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Each of the following funds are available to help students that find themselves in financial difficulty or require support with registered childcare costs. In order to access any of these funds you must complete the Application for Financial Assistance.

The Discretionary Fund

This fund is provided by the Scottish government and can help students that find themselves in difficulty with unexpected or unforeseen financial circumstances. All undergraduate and postgraduate students from the UK that have accessed the full student funding package available to them can apply. Assessments are made based on household income and expenditure for the academic year. Nursing students and International students cannot apply to this fund.

The Childcare FundÌý

This fund is provided by the Scottish government and can help students that have registered childcare costs such as nursery, childminder and after school club. All undergraduate and postgraduate students from the UK that have accessed the full student funding package available to them can apply. Assessments are made based on household income and expenditure for the academic year. Nursing students, Paramedic Science students and International students cannot apply to this fund.Ìý

The Nursing Discretionary FundÌýÌý

This fund is provided by the Scottish government and can help nursing students that find themselves in difficulty with unexpected or unforeseen financial circumstances. All undergraduate students from the UK that have accessed the full student funding package available to them can apply. Assessments are made based on household income and expenditure for the academic year. Due to the size of the fund there is no support for childcare costs available and the maximum award in any academic year is £500.Ìý

The International Hardship FundÌýÌý

This fund is provided by the university and can help students that find themselves in difficulty with unexpected or unforeseen financial circumstances. All undergraduate and postgraduate students from outwith the UK can apply. Assessments are made based on income and expenditure for the academic year.

You can use the online application to make an application to the Childcare Fund, Discretionary Fund (formerly the Hardship Fund), Nursing Discretionary Fund or the International Hardship Fund.

Please read the notes carefully before completing the form and submit the supporting evidence in the correct format. This would be through scanning and sending by pdf attachment to studentfunding@qmu.ac.uk.

Online Budgeting

ÌýThere are several websites where you can put in details about your income and expenditure. An online calculator then works out the difference. Change a few figures and see the impact of spending more or less on different things or the result if you gave up a part-time job.

ÌýOther sites include:

• Ìý– a different approach which looks at how much you spend over the whole year, not just each month. Really useful for all students.
• Ìý– a helpful calculator for undergraduate students who get their funding from Student Finance England
• Ìý
• Ìý– very useful if you have children or a mortgage. There are some otherÌýÌýon the same site including the cutback calculator and moneystretcher.

What to do next

Once you've worked out the difference between your income and expenditure, you can start to take action.

• Can you cut back on spending in any area?
• Do you need to do something about debt?
• Could you apply for Discretionary or Assistance Funding?
• Should you think about getting a part-time job
• Are there other sources of funding you could consider?
• Decide how much you can spend on different thingsÌý– and try and stick to your budget

Check the top tips for living well on not a lot...

It’s YOUR money; don’t settle for less, plan for more.

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ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýShop savvy

• Go shopping with a friend and share the multi-buy offers
• Buy Store's own brands; cheaper but just the same
• Never go to the supermarket hungry
• Always use a price comparison websiteÌý– use cash back sites likeÌý
• Try charity shopping for clothing, books, gifts etc. – lower your carbon footprint too
• Always ask for a student discount even if not advertised
• Download vouchers fromÌýÌý– good tips too!‌
• Look out for voucher codes on the
• Don't take kids shopping with you!

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýWrite it down

• Always write a shopping list and only buy what you have written down‌
• Give yourself a budget and stick to it

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýEat well for less

• Cook food from scratch and freeze the rest for later
• Cook together with your flatmates
• Bring a packed lunch instead of buying lunch
• A coffee a day, costs mount up. Bring your own coffee flask

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýSome useful sites

• Ìý– tips for making your money go further and not spending at all
• Ìý– one way to keep track of spending. Check our budgeting page for more detailed tools too.

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Anyone can fall into debt from time to time, however it is important that you don’t bury your head in the sand and ignore the debt. There are some easy practical steps you can take to avoid debt.

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ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌý Trying to avoid debt

• Managing your money – begin by planning a budget.
• Maximise your incomeÌý– look at the options you have to access additional (free) money and the information on University Hardship Funds.
• Minimise your expenditureÌý– look at your budget and check the things you can do without or that you can buy cheaper. Go onto money saving websites for vouchers and money back schemes, use your student card for discounts; check out websites such asÌý.

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýExisting debt

• If you have debts before starting university, don't ignore them. Find out what you can do to minimise payments or make the debt more manageable.
• Some debts are more important to pay than others, for example always make sure that you pay your rent and have a roof over your head.

ÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýÌýUseful links

• Ìý– links to free advice agencies in your area.
• Ìý– telephone helpline, fact sheets, model letters, debt advice and more.
• Ìý– free advice from moneysaving expert to help you manage your debts and work out a successful route to financial freedom
• Ìý– offering free, confidential advice and support to anyone who is worried about debt.
• Find out all about credit rating, including a quick credit checker tool atÌý.

Easy money with no strings attached? If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is.

There is no such thing as ‘money for nothing’, if you move money from an unknown source into your account you are potentially committing a crime with serious consequences. Money Laundering by becoming a Money Mule supports organised crime. These criminal groups may be involved in serious criminal activity such as human trafficking, child sexual abuse and exploitation or blackmail and extortion. It is not a victimless crime.Ìý

Tips to avoid becoming a Money Mule

1 – Don’t give your bank account details to anyone unless you know and trust them.

2 – Be wary of job offers where all interactions and transactions will be done online.

3 – Be cautious of unsolicited offers of easy money.

4 – Research any company that makes you a job offer and confirm that their contact details are genuine.

5 – Be wary of job offers from overseas. It will make it harder for you to find out if they are legitimate.

6 – Be wary of job adverts that are written in poor English with grammatical errors and spelling mistakes.

You can find further information on the

If you have any questions then please contact the Student Funding Adviser or come to a drop-in session – studentfunding@qmu.ac.uk