The COVID Hardship Grant 2021 has been created in response to financial hardship as a result of the current COVID-19 pandemic.
If you have any questions, or if you are struggling to access or complete the form, please contact
studentservices@plymouth.ac.uk or call 01752 587676.
Eligibility:
All enrolled students studying higher education courses (level 4 or above) at the University of Plymouth (the University) who are facing financial hardship as a result of the current situation relating to COVID-19 are eligible to apply. This includes undergraduate, postgraduate taught and postgraduate research, home, EU and international students. Students at partner colleges of the University are not eligible for this hardship fund and should contact their college for financial hardship advice and support.
Purpose:
We only have limited funds, so please only apply if you need to, because doing so will affect the ability of others who may require help. The grant will close on 19 March 2021 or once all funds are used up.
We will consider awards for the following reasons:
- Rent – for situations where you are now required to pay two rents due to lockdown.
- Lack of technology available to access remote learning.
- Lack of employment or income due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Any other unexpected costs as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Awards will be made on a case by case basis on severity of need and the decision made by the University is final. The fund is limited and is not intended to be funding to replace the Financial Support Fund which is for longer term financial hardship. It is not possible to offer support to students for tuition fees through this fund.
For more information about the Financial Support Fund, please see the University website.
Amount:
- Level 1 – if you are under 25: up to £500
- Level 2 – if you are over 25 or part of a couple: up to £650
- Level 3 – if you have dependent children: up to £800
- We will also consider discretionary amounts based on need (e.g. we may award you less if it is evident you don’t require the full amount, or more if we deem your case to be considerable hardship).
How to apply:
You will be required to complete the application form below which includes a supporting statement.
You must also submit the following information:
1) Up-to-date one month online bank statement for all accounts you currently use (we use this to check for funds available and satisfactory budgeting - poor budgeting includes evidence of gambling, buying fast foods regularly, or purchasing luxury items)
2) Evidence relevant to your application :
- Rent – for situations where you are now required to pay two rents due to lockdown. We will need to see evidence of your two tenancy agreements.
- Lack of technology available to access remote learning. If you are awarded money, you will need to provide us with a receipt to show proof of purchase.
- Lack of employment or income due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Please try to provide us with evidence of this such as a letter from your employer or evidence that you have tried to apply for jobs.
- Any other unexpected costs as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. We will need to see evidence of this in the form of receipts.
We cannot consider your application unless you have completed all of the above.
How will we assess your application?
We aim to process applications for eligibility for awards within 5 working days of receiving your application and all supporting documents. When assessing your application we will look for the following so please ensure you include this in your supporting statement or evidence:
- A detailed description of your reasons for applying
- Why your finances have been clearly impacted by COVID-19 specifically
- Details of other funding you have explored and/or accessed
- When you are expecting your next source of income
- Where possible, provide evidence to support your statement
- Demonstrate that you currently have no available funds (including an overdraft) or, where there are funds available, why you will have a shortfall
This is to ensure all students are assessed fairly and to assist those in greatest financial need. Awards will be made on a case by case basis on severity of need and the decision made by the University is final.
Payment
If your application is successful, our Payments team will aim to make the payment by BACS within 3 working days. Unfortunately, we are only able to make payments to UK bank accounts.
Application form
You can access the application form here from Monday 18 January 2021