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Although students are expected to ensure that they have sufficient funds to meet the cost of their tuition fees and living expenses before starting their course, we understand that personal circumstances can change, and students may be faced with unexpected or large financial costs, due to a family bereavement, emergency, or ongoing essential expenditure.
As such, there are financial support options available to eligible students at UEA to support with these costs. Further details can be found below.
Vice-Chancellor's Emergency Loan
Students who are in need of urgent financial support to meet living costs (for example, paying for food) can consider making an application for a VC Emergency Loan. Please be aware that loans are not appropriate for managing long-term financial concerns.
If you are experiencing a temporary cash flow problem or face a financial emergency, you may be eligible for a short-term, interest-free loan from the Vice-Chancellor's Emergency Loan. Any current UEA student may apply, but a loan will only be made if you can show how you will be able to repay the loan and have no overdue debt owed to UEA. VC emergency loans Loans are not suitable for addressing long-term problems.
The usual maximum you can borrow within an academic year is £300. However, you can borrow less, e.g. between £5 and £300. If you need to borrow more than £300, you may need to discuss your request with a financial adviser. We will look at whether there are other ways of helping you if your difficulties are exceptional.
Health Sciences (HSC) students on placement may apply for loans for placement-related expenses up to £1500 - there is a separate application form to apply for this higher amount. Home students may be eligible to reclaim placement-related expenses through the NHS. Further information on the NHS Learning Support Fund (LSF) and the eligibility criteria can be found on the NHS webpage here.
If you have a financial concern that you would like to discuss before applying for a loan, please request an appointment with a Student Life Finance advisor by emailing sts.appointments@uea.ac.uk with your availability over the next five working days and what you wish to discuss during the appointment. If you would like to contact the Student Life Finance Team via email, please get in contact with us at studentlife.finance@uea.ac.uk.
Loans are repaid via your eVision account.
You can find more information about the loan facility and the application form here (UEA login required):
Student Services Fund
Home students and students with access to public funds as part of their visa who are struggling to meet basic living costs or have recently been faced with a large or unexpected cost are encouraged to apply for support through the Student Services Fund.
The fund is intended to assist students who may find themselves in financial difficulty during their time at UEA, and are struggling to meet basic living costs or are faced with large unexpected costs. Students are expected to have made realistic plans to fund their period of study at UEA and the Student Services Fund should not be considered as a main source of income.
An assessment of your financial situation will be made upon submission of your application and a Student Life (Finance) Advisor will be in contact with you shortly after your submission to request any required documents. Awards are discretionary and non-repayable.
Please be advised that the Student Services Fund is unable to assist with tuition fee costs, and there is no guarantee of an award upon application.
Applications for financial support through the fund are open to current, home students and are assessed on a rolling basis throughout the year.
Please note that students are unable to apply for the Student Services Fund until they have completed registration and started their course.
If you have any questions about the fund don't hesitate to contact the Student Life Finance team on studentlife.finance@uea.ac.uk.
You can find more information about the Student Services Grant and the application form here (UEA login required):
Disabled students allowance (DSA)
If you are a student with a disability or other long term health condition, such as a mental health condition, a specific learning difficulty such as dyspraxia or dyslexia, or a chronic physical condition, the DSA can help you pay for extra costs you incur as a direct result.
A DSA can also assist with other forms of support to help you during your studies. That might include a note taker, a sign language interpreter, specialist equipment or other study-related costs.
To find out whether you are eligible, you’ll need to send proof of your disability to Student Finance England. You’ll need to get a letter from your specialist of GP confirming the diagnosis of the condition, what your learning difficulty is and how long you’ve been affected by it. With dyslexia and dyspraxia, you’ll also need to send a full diagnostic assessment report which must have been carried out after you turn 16.
You can apply for the DSA when the general student finance application service opens (usually open in February and closing in May each year). The earlier you apply, the better chance all the services and/or equipment will be in place ready for the start of your course.
For more information you can contact our disability team via disability@uea.ac.uk.
Travel Grants
If you’re attending a clinical placement in the UK or studying abroad as part of your course, this grant can help with travel costs and reasonable travel expenses during the academic year. You may have to cover the first £303 of your travel costs yourself but, depending on your household income, you can claim back anything you have to spend over this amount.
The travel grant is applied for via the Student Loans Company (SLC). For more information please visit the Government web page: https://www.gov.uk/travel-grants-students-england