HARDSHIP LOAN (STUDENT LOANS COMPANY)

Please note: Final details regarding the Hardship Loan have not yet been issued. This guide is based on information received to date.

ELIGIBILITY

If you have already applied for your full (income - contingent) student loan you can apply for a discretionary hardship loan from the Student Loans Company.

You must have applied for the maximum amount of the normal student loan prior to application. You can apply for a hardship loan only once during the academic year.

CRITERIA

A hardship loan of between £100 and £500 is available each year for students who might otherwise have to withdraw from their course due to financial hardship. To qualify for a hardship loan you must be eligible for an income-contingent student loan and have applied for the full loan.

Students experience financial hardship for a variety of reasons. The kinds of circumstances which merit consideration include:

Living costs	disability costs	books or equipment
accommodation	food costs	transport costs
utility costs (gas, electricity, etc.)	medical expenses	legal costs
child care	personal bank overdrafts

In endorsing your application, the University needs to be satisfied that you have produced sufficient evidence to demonstrate exceptional financial hardship in respect of any of the areas listed above. The Hardship Loan Application form issued by the Student Loan Company can only be completed once the University has determined that you meet the criteria.

DEBT

The fact that you have debt is not on its own sufficient to attract a hardship loan. What will be considered is how and when these debts have accumulated. The Student Loans Company requests the University to consider whether the gap between income and expenditure cannot reasonably be reduced to a manageable level by action by you and the availability of support from other sources.

HOW THE PROCESS WORKS

You should pick up a form from the Student Information Service. Return the completed form along with the documentary evidence required (see section below). On receipt of your eligibility form, the administrator will determine whether you meet the criteria for a hardship loan on the evidence of your income and expenditure. If successful the amount of hardship loan you will receive will then be agreed.

You will then be called for a brief interview in order to; confirm the information provided; agree to the amount of the loan; and to complete the Student Loans Company's Hardship Application form.

You must complete and sign the Hardship Loan Application form in the presence of the administrator.

The administrator will witness and endorse the form before returning it to the Student Loans Company. (A copy of the form is given to you and a copy housed with the University).

The Student Loans Company aims to make a payment into your bank account within seven days of receiving the completed application form.

The hardship loan is added to your student loan and repayments be will based on your income.

DOCUMENTARY EVIDENCE REQUIRED

You may think some of the information and evidence asked for is unnecessary. Everything asked for is required by the University to ascertain your eligibility.

When you submit this form you must enclose copies of:

Confirmation of your full student loan (you will need to provide your credit agreement from the Student Loan Co).
Confirmation of any other form of student support;
The last three statements of all bank and building society accounts held by you;
Confirmation of rent. (You should have a lease stating the rent, a rent book or an agreement. If you have arrears please enclose proof of this also);
Confirmation of mortgage (if applicable);
Confirmation of utility bills (last gas, electricity and telephone bill);
Child Care Form (where applicable)

N.B. Please do not enclose original documents, the documentary evidence will be shredded on completion of the agreement.

STUDENTS IN RECEIPT OF BENEFITS

The Hardship Loan is counted as income and this could affect your entitlement to Social Security benefits, particularly Income Support, Housing Benefit, Family Credit and certain payments from the Social Fund. The Students' Union Advice Centre will advise you on benefits and entitlement.

CONFIDENTIALITY

The information given is treated as confidential and is used only for the purpose of determining that you meet the criteria for a hardship loan.

If there are issues of a personal nature which you do not wish to write on the form please inform the Student Information Service that you wish to see the hardship loans administrator, prior to submitting your application.

APPEALS

If you are unhappy with the decision made you have the right to request a review of your application. You may ask for the decision to be reviewed by the Director of Student Services. You should put your case in writing, along with any documentation you may wish to include and address it to,

Mr D Jennings, Director of Student Services.

If you do wish to appeal against the decision, you should indicate the grounds for your appeal and any change of circumstances since the submission of your form.

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University of Bradford, Bradford, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom

Content last updated 13 September 1999
HTML last changed 7 August 2000