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Student Funding Support

Hardship Fund - ISEF - Pre-Triage

International Students' Emergency Fund

Pre-Triage Information

The International Students' Emergency Fund (ISEF) is a fund of last resort intended to provide discretionary help to you if you are an international or EU student in a situation of unexpected short-term emergency which has caused you difficulty in meeting your essential living costs (e.g. food).

Eligibility

To be eligible for ISEF you must meet the following criteria:

  • You are a registered international or EU student on a course of study leading to a formal qualification (e.g. Undergraduate degree, Master's or PhD).
  • If you are a PhD or Masters by Research student you must apply to the Doctoral College's PGR Hardship Fund before we can consider you for funding from the ISEF. If you are still experiencing financial difficulty after this you can apply to the ISEF but must submit evidence of your PGR Hardship Fund outcome.

If you would like clarification on whether your particular enrolment status or course excludes you from applying, please contact Student Funding Support at studentfunding@warwick.ac.uk

See our ISEF Process FlowchartLink opens in a new window for an overview of the application process.

Financial assistance will not be provided for:

  • Students who are unable to evidence that they have made adequate financial provision before starting their studies
  • Students with access to savings or alternative funding (including interest-free overdrafts) which could meet their shortfall
  • Students who have made significant non-essential purchases within the academic year which have subsequently left them in or contributed to their financial hardship

  • Students who have not taken out their full entitlement to any available government funding

  • Students who are 'Awaiting Exam Board', 'Permanently Withdrawn' or in 'Limbo'.

  • Students who are on a Degree Apprenticeship programme of study
  • Students visiting the University on an exchange programme of study
  • Paying off debt or overdrafts
  • Situations which were foreseen before the start of the academic year.
  • Supporting family members or friends
  • Laptop or IT costs
  • Currency fluctuations
  • Tuition Fees
  • Medical costs
  • Visa costs

What help can I expect to get?

Awards from ISEF are needs-related and assessed on an individual case-by-case basis. As a result, we are unable to give a clear indication of the likely value of any possible award until an application has been submitted and the assessment process completed.

  • There is no guarantee that funds will be awarded in every case and consequently, some applications will be unsuccessful.
  • Students who are eligible for an award from ISEF will not need to repay this.
  • Priority for funding is given to students with dependants, estranged students, care-experienced students and students with disabilities.

Please note that if your enrolment status changes during the application and assessment process then you may become ineligible to receive support from ISEF (e.g., students who become permanently withdrawn).

5 Steps to Applying for ISEF

1) Complete a short 'Expression of Interest' form.

2) If eligible, you will be invited to attend a short triage appointment with one of our advisers.

3) If you are invited to apply, submit your full application and supporting documentation.

4) Attend an appointment with an adviser.

5) You will receive notification of the outcome of your application within 10 working days of your appointment.

Triage Appointment

Triage appointments last approximately 10-15 minutes and ordinarily take place over Microsoft Teams. However, if you would prefer to attend a face-to-face appointment then please let us know via email (studentfunding@warwick.ac.uk) and we will try to accommodate your request.

During the appointment, the Student Funding Adviser will ask you questions to establish:

  • How you are funding your course and living costs.
  • The value of your current available funds (e.g., across any overdraft facilities, bank, savings, trading and cryptocurrency accounts that you may have).
  • If you live with a partner, their available funds (e.g., across any overdraft facilities, bank, savings, trading and cryptocurrency accounts that they may have).
  • The value of your upcoming essential expenditure.
  • If any circumstances are impacting your current financial situation.

The information you provide during your triage appointment determines whether it is appropriate for you to make an ISEF application. If you are invited to apply, we will tell you how to do this and what supporting documentation you will need to submit.

ISEF Application

If you are invited to apply to the ISEF, you must submit your application within 4 weeks of receiving your invite. We will reject any submissions made after this 4-week deadline and you will need to submit a new 'Expression of Interest' form. If you are a final-year student, the latest you can submit a completed application is 5 weeks before the end of your course.

In addition to your application, you must submit all required supporting documentation to evidence your current financial situation. We will not be able to progress your application without all this evidence.

ISEF Appointment

Once we have received your application form and supporting documentation, we will contact you to arrange a short, confidential appointment with a Student Funding Adviser.

  • Appointments take 30 minutes to 1 hour.
  • Appointments are informal and will allow you to discuss your circumstances in detail.
  • The adviser will ordinarily conduct appointments via Microsoft Teams. However, if you would prefer to attend a face-to-face appointment then please let us know and we will try to accommodate your request.
  • Once you book your appointment, you will receive a confirmation email.

To assess your application, the Student Funding Support team use guidance issued by the National Association of Student Money Advisers (NASMA)Link opens in a new window.

During your appointment, the adviser will ask questions to fully understand your circumstances. These questions are not intended to be intrusive, but they allow the adviser to assess your financial situation completely. For example, they may:

  • Refer to your bank accounts, credit history and spending patterns.
  • If applicable, refer to your partner's bank statements and evidence.
  • Explore opportunities for part-time work and other funding available.
  • Ask for further evidence before they can complete your assessment.

ISEF Assessment and Outcome

After your appointment, the adviser will write a report summarising your situation, assessment of need and recommendation for financial support. This is sent to the Student Funding Manager for review and approval. The Student Funding Support team work within NASMA guidelines for the assessment of awards and distribution of funds.

If we have received all your required documentation before your appointment, you will be notified of the outcome of your application by email within 10 working days.

  • If your application has been successful, any award will be paid within a further 10 working days from you submitting your bank details.
  • Please note, we can only make payments into UK bank accounts or some digital accountsLink opens in a new window.
  • We cannot make payments in cash.

Your outcome email will outline how your award will be paid. This may be paid as:

  • A one-off instalment directly into your bank account.
  • Multiple instalments directly into your bank account.
  • A credit towards a debt on your university account.

It can take up to 4 weeks from the date of your appointment to receipt of funds if you are found to be eligible. This time scale starts from when we have all the required supporting evidence to assess your application.

If you need more urgent financial assistance, we may be able to offer you an interest-free Emergency Loan.

Please see below further ways in which the wider University may be able to assist you if you are in financial difficulty:

If your circumstances change following your triage or application outcome, you can submit a new Expression of InterestLink opens in a new window in re-applying to the ISEF.

Please note that re-applications are treated the same as new applications so you will need to follow the steps above.

    Who should I contact if I have any questions?

    If you have any questions related to the ISEF or Student Funding in general, please do not hesitate to contact Student Funding Support:

    • Email:
    • Telephone: 024 7615 0096

    You can also view our ISEF Guidance Notes 2024-25 for further information.

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