Financial Difficulties
Many students are faced with financial difficulties for different reasons. These may include insufficient student finance to cover the essentials, loss of a part-time job, unexpected expenses such as replacing a broken laptop, paying off existing debt, family financial problems, or a lack of savings.
Some may simply be overspending or have poor money management skills. Nevertheless, the recent increase in the cost-of-living crisis, is placing even the most money savvy students under financial stress.
We understand, the negative impact of financial worries may have upon your mental health, relationships and academic attainment. Whatever the reason for your financial struggles, please don’t be afraid or too embarrassed to seek help.
You can:
- Contact SU Advice if you would like to speak in confidence to one of the Advice Team about your financial difficulties
- Register with Blackbullion, your free financial wellbeing platform, available to all Queen’s students, which will help you gain the money skills needed to take control of your finances with confidence. (Register using Queen’s Students’ Union as your institution name)
- Click on the links below for further information on the support the University or external organisations may be able to provide.
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The Student Support Fund
The Student Support Fund is given to the University by the Department for the Economy (DfE) and provides discretionary financial assistance to students from Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK who are eligible for student finance but may still be encountering financial difficulty whilst studying. by the Department for the Economy (DfE) and provides discretionary financial aid to students from Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK who are eligible for student finance but may still be encountering financial difficulty whilst studying.
The Support Fund is focused on providing support for essential living cost, such as rent, food, utilities, travel and childcare.
It cannot provide help to pay tuitions fees.
Students enrolled as ‘assessment/exam only’, and those who have completed their course are not eligible to apply for University discretionary funds.
Generally, students can apply once each academic year. second applications will be considered if there has been a significant and exceptional change in circumstances since the first application was made and which may be evidenced, for example the birth of a new baby.
Applications will be assessed in line with the Support Fund Framework, and the amount of award will be determined by individual circumstances. There is no automatic entitlement for any student to receive an award.
Awards are paid as a once off payment to your bank account, and do not have to be repaid.
Click here for more information
- University Financial Assistance Fund
Students who do not qualify for the Student Support Fund, may be eligible to apply to the discretionary University Financial Assistance Fund. This includes those students who are RoI, EU and International students, and UK students who have not been eligible for financial support from a UK student funding body.
The University Financial Assistance Fund is extremely limited in the number and size of awards which may be made. Therefore, a focus is placed on providing support for unexpected and exceptional circumstances which could not have been predicted in advance of starting study.
The Fund cannot provide help to pay tuitions fees.
Students enrolled as ‘assessment/exam only’, and those who have completed their course, are not eligible to apply for University discretionary funds.
Generally, students can apply only once each academic year.
Applications will be assessed following the same framework used for the Student Support Fund.
There is no automatic entitlement for any student to receive an award.
Awards are paid as a once off payment to your bank account, and do not have to be repaid.
Click here for more information
- The Pantry
The Pantry is part of our ongoing campaign to mitigate the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on our students, the SU has teamed up with the University to provide, a free refill station found on the ground floor of One Elmwood.
You may visit The Pantry up to twice a week, Monday to Friday during term-time, from 12pm – 2pm, to collect a selection of free store cupboard ingredients and household items.
Please bring your student card and reusable bags and containers.
Further details and current opening times can be found here
- Food Bank Referrals
SU Advice is a referring agency for South Belfast Food Bank (SBFB) which is part of the Trussell Trust, a UK-wide network of food banks that supply emergency food and support to people living in poverty.
Due to the high demands on their service, Trussell Trust asks all referring agencies to undertake an initial assessment of the individual's situation before making a food bank referral. This ensures the Trust can provide support to the most vulnerable in the local community who are in crisis and in need of short-term food supplies.
Students living outside of the South Belfast region will be signposted to a Trussell Trust Foodbank in their own local area. You can find details of your nearest Trussell Trust Foodbank here.
If you are seeking a referral to SBFB, you will first be invited to attend an informal meeting with a SU Advice Adviser. You may be asked to provide recent bank statements as evidence of financial hardship. This meeting also allows the Adviser to establish what other support the University may be able to provide.
SU Advice will always refer any QUB student who is currently without the means to provide enough food for themselves and their families. However, referrals cannot be made for the purpose of helping students to save money on daily living expenses that can otherwise be met from the student’s own existing financial means and resources.
You can request a referral to SBFB up to six times in any 6-month period. Any additional visits will be at the discretion of the SBFB manager. For this reason, using SBFB should be viewed only as short-term support which allows you time to look for more long-term solutions to your financial difficulties.
SBFB operates on an appointment-only system. After the online referral is completed by the SU Adviser, you will be contacted directly by SBFB. An appointment will then be made for you to visit SBFB at a given time.
During your visit, you will be allowed to select enough food and toiletries to last up to 3 days from a variety of foodstuffs and toiletries. You will also be invited to meet with a SBFB volunteer who will talk with you in more detail about your situation and you may then be offered a referral to other appropriate agencies and sources of support.
If you feel you need a referral to SBFB, please contact SU Advice to arrange a meeting with an SU Adviser.