Overview
The Realise Financial Assistance Fund provides financial assistance to Home Undergraduates on intermission who fall into one of the following groups as identified in The Realise Project and are experiencing extreme financial need:
- Care experienced and estranged students
- Refugee, asylum seeker and forced migrant students
- Young carer students
- Gypsy, Roma, traveller, showman and boater students
Students are expected to have discussed their financial circumstances with their College Tutor before applying.
Please note that if your application is successful, you may be required to report back to the Student Funding and Fee Policy Team when you return from intermission.
Eligibility
These eligibility criteria should be considered in addition to the General Eligibility Principles and Guidance of the University's Financial Assistance Funds:
- Applications should be made before or at the beginning of a period of intermission.
- International students and postgraduate students are not eligible to apply to this Fund.
- Students should take advantage of the support available from the Student Loans Company for up to 60 days (8 weeks) of additional maintenance support for students on sickness absence: Withdrawing or suspending study.
How much support is available?
The Fund provides awards of up to £3,650 (including support from SLC) to assist students with living costs.
The amount of £3,650 is intended to provide a term of financial assistance to support students on intermission. Students may only access this financial assistance once during their studies at the University.
How to apply
Application form
Please ensure you complete the following steps before completing the application form:
- Talk to your College Tutor about applying (in the application form, you will be asked to confirm that this discussion has taken place before progressing to the questions in the form)
- Read the eligibility criteria above to ensure you are eligible
- Read the application guidance
Guidance for College Tutors supporting student applications for financial assistance
Word copy of Realise Financial Assistance Fund application form (to be used to draft your responses and share your application with your College Tutor before applying)
Applications which have been accompanied by your College Tutor's support form are reviewed in the month following application submission.
Applications will be automatically withdrawn after 1 month if the College Tutor support form has not been received.
Outcomes will normally be communicated by the end of the month following application submission.
Applications for financial assistance may be made at any time during the academic year between 3 October 2023 and 31 August 2024 (this allows preparations for the next academic year to take place in September).
Contact
Please contact the Student Funding and Fee Policy Team using the email address financialassistance@admin.cam.ac.uk if you have any questions about your eligibility and the application process.