Application for Financial Assistance

Transcription

1 Application for Financial Assistance Funds can be used towards maintenance costs and outstanding debts such as overdrafts and credit cards. Part or all of an award may be paid directly to Accommodation Services to repay an outstanding debt, to Edinburgh College of Art (ECA) for materials costs, or to The Advice Place to repay an outstanding small loan or late award debt. What you need to do: 1 Gather all the documents and PHOTOCOPY them 2 Complete the form, ensuring you provide details of ALL income and expenditure 3 Only applications that include all necessary documentary evidence will be assessed 4 Submit your form to The Advice Place or Student Administration Checklist For Documentary Evidence Please supply photocopies only as these documents will be held on file and cannot be returned. The University cannot photocopy these documents for you, however The Advice Place can. Please note that your application will not be processed until full documentary evidence has been received. It is in your own interest to use this checklist to ensure that you have included all the documents required to process your application. The Advice Place can help you complete this form. You MUST supply Funding award letter - both sides Student loan payment schedule - both sides (if applicable) Evidence of rent or mortgage payments eg your tenancy agreement or a letter from your landlord Bank statements or printouts to cover the 3 months up to the date of your application. We need statements from all your accounts. Proof of overdraft limit from bank You must supply if applicable Evidence of childcare costs - this must show evidence that there is registered or formal childcare if applying to the Childcare Fund Evidence of application for Career Development Loan Evidence of award(s) from trusts, charities, bursaries etc Evidence of capital/savings available to you Benefits (Tax Credits, Income, Housing etc) All pages of tax credit documents are required. Wage slip for part-time work Most recent credit card statement(s) Evidence of rent or mortgage arrears Any other documentary evidence to support your statement of financial difficulties Applicants must have read and signed the declaration. Applications will not be assessed if the declaration is not signed.

2 Information for all students Please read the following information before completing the application form. When you have completed the form, sign and date it and send the form, together with all documentary evidence attached, to or: Discretionary Fund Application Scholarships and Student Funding Services Old College, South Bridge Edinburgh EH8 9YL You can submit it to The Advice Place who can check it over with you. If you would like help completing this form or checking your documents you can contact The Advice Place The University administers a number of discretionary funds provided by the government to offer stop-gap assistance to UK national undergraduate and postgraduate students experiencing genuine financial difficulties. We also administer a discretionary childcare fund provided by the Scottish Government, as well as a Common Bursaries Fund for EU, overseas and other categories of students who may not be eligible for a UK Government award. You can apply to the funds at any point in the academic year and you can apply more than once. However, the available funds are limited and are designed to provide non-repayable assistance for students in financial difficulties they are not sufficient nor intended to be a student s primary source of income. If you require urgent financial assistance please contact the EUSA Advice Place at Potterrow or King s Building. They offer free, confidential and independent advice on a range of issues including money issues, benefits, accommodation problems, etc. Applications will normally be assessed within 15 working days following receipt of the form and appropriate documentation. If successful, it can take up to a further 10 working days for a payment to be processed and received. The end of semester 1 is a peak period for the receipt of large numbers of applications and, in order that we can ensure payment of any discretionary awards before the University closes for the Christmas/New Year period, students are advised to submit any applications by mid November. Applications cannot be processed until all relevant documentary evidence is supplied. Any requests for further information will be made to students University accounts. These documents must be provided within one month of the date of the requesting additional information. UK Undergraduate Students (including PGDE students) Full-time UK students must have taken out the maximum student funding package, including a student loan, if eligible, and applied for the full amount to which they are entitled before receiving help from the government discretionary funds. Students are expected to have already exhausted all other possible sources of funding available to them. Students do not need to have taken out their tuition fee loan (if eligible) in order to receive assistance from the government discretionary funds. Childcare funds are available for formal registered childcare expenses for dependant children this includes, childminders, after school clubs, sitter services and providers of pre-school education. However, please be aware that it may not be possible for the funds to meet your childcare costs in full. If your childcare arrangements are not registered, you could still receive support from the discretionary funds. UK Postgraduate Students Funds are available from the government discretionary funds for UK postgraduate students. Students are expected to have already exhausted all other possible sources of funding available to them. EU and Overseas Students If you are an EU or overseas student, you are not eligible for assistance from any of the government discretionary funds but you can apply to the University for an emergency award from the Common Bursaries Fund if you suddenly find yourself in financial difficulties due to unforeseen problems. These funds are extremely limited and therefore awards are significantly lower than awards given from government funds.

3 Application for Financial Assistance Application for Financial Assistance for Matriculated Students About you University Student Number S Title Surname First Name Semester Address Home Address Postcode Phone Postcode Phone Marital/ Partnership Status single / co-habiting / married / divorced / widowed Age Which Fund are you applying for? Discretionary Funds Childcare Funds Non-UK Hardship Funds If you are not sure leave blank. About your Studies College (eg HSS) Degree and programme studied (eg MA French/MSc Politics) Current year of study All correspondence will be ed to your University account. If you apply in the three weeks prior to the vacation period, please indicate if you wish correspondence to be sent to your home address. For office use only Matriculated Yes No Method of Study FT PT Fee Status/Nationality Home EU Overseas END DATE OF STUDIES: DATE RECEIVED:

4 About your Financial Circumstances Breakdown of Anticipated Household Expenditure Please provide a breakdown of your anticipated household expenditure during the academic session. Use a separate sheet of paper if necessary. Please give all amounts as per week figures and note that when calculating your weekly rent, you should multiply your monthly rent by 12 and divide by 52. Per Week Per Month Office Use Only Calculation (Office Use Only) accommodation (rent/mortgage) food/toiletries/laundry gas/electricity clothes travel (bus pass/rail etc) books and stationery entertainment telephone/mobile/internet childcare costs (if applicable) insurance other (e.g. Council tax) please specify Are you in receipt of any funding towards your living costs? No Yes (eg student loan, bursary award, funding council, sponsor, scholarship, career development loan) - If yes, please supply a copy of your award letter(s) Do you receive any income from other sources? No Yes (eg regular allowance from parents, part-time work, tax credits, state benefits, money from lodgers, child support) - If yes, please specify Do you have any capital/savings (this includes shares, money in building society, bank, etc)? No Yes - If yes, please supply appropriate documentary evidence

5 Provide details of ALL bank accounts and overdraft limits including non UK accounts (continue on special circumstances page if necessary) Name of Bank: Account no: Overdraft limit: Name of Bank: Account no: Overdraft limit: If you have not applied for an overdraft, please explain why Outstanding Debts Do you have any credit card debt (eg Mastercard/Visa/Store cards)? No Yes Give full details of debt and repayment details Please supply copies of your most recent statement(s) Do you have any other outstanding debts (eg utility bills/rent/mortgage)? No Yes - If yes, please provide documentary evidence Have you applied for a Small Loan through The Advice Place? No Yes - If yes, what amount is outstanding? Have you applied for a Late Award loan through The Advice Place? No Yes - If yes, what amount is outstanding? Description of debt Outstanding amount Evidence provided credit cards outstanding utility bills rent that is overdue overdraft other (please specify):

6 About Your Partner/Dependants Do you have dependants who live with you whom you are expected to financially support? No Yes - If yes, please provide details name/date of birth/childcare arrangements (if applicable) Do you have dependants in the UK who do not normally live with you but for whom you provide financial support? No Yes - If yes, please provide details and amounts Name of dependant Date of birth Relationship to applicant Care arrangements (if applicable) Do you have a spouse/partner who shares a household with you? No Yes Does your spouse/partner have any income available to him/her? No Yes - please provide details of all income (and appropriate documentary evidence, eg payslip, bank statement) About Where You Live Do you live with your parents or guardian? No Yes Do you live in University accommodation? No Yes Do you pay rent? No Yes How much do you pay per month? please provide documentary evidence Do you have a mortgage? No Yes How much do you pay per month? please provide documentary evidence How much are your monthly home insurance payments (if applicable)? please provide documentary evidence Name of mortgage provider (if applicable)

7 About Your Special Circumstances All students should provide a written statement in support of their application. If you are applying for additional support as a result of exceptional circumstances, please supply supporting documentary evidence. Please continue on a separate sheet if necessary. Declaration Please ensure that you have completed all appropriate sections of the application form. Please read and sign the declaration below. (UK Undergraduate students) - I declare that I have / have not (delete as applicable) applied for the maximum support package available to me from Students Awards Agency for Scotland / Student Finance England / Student Finance Northern Ireland / Student Finance Wales. I understand that I am not eligible to receive support from the Discretionary Funds if I have not done so. I understand that the University does not guarantee that all eligible students will receive an award from the discretionary funds. Also I understand that receipt of an award this academic session does not guarantee that such an award will automatically be available to me again. I declare that the information given on this form is complete and correct. I understand that, if I give information which is incorrect or incomplete, action may be taken to recover any award made to me and I may be barred from matriculation or graduation until the award is recovered. Signature Date

8 Student Bank Details For Payment In the event of your application being successful, Finance will process payment to the bank account details they hold for you on their system. Please provide below details of the bank account you wish funds to be paid into. Name: Account Number: Sort Code:

9 If you require this document in an alternative format e.g. large print please contact Scholarships and Student Funding Services The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body, registered in Scotland, with registration number SC