Hardship Fund - The Warwick Hardship Fund for Medical and PGCE Students - Pre-Triage
| The Warwick Hardship Fund (WHF) is a fund of last resort for Home students. Information about this fund, specifically relating Medical and PGCE students, can be found below.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
- What is the Warwick Hardship Fund (WHF)?
- Am I eligible?
- How does the WHF process work?
- How do I register my interest in applying to the WHF?
- What happens during my triage appointment?
- What happens if I am invited to apply to the WHF?
- What happens after my WHF appointment?
- What help can I expect to receive?
- Are there any implications on my UK Government means-tested benefit(s)?
- How long does the application and assessment process take?
- Can I re-apply to the WHF?
- Is there any help offered by the Student Loans Company or the NHS?
- Other WHF Financial Assistance: Diagnostic Test Re-imbursement
- Other Financial Assistance: £200 Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA) Equipment Contribution
- Who should I contact if I have any questions?
What is the Warwick Hardship Fund (WHF)?
The WHF is intended to provide discretionary financial help to Home students in situations of unexpected short-term emergency which causes them difficulty in meeting their essential living costs and some course related costs (e.g., accommodation, childcare, transport, books, utilities etc).
- The funds available are limited and cannot be used to help with tuition fee costs or to provide any high value, ongoing support.
- Awards from the WHF are needs-related and are non-repayable.
| Applications to the WHF can include those that are primarily for students seeking financial assistance with payment of their: Some students will meet the eligibility criteria to receive the above funding automatically (but are still required to submit the relevant application form for each of these). However, some students will need to go through the full Hardship Fund process outlined below. Applications to the WHF for these purposes are treated in the same manner as applications to the WHF when a student is struggling to meet their essential living costs (i.e., these applications will be means-tested and awards are therefore not guaranteed). More information can be found in the relevant sections below. |
Am I eligible?
Registered Home students are eligible to submit an Expression of Interest in applying to the WHF.
| As the WHF is a fund of last resort, students will need to show genuine financial hardship and that they have made every effort to meet their needs from any other available sources. |
Students will also need to demonstrate that they have made adequate provision to fund themselves, prior to starting their course. This includes:
| Medical Students |
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| PGCE Students (unsalaried) |
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Expression of Interest forms and WHF applications cannot be considered from students who have completed, permanently withdrawn from or abandoned their course. Further to this, certain enrolment and course exclusions apply, such as students who are awaiting exam board, salaried PGCE students etc. If you would like clarification whether your particular enrolment status or course excludes you from applying, please contact Student Funding Support at
How does the WHF process work?
Below you will find a flowchart which outlines the basic process of the WHF. This process is the same as the International Students' Emergency Fund (ISEF) for International and EU students.
Hardship Fund assessments for Undergraduates, Medical Students and PGCE students do not usually consider providing support over the summer vacation period. If you require financial support during the summer vacation period, you will need to submit an Expression of Interest during the vacation period itself. Further information can be found in our WHF Guidance Notes 2022-23.
How do I register my interest in applying to the WHF?
If you would like to apply to the WHF, then you will first need to complete and submit an Expression of Interest form. You will need to be logged in to your University account to complete this form.
Once your submission has been processed, if you are eligible to attend triage, you will receive an email with a link to book your triage appointment.
What happens during my triage appointment?
Triage appointments last approximately 10-15 minutes and will take place over Microsoft Teams. However, if you would prefer to attend a face-to-face appointment then please let us know via email () and we will try to accommodate your request.
| During the appointment your Student Funding Adviser will ask you questions regarding:
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You will not need to provide any evidence for your triage appointment.
Your triage appointment is used to determine whether it is appropriate for you to make a WHF application. If you are invited to apply, you will be advised on how to submit an application and what evidence you will be required to submit with this.
What happens if I am invited to apply to the WHF?
If you are invited to apply to the WHF, you must submit your application within 4 weeks of receiving your invite. Any submissions made after this 4-week deadline will be rejected and you will need to re-attend a triage meeting. If you are a final year student, then your date of application submission must not be within 5 weeks of your course end date.
| 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.
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Please be assured that your Student Funding Adviser will consider your best interests at all stages of the application and assessment process. However, you should be aware that all of our Student Funding Advisers work within guidance issued by the National Association of Student Money Advisers (NASMA) for the assessment of awards and distribution of funds.
It may be necessary during the interview to refer to your bank statements, credit history and spending patterns (and if applicable, it may be necessary to refer to your partners bank statements and evidence). The discussion may also explore opportunities for part-time working and other funding available. Any questions are not intended to be intrusive, but to allow your Student Funding Adviser to form a complete and comprehensive assessment of your financial situation and, if possible, to recommend a successful outcome to your application.
What happens after my WHF appointment?
After your appointment, your Student Funding Adviser will create a report based on your appointment and assessment. This is then submitted to the Student Funding Manager for review and approval. The Student Funding Manager will also consider your best interests and works within NASMA guidelines for the assessment of awards and distribution of funds.
| Providing we have received all your required documentation prior to your appointment, you will be notified of the outcome of your application via email within 10 working days.
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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.
- Credit to your University account for outstanding Emergency Loan(s).
- Credit to your University account for Accommodation arrears.
If you have applied to the WHF for re-imbursement of your £200 DSA Equipment Contribution, and you are found to have an additional need on our standard assessment, you would be eligible for re-imbursement. This may be paid as:
- A one-off instalment directly into your bank account.
- This is the case for students who have paid the £200 DSA Equipment Contribution themselves in the first instance.
- These students will be required to upload bank details for both the WHF and the £200 DSA Equipment Contribution fund separately. These students will be sent two different emails with instructions explaining how to do this.
- Credit to your University account.
- This is the case for students who requested that the University's Disability Team pay the £200 DSA Equipment Contribution on their behalf in the first instance.
- These students would have had the £200 subsequently added to their University account as a debt to be repaid by the end of the academic year.
- These students who are eligible for a £200 DSA Equipment Contribution re-imbursement, will have this re-imbursement credited to their University account to clear this debt.
What help can I expect to receive?
Awards from the WHF are needs-related and assessed on an individual basis 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.
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Please note that if your enrolment status changes during the application and assessment process then you may become ineligible to receive support from WHF (e.g., students who become permanently withdrawn).
Are there any implications on my UK Government means-tested benefit(s)?
Awards from the WHF may have implications on your entitlement to UK Government means-tested benefits. If you receive an award from the WHF, you can request a document from Student Funding Support to present to the relevant body explaining the circumstances of your award (including the amount).
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How long does the application and assessment process take?
It can take up to 5 weeks from a fully completed application to receipt of funds, if you are found to be eligible (this time scale does not include from submission of your Expression of Interest, only from submission of a fully completed WHF application).
If you are in need of more urgent financial assistance, we may be able to offer you an interest free Emergency Loan of up to £250.
Please see below, further ways in which the wider University may be able to assist you, if you are in financial difficulty:
Can I re-apply to the WHF?
You can submit a new Expression of Interest in applying to the WHF, if you find yourself in financial difficulty at a later date or if you have had a change in circumstances since your triage or application outcome. The process of re-application is the same as applying in the first instance and hence you will need to undertake all stages of this as outlined in the previous sections.
Is there any help offered by the Student Loans Company or the NHS?
If you are in financial difficulty, you may wish to Contact the Student Loans Company (SLC) directly to see if there is any assistance that they can offer you.
If you are a Medical Student in financial difficulty, who is still experiencing financial difficulty after apply to the WHF, you may wish to view the NHS Bursary Hardship Grant webpage.
Other WHF Financial Assistance: Diagnostic Test Re-imbursement
Home students who have attended an appointment with one of the University's Disability Advisers and have subsequently undertaken (and paid for) a full diagnostic test, may be eligible for re-imbursement of their test.
- For more information regarding the above appointments, please see the Disability Team's Screening for Specific Learning Differences webpage.
| Most Medical and PGCE students will need to apply for diagnostic re-imbursement via the WHF. Hence, they will need to undertake all stages of this process as outlined in the previous sections on this page.
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| Year 1 Medical Students who receive the Warwick Bursary can apply for Diagnostic Test Re-imbursement directly by completing an Application for Diagnostic Test Re-imbursement.
Providing we have received all of your evidence, and we are able to confirm with the Disability Team that you attended an appointment with one of their advisers prior to your full diagnostic test, you will be notified of the outcome of your application via email within 10 working days.
The maximum award that you would be eligible for via the Application for Diagnostic Test Re-imbursement is £350.
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As with students who are applying to the WHF due to financial difficulty, applications cannot be considered from students who have completed, permanently withdrawn from or abandoned their course. Further to this, certain enrolment and course exclusions apply, such as salaried PGCE students, students who are awaiting exam board etc. If you would like clarification whether your particular enrolment status or course excludes you from applying, please contact Student Funding Support at
Other Financial Assistance: £200 Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA) Equipment Contribution
If you have been recommended to purchase a computer as part of your assessment for Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA), you will be required to pay £200 towards obtaining this. You may be eligible for financial assistance to help with this cost. For details on how to apply for financial assistance with this, please see the Disability Services £200 DSA Equipment Contribution page.
Please see below for an overview on how to apply for re-imbursement of a £200 DSA Equipment Contribution, depending on your circumstances:
If you are unsure which circumstance applies to you, please do not hesitate to contact us at to clarify this.
Please note, for the above £200 DSA Equipment Contribution Fund, PGCE and Medical Students who receive a qualifying UK Government Means-tested benefit can apply for re-imbursement by following the above orange flowchart. In addition to this, first year Medical Students who receive the Warwick Bursary, can also apply for re-imbursement in this manner.
If a PGCE or Medical Student does not receive a UK Government Means-tested benefit or the Warwick Bursary, they will need to apply for re-imbursement by following the below pink flowchart (i.e., by undertaking the WHF process in full).
You will need to be logged into your University account to submit an Online £200 DSA Equipment Contribution Application form.
You may also wish to view the following Disability Services pages:
Who should I contact if I have any questions?
If you have any questions related to the WHF (including the Diagnostic Test Re-imbursement and/or £200 DSA Equipment Contribution) or Student Funding in general, please do not hesitate to contact Student Funding Support on , or by telephone on 024 7615 0096. You can also view our WHF Guidance Notes 2022-23 for further information.
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Useful Links/Forms: |