Applications will close on 31 August to make preparations for the 2023/24 academic year.
Overview
The Special Hardship Fund provides financial assistance to:
- Students who are intermitting and have no other available financial support
- Students on a Year Abroad at the University of Cambridge
- Ukrainian students impacted by the war on Ukraine - please see here for more information
Students are expected to have discussed their financial circumstances with their College Tutor prior to applying.
Eligibility
These eligibility criteria should be considered in addition to the General Eligibility Principles and Guidance of the University's Hardship Funds:
Intermitting Students
To be eligible for this Fund, students need to be currently on intermission or about to commence a period of intermission. The expectation is that this application is made at the start of the intermission period to support students with living costs only.
The Fund is limited and awards are substantial and therefore, to receive an award, students need to clearly demonstrate that they will be in extreme hardship during their intermission without support from this fund; this includes not having a place of support to which they can return to during intermission.
Year Abroad
To be eligible for this scheme, which is managed by the International Student Office and the Student Funding and Fee Policy Team, students need to be undergraduate students undertaking the year abroad portion of their degree who have not received funding from the Turing Scheme or equivalent University funding.
If you have received funding from the Turing Scheme or equivalent University funding, you are eligible to apply to the Special Hardship Fund but you will not receive funding through the scheme managed by the International Student Office.
Students must be able to demonstrate that without this award they will be placed in severe financial difficulty. In addition, and in accordance with the eligibility principles for the University's hardship funds, it is expected that students would have taken advantage of the maximum Government education loan that might be available during their year abroad prior to submitting a special hardship fund application.
How much support is available?
- Intermitting students may apply for up to £3,350 during their course of study
- Up to £2,000 for Year Abroad students
- Ukrainian students may apply for up to £3,350
How to apply
Application form
Please ensure you complete the following steps before completing the application form:
- Talk to your College Tutor about applying
- Read the eligibility criteria above to ensure you are eligible
- Read the application guidance
Guidance for College Tutors supporting student applications for hardship funding
Word copy of Special Hardship Fund application form (to be used to draft your responses only)
Applications for support may be made at any time during the academic year. You should expect to receive the outcome of your application within two weeks.
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.