Meet Student Funding Support

Gemma Hearnden – Student Funding Manager

I have worked at the University since 2006 and have worked in various departments including Student Finance, the Doctoral College and the Sociology department. In February 2016 I joined Student Funding Support in my current role as Student Funding Manager. I am responsible for managing and overseeing a number of the University’s hardship funds, bursaries and scholarships. I also provide internal and external expert advice and guidance on all aspects of financial student support offered by the UK government and related funding matters.

Pamela Bell-Ashe - Student Funding Manager

Helen Cherrington – Senior Student Funding Adviser

I joined the University in 2000 in the Student Records department and then moved to Student Funding Support. I have had a variety of roles within Student Funding Support and I am now responsible for allocating and administering ITT bursary awards, reconciling and managing payments to students from the Warwick Bursary scheme, University hardship funds and various philanthropic scholarship schemes and providing specialist advice to internal and external stakeholders on student funding matters.

Kate Gibbins – Senior Student Funding Adviser (Outreach)

I joined the University of Warwick in June 2014 as a Student Funding Assistant and moved into the Outreach side of the team in March 2017. I am now responsible for delivering information, advice and guidance on funding and finance to prospective students and their supporters along with my colleague Heather. My role includes delivering workshops to local schools and colleges, coordinating Student Funding Support's Open Day presence and producing literature and materials to support current and prospective students with developing sound financial literacy skills.

Chrissie Cooper – Student Funding Adviser

I began working at the University of Warwick in September 2016 and joined Student Funding Support in 2017. I am a Student Funding Adviser, so meet with students who have applied for hardship funding and emergency financial support. I also offer advice and guidance on a range of student funding and finance issues.

Lucy Hayward - Student Funding and Scholarships Adviser

I have worked at the university since 2015, starting in Student Finance. From there, I moved to Applied Linguistics and then on to Student Funding Support in 2020 as a Student Funding and Scholarships Advisor. I help students in financial hardship and support departments and students with the administration of some undergraduate awards and scholarships

Alison Smith - Student Funding and Scholarships Adviser

I joined the University in 2003, working in Warwick Accommodation, then moved to Student Funding Support in 2008. I am a Student Funding and Scholarships Adviser, which involves meeting with students who apply to our hardship funds, giving advice and guidance on a range of student funding related issues and providing administration support for university undergraduate awards and scholarships.

Georgia Lavender - Student Funding Advisor (Outreach)

I began working at the University in September 2020, as a Lab Technician in the School of Life Sciences. I joined the Students Funding team as a Student Funding Advisor in December 2023. My role is focused on the outreach elements of our work. We host workshops for local schoolchildren and parents, deliver talks and information on open days, and produce informative materials, all with the aim to better prepare prospective and current students to maintain their own financial well-being at University.

Laraine Hamilton – Student Funding Assistant

I started working in Student Funding Support in May 2015, as a Student Funding Assistant. I am one of the first points of contact for students with funding enquiries, including queries about bursaries, the Warwick Hardship Fund and emergency loans.

Tiffany Smith - Student Funding Assistant (Maternity Leave)

I joined the University of Warwick in March 2023 as a Student Funding Assistant. I support students with funding enquiries, and provide information regarding bursaries, hardship funding and emergency loans. I am an initial point of contact and can advise on what evidence may be required to support any applications made.

Lizzie Caisey - Student Funding Assistant

I started working at the University of Warwick in September 2024 as a Student Funding Assistant. I support students with hardship funding and emergency loans, as well as providing information about bursaries and connecting students to different teams within the University. I am here to help if students need help collecting evidence for an application or have queries about what funding is available.

Emma Ritson - Student Funding Assistant

I joined the University of Warwick at the start of 2025 as a Student Funding Assistant. I support students with funding enquiries and provide information regarding bursaries, hardship funding and emergency loans. I enable students to apply for appropriate funding, helping process their request as well as signposting them to other sources of information and support at the university.