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What is the Financial Hardship Fund?
- This is a discretionary fund (provided by the Department for the Economy) for Home fee status/GB* students who are unable to meet their daily living expenses, due to the cost of attending University.
- Students must show that they started the academic year with sufficient funding to cover their Tuition fees and daily living costs.
- Students can submit one application per academic year (the academic year runs from September to August). Any awards paid are one-off grants, and as such, do not need to be repaid.
- Not all students that apply may receive an award.
- Awards can only be paid into UK Sterling bank accounts.
- The fund cannot be used to meet the cost of tuition fees nor a student's lifestyle.
- Successful applicants should be advised that payments from the fund may have implications for entitlement to social security benefits. Please check with your Social Security office for more information.
* Home fee status/GB students are those that meet the residency criteria in their relevant Student Funding jurisdiction within Northern Ireland, England, Scotland, Wales and ROI.
- Home fee status/GB students studying at Ulster University in Northern Ireland
- Students in receipt of full student loans, grants or bursaries (where applicable)
- Students completing a Full-time or Part-time course (studying at least 30 credits)
- Students completing an Undergraduate, Postgraduate taught or Postgraduate research course
- Those facing financial difficulties in paying their daily living costs due to the cost of coming to university
- Students who are on a leave of absence due to ill-health, caring responsibilities or on maternity leave may also apply.
- Overseas / EU students
- Students who have not taken the full student loans, grants or bursaries available to them
- Students who are registered for exams only / repeat without attendance
- Students who are on a year-out/gap year
- Students who have gambling, erratic or high non-course related spending
- Students who have already submitted an application earlier in the academic year
- The fund opens mid-October to mid-July each year.
- Applications are accessed via our online platform
- Students must upload all supporting evidence to their application, before submission.
- To proceed with an application, simply click on the link in the blue box below (only available when the fund is open).
- Students are asked to allow 20 working days, from the date all supporting evidence has been received, for applications to be fully processed.
If you have any queries regarding the fund, please email sma@ulster.ac.uk
Second Applications
We are now accepting second applications from students who fall into one of the following priority categories:
- Students on compulsory practice learning placements during July & August (e.g. nursing/medical students)
- Students re-sitting examinations as a first sit, due to extenuating circumstances
- Students who are unable to work during the summer due to illness, injury or an accident (please provide documentary evidence in support of same)
- Students with dependents who are limited or unable to work due to caring responsibilities
- Students completing an unpaid DPP placement year
For those wishing to apply, please submit a new application, uploading all supporting up-to-date documentary evidence.
Please note: We cannot copy evidence from your original application, thus it is essential that all supporting evidence is uploaded to avoid any unnecessary delays in processing.
The fund is now open.
The fund closed to final year students on 30 April 2026.
The fund will close for the academic year on Thursday 9 July 2026 at 5pm.
In this section
Supporting Evidence
All students must submit evidence in support of their application. See below for what is required.
Apply for the Fund
Find out how Home fee status/GB students can apply to the Financial Hardship fund
