PGR Hardship Support Fund

The PGR Hardship Support Fund provides funding to students who are experiencing unforeseen exceptional circumstances during their studies.

Postgraduate research students are eligible to submit an application for funding at any point during their registration period, including during a period of temporary withdrawal. Priority will be given to cases where an award will assist on-time thesis completion during the standard registration period. Awards will not normally be made to students more than three months into an extension period or following thesis submission.

During the cost-of-living crisis, we are prioritising PGR Hardship Support requests from those who are unfunded or have not benefited from the recent stipend increase.

If you have any queries or would like to discuss a potential application, please contact doctoralcollege@warwick.ac.uk.

[The PGR Hardship Support Fund] provided me with a lifeline during the coronavirus pandemic lockdown. This removed the worry about how to pay my maintenance costs and gave me the peace of mind to concentrate on completing my thesis.

Receiving these funds allowed me to work on the last details of my thesis without worrying about financial constraints and I was able to submit my dissertation on time and properly.

Cost of Living Advice

What are "unforeseen exceptional circumstances"?

All applications will be considered on their own merit. The following are examples of recent successful applications which demonstrated how hardship support funding would aid resolution of a short-term issue as opposed to a persistent need for additional support:

Unexpected reduction to household income that cannot be mitigated against;
Family financial support ceasing due to unforeseen circumstances;

Outside factors causing an unexpected reduction in scholarship funding;

Health issues preventing completion that cannot be compensated by paid sick leaveLink opens in a new window;

Transferring from another University causing unforeseen expenses;
Unforeseen exceptional costs relating to a disability that cannot be funded by other means;

Examples of circumstances not normally considered exceptional and unforeseen would be:

A scholarship of set level and length ending as expected;
Requesting funding for the same reason as a granted Funded Covid ExtensionLink opens in a new window or paid sick leaveLink opens in a new window;
The cost of living crisis without contextual explanation is not reason-enough on its own;
Ordinary, ongoing childcare costs;
Requesting funding for costs which can be met by a Disabled Students Allowance;Link opens in a new window
We cannot allocate this funding to cover outstanding course tuition fees.

How much funding is available?

Payments from the Fund will usually cover a maximum period of three months with the level of funding being half of the research council stipend rate, for the 2023/2024 academic year this will be £775.92 (from 1 October 2023). However, additional funding may be available in highly exceptional circumstances up to a maximum award of three months at the full research council stipend rate.

How do I apply?

Read the guidance notes carefully
Complete the PGR Hardship Support Fund Application Form , providing all the requested information, including any relevant supporting evidence. Your completed application should include:
1. Details of unforeseen/exceptional circumstances together with supporting evidence, where available;
2. Details of sources of funding for the full duration of your registration eg self-funded, scholarship, Research Council funding. If multiple please provide full details and relevant dates;
3. Amount of funding requested;
4. Completion plan, outlining how you intend to schedule your work to ensure completion by your end of registration and how receipt of hardship funding would assist this (if appropriate).
After completing sections 1-3, your supervisor must complete section 4 of your application form.
Ask your department Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) to review your form and, if they are in support, complete section 5.
Submit your fully completed application form below.

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Hardship Support Fund Application

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The data on this form relates to your submission of a Hardship Fund Application. The date and time of your submission, your identity and the application you have submitted will all be stored, but will not be used for any purpose other than administering and recording your Hardship Fund Application.

The University of Warwick is the Data Controller of any information you have entered on this form and is committed to protecting the rights of individuals in line with Data Protection Legislation. The University's Data Protection webpages provide further information on your rights and how the University processes personal data. If you wish to submit a data subjects rights request, make a complaint or report a suspected personal data breach, please contact the University’s Data Protection Officer by email at infocompliance@warwick.ac.uk.

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What happens after I submit my application? Can I apply twice?

Awards are limited, so it is not usually possible to make multiple awards to the same student. Any applications received from students who have previously received an award from the Fund will only be considered if a different set of exceptional circumstances arise. If you have previously applied but been unsuccessful you can submit further applications for funding.

What other financial support is available to PGR students?

If you are experiencing financial difficulties, you may wish to consider applying for funding via the following schemes. Some academic departments may also have funding available to PGR students.

Dean of Students' Office Hardship Fund

Doctoral Loans

Emergency Loans

Back to Current Student Funding

Doctoral College

PGR Hardship Support Fund

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