International Students' Emergency Fund

The Scottish Government has made funds available to support students studying in Scotland who are not eligible for home fee status and/or living cost support in the academic year 2022/23. The funds are focused on supporting short-term living costs. The funds cannot be used towards tuition fees.

Semester 2 applications are now closed

The University has been awarded £110,000 from the Scottish Government to assist students impacted by global conflict with short-term financial support. To qualify for support, students must have experienced a change in their financial circumstances and be at risk of not being able to continue with their studies due to that hardship caused by global conflict. Changes of circumstances can include being unable to return home because of conflicts, unable to access currency, or the fear of persecution.

The fund opened on Monday 9 January and closed on Tuesday 25 April 2023 - we may have other funds available, more information is available from  Support for current students | The University of Edinburgh

Who is eligible?

• Must be fully matriculated on a full or part-time mode of study and physically studying in the UK.
• Must have commenced studies in the academic year 2022/23 or earlier.
• Must have applied to the Home Office for a form of leave or extension of right (eg: asylum seekers, students with limited leave to remain, leave outside of the rules, students who have applied to the Ukraine Extension Scheme who are NOT eligible for living cost support from SAAS) to stay in the UK.
• Must be facing financial hardship as a result of a significant change of circumstances and at risk of not being able to continue with their studies.
• Must be non-UK domiciled on an international tuition fee rate OR be UK domiciled but not eligible to receive living cost support from a UK funding body.
• Must be domiciled in one of the following countries (identified and maintained by SAAS):

What is the fund not able to support?

• Those not domiciled from one of the countries listed above.
• Those seeking support for tuition fees.
• Those applying to replace loss in income.
• Those who have yet to fully matriculate for their degree programme or are on an interruption of studies.
• Those applying for funds to support family living outwith the UK. 
• Those who have access to savings or other investments including, but not limited to, cryptocurrency, help to buy ISAs and trust funds.
• Those who are holding money for friends or family - this will be treated as your own available funds.
• International joint degree, visiting or exchange students. These students should seek support from their home institutions.

How to apply

The fund opened on Monday 9 January and closed on Tuesday 25 April 2023 - we may have other funds available, more information is available from  Support for current students | The University of Edinburgh

During the application process, you will be required to provide supporting evidence, which must be provided  in English. If required supporting evidence is not submitted with your application, we will be unable to proceed. 

The fund is means-tested and we follow audit standards. This requires us to assess a student’s access to funding and their living costs to determine financial hardship.  We do so by reviewing your income, living costs and your personal statement outlining your current financial circumstances. For example, what has changed leading to hardship, and an outline of your debt or financial challenges. 

Please use the personal statement to communicate your financial circumstances and the changes you have experienced impacting upon your studies. This is how we understand your financial circumstances to determine the level of support needed. 

Please submit the following supporting documentation with your online application in PDF format only:

• Bank statements for all accounts for two months up to the application date to show  your income and living costs. This includes all accounts you have access to including, digital savings accounts, ISAs, cryptocurrency, social media wallets, overseas accounts and shared accounts.
• Evidence of your accommodation or lease or mortgage - to understand your housing commitment.
• Evidence of your funding body or scholarship support - eg: award letter - to understand the income level you receive
• Evidence of any debts you refer to in your personal statement, eg: credit cards - to understand your financial commitments
• Any relevant government documentation - proof of having applied to the Home Office for a form of leave, or extension of right to stay in the UK.

Please note we are not able to consider screenshots.

Assessment will begin once all documentation is received - if there are any gaps this will delay your application. You will receive an automated email with a 'call number', which we will use to track your application should you wish to get in touch. 

If you are successful, we will pay to your nominated bank account. Please use this link to add the details: 

Finance - Add or Amend My Email Address or Bank Details on My Student Record - Self-Service Portal (unidesk.ac.uk)

Assessment of application

Assessment normally takes up to 20 working days from receipt of a complete application. You will receive an email informing you of the decision.  Please note, due to the current circumstances applications may take longer dependant on the number of applications we are receiving. We will keep our webpages up to date with processing times.  

If your application is successful, it can take up to 10 working days for payments to be processed.  

Receiving funds

Awards are paid by BACS (Bankers' Automated Clearing Services). If you are successful, Finance will process payment to your bank account. You will be asked to provide these details via a link on the form.  It may take up to 10 working days for funds to reach your bank account.

Overseas bank accounts

We are unable to make payments to overseas bank accounts. You must set up a UK bank account before applying to the fund.

Learn about your options for opening your first student bank account in the UK and banking safety

Fraudulent applications

If you submit an application or supporting documentation which we then discover to be fraudulent, or if we receive any information about fraudulent applications, this will be addressed within regulations 12.4 of the Student Code of Conduct. Any funds awarded will need to be paid back in full

Can I apply more than once?

This fund is limited and we expect funds to be exhausted quickly.  We aim to support as many students as possible therefore students can apply for the fund once per academic year.   

Why are applications rejected?

Applications can be rejected for lack of supporting information, evidence of excessive spending  or lack of financial hardship. Please do read the guidance to understand in full how your application will be assessed and talk with Advice Place Contacts. Access to the fund should not be assumed, particularly, where we have a higher demand for the fund. 

What if I disagree with the assessment of my application?

If you disagree with the decision reached you are entitled to request a review of your application. Reviews should be sent to studentfunding@ed.ac.uk with the subject 'Request for International Emergency Fund Review'.

Reviews should be requested in writing, clearly stating the grounds for appeal and, where appropriate, supplying additional documentary evidence to support the review process. All requests for review must be received within 14 days of the date of the original decision letter. The review process can take up to two weeks.

After you have received the outcome of your review, if you still disagree with our decision you may appeal in writing to the Scholarships and Student Funding Services Manager, who is responsible for handling the final appeal, on studentfunding@ed.ac.uk. You should clearly indicate how you believe an incorrect decision has been made. The applicant will be informed of the final decision in writing within 28 working days.

EUSA Advice Place staff will be able to advise you as to whether or not you have sufficient grounds to request a review.

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