – links to free advice agencies in your area.
• National Debtline – telephone helpline, fact sheets, model letters, debt advice and more.
• Debt Help Plan – free advice from moneysaving expert to help you manage your debts and work out a successful route to financial freedom
• Step Change Debt Charity – offering free, confidential advice and support to anyone who is worried about debt.
• Find out all about credit rating, including a quick credit checker tool at Money Saving Expert.

Easy money with no strings attached? If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is.

There is no such thing as ‘money for nothing’, if you move money from an unknown source into your account you are potentially committing a crime with serious consequences. Money Laundering by becoming a Money Mule supports organised crime. These criminal groups may be involved in serious criminal activity such as human trafficking, child sexual abuse and exploitation or blackmail and extortion. It is not a victimless crime. 

Tips to avoid becoming a Money Mule

1 – Don’t give your bank account details to anyone unless you know and trust them.

2 – Be wary of job offers where all interactions and transactions will be done online.

3 – Be cautious of unsolicited offers of easy money.

4 – Research any company that makes you a job offer and confirm that their contact details are genuine.

5 – Be wary of job offers from overseas. It will make it harder for you to find out if they are legitimate.

6 – Be wary of job adverts that are written in poor English with grammatical errors and spelling mistakes.

You can find further information on the Money Mules website

If you have any questions then please contact the Student Funding Adviser or come to a drop-in session – studentfunding@qmu.ac.uk