Unexpected financial hardship

Worrying about money problems can have a very negative effect on your studies. You should tell your institution as soon as possible if you are having difficulties. You should seek advice from your International Student advice team  they will hopefully be able to direct you to relevant departments, if appropriate, within your institution and suggest ways of dealing with the problem.It is important that you speak to an experienced adviser as early as possible and, especially, before you try to obtain financial help yourself. Their advice could help you avoid wasting time trying unrealistic sources and, therefore, endangering your immigration permission. 

Your institution may not have large amounts of money available to help you pay tuition fees or living costs. There may be an institutional Hardship Fund or Access to Learning Fund but these are not available in all institutions. If they are available, the amount of money available is usually low and limited to one payment. 

If the financial hardship has been avoidable, for example if you started the course knowing that you did not have enough money or that the funds from home would not last, there may be nothing an adviser can suggest. You might have to consider leaving your course and returning to your home country. 

If you are unable to pay your tuition fees, you can ask the institution whether you could delay your payments or extend them over a longer period. It is very important to keep your institution informed from the very beginning of your difficulties. Do not ignore fee invoices; unpaid fees could endanger your student status. If you are under the Student route and unpaid fees lead to you being withdrawn from your course, this could lead to your immigration permission being cancelled.  

Depending on your situation and your institution, there may be a students’ union or institutional hardship fund which could offer short-term help.  

Be aware that if you ask for help or advice from the Home Office, it may suspect that you do not have sufficient money to support yourself. This can create problems for you if you try to make an immigration application at some point in the future. Seek advice from your institution first. 

If you are in the UK with Student immigration permission, you may be allowed to do some work - part-time during term-time and full-time during holidays and work placements.  

It is important that you check your immigration permission for details about your work rights. See Student work for more information. In most cases, part-time work will not cover all your expenses and you will need to have additional sources of funding. 

If you are in the UK in a non-Student immigration category, it might be possible for you to study part-time.  

This means that you would pay lower fees each year and take longer to finish the course. If you think this could be an option for you, ask your institution. Some trusts and charities can provide help with paying for part-time study: 

Family Action's Educational Grants Programme 

The Leche Trust, if you are within six months of completing a doctorate 

Churches Together in Britain and Ireland 

If you are in the UK with Student permission you cannot usually switch to part-time study and you cannot take time out of your studies to work in the UK, with the exception of postgraduate courses at certain institutions (see ‘Eligible courses’ in our Student route eligibility and requirements page). 

Your Student visa will have some wording relating to welfare benefits, like 'No recourse to public funds'. No matter how much financial hardship you are in, you must not claim any benefit that is considered as a 'public fund'. If you do, you will be in breach of your Student immigration conditions. 

See our information if you are considering seeking Welfare Benefits. In particular, it's really important you read about Public funds. 

Student finance from the UK government consists of loans/grants for study and living costs. It is available only to students who meet a number of criteria; which are decided by the relevant government department in the UK country where you usually live. There are a number of categories of eligible student, and the regulations can be quite complicated. Read an introduction to UK student finance, and access relevant links to government information, in our page on UK student finance, scholarships, and other funding.

If you think your Embassy or High Commission in the UK can help, then contact them. 

You might also want to contact government departments, private organisations, or trusts and charities, in your home country. 

You should contact anyone else you think might be able to help, but only after speaking to an adviser about it. Without proper advice you may waste precious time.