Short-term Emergency Loans

Short-term emergency loans are available on a discretionary basis to assist students experiencing delays in their funding or suffering immediate financial crises. In most instances only a small sum will be loaned to cover very basic living costs. Emergency loans can be issued using either Tesco Spend Cards, cash or a combination of both.

Short-term emergency loans are not grants and must be repaid: nor are they a solution to long term underfunding or cash-flow problems. Short-term emergency loans will only be issued in exceptional circumstances and are not available to undergraduate students during the summer vacation.

Instances when a short-term emergency loan can be offered:

  • if your student loan/sponsorship funding is delayed through no fault of your own and you have no money to cover your basic living costs

  • if you have exhausted all sources of funding available to you and you are unable to pay for food or travel to and from the University

  • if you essential unexpected medical costs which you need to cover: you will need to show these costs relate to clinically approved medical treatment

Instances when a short-term emergency loan cannot be offered:

  • if you need help paying for any outstanding or future rent payments

  • if you want help to cover non-essential costs unrelated to your course of study e.g. leisure, sport and entertainment costs

  • if you want assistance repaying debts to families and friends

  • if you have any fines or other costs which could have been avoided


Emergency Loan Application Process

Students wishing to apply for a short-term emergency loan must apply in person at level 2 reception in King's Gate before 4.00pm.

Applicants must discuss their financial circumstances with a member of the Student Financial Support Team and provide documentary evidence to confirm their claims by submitting itemised and continuous bank statements showing transactions in all their accounts for the last month including accounts they are no longer using.

Student Financial Support staff will make decisions on the basis of the discussion and evidence provided. Staff will try to make a decision within 24 hours and after one interview but students may be asked to submit further evidence and attend a second interview before a final decision can be taken.

Repayments

Short-term emergency loans are interest free. A repayment date will be agreed during the meeting, taking into account when future income is expected.

Failure to repay may prohibit students from re-registering in a subsequent year, attending a graduation ceremony and receiving their degree parchment, may prevent application to ALF and could affect payment of a University Bursary if you are eligible to receive one.

Further Information and Assistance

Students with longer term cash flow problems should consider making an application to the Access to Learning Fund (UK students only) or the Financial Assistance Fund (International and non-UK EU students only). ALF and FAF may be able to provide discretionary assistance to students who are struggling to cover their living costs.

You should have exhausted all other sources of funding available to you before applying and note that as this funding is discretionary there is no guarantee that any one applicant will be successful.

If you are unsure whether you are eligible to apply for an emergency loan you should contact us by calling 0191 208 3760.