This page explains possible options for postgraduate students in financial hardship.
Use our guidance on budget planning to help you calculate any difference between your income and spending (this is known as a ‘shortfall’) so that you know how much money you are looking for. Our budget planning page also includes money saving ideas.
Read our Government Student Finance and raising funds pages to ensure you are getting all of the income you’re eligible for. Book a confidential appointment with a Welfare Adviser so we can check you are getting all the income you are eligible for, discuss hardship fund applications, and help you plan your budget.
Applications can be made to the Financial Assistance Fund (FAF) at Queen Mary. Students must be fully enrolled and attending their course to apply. This fund may be able to provide limited financial support (usually a non-repayable grant) to students who are experiencing financial hardship because of exceptional and unforeseen circumstances during their course which have disrupted their funding and caused short term financial need. Please note that this fund cannot help with tuition fee costs.
Applications can be made more than once each academic year f your circumstances change during an academic year.
Visit the Financial Assistance Fund page to find out how exceptional applications are assessed.
You must show that you have made realistic provision to support yourself and any dependents throughout your studies before you apply to this fund. This applies whether you are an international, home or home/EU student. You are expected to have applied for any funding available to you such as Student Finance Government Loans or grants. In the application it is useful to explain your circumstances, for example how you would normally have met your costs and why his funding is no longer covering your costs or why this funding has stopped. You should explain how long you expect to be in financial difficulties, and what you have done to try and resolve the situation yourself, for example any other funding you have applied for.
If you are a part-time postgraduate student who is awarded financial help from the Financial Assistance Fund, you can apply for a student 18+Oystercard. The Queen Mary Financial Assistance Fund award notification will provide information abut this. You can also read the Queen Mary information about discounted travel.
Contact a Welfare Adviser for a confidential appointment if you woul like advice about completing your Financial Assistance Fund application, for example help explaining what unexpected circumstances have occurred and how these have affected your funding.
You may be able to obtain a supermarket voucher from Queen Mary if your funds are low, you are in immediate financial difficulty and you are unable to afford to buy food, toiletries or other essential items. This can be used at a number of dedicated supermarket stores. Cash funds are not available.
To be considered you must be registered on a course at Queen Mary and have limited access to funds. Each case is considered individually. A voucher is normally for £25 and can be issued once within an academic year.
If you would like to discuss your eligibility for a voucher contact the Welfare Advisers in the Advice and Counselling Service. Vouchers are also available via the Student Enquiry Centre, the Bursaries, Grants and Scholarships Office and QMSU. If you access a supermarket voucher it will be visible to each of the services who are able to issue them.
Vouchers are not a long term solution so if you are experiencing financial difficulty you may want to arrange a confidential appointment with a Welfare Adviser in the Advice and Counselling Service, to discuss your circumstances and options further.
Students can apply for a Queen Mary Students' Union short term welfare loan of up to £100 if you are facing unexpected financial need due to a cash flow problem. For example, if you are waiting for your wages to be paid and you need to make a payment. These loans are interest free. You must be able to demonstrate a realistic repayment schedule. There is more information on the Students Union website, including a link to a short form to arrange an online appointment with a member of staff in the Students' Union to discuss your application.