International Hardship Fund 2024-25

Award details

The International Hardship Fund (IHF) is a limited fund set aside by the College to assist International and EU students who are experiencing financial difficulties, despite having arranged adequate funding for their studies.  

Applications will open on 14th October. Applications should be submitted at least 4 weeks before the end of your academic year but if you are a continuing student you can apply until 31 May 2025, subject to funds being available. If you think you might need to apply for hardship funding, we recommend that you submit an application as early as possible; you don’t need to wait until you have run out of money.

Since our Hardship Funds have opened we have received a larger number of applications than originally anticipated, meaning our processing times will be longer than usual. 

Please note that no applications will be processed during the Christmas break between 21st December – 1st January.

Applications can only be assessed once they are complete, this is why it's really important that you submit all required evidence to us via email. If your application has outstanding evidence at the time the fund is closing, your application may not be considered.

If you have any queries about IHF or any other aspect of student funding arrangements, please contact the Student Funding Office here at King's where we will be happy to offer you further advice.

International students who are currently experiencing financial hardship should seek guidance from our Money & Housing Advice Service who can offer confidential, expert advice. They can assist you by checking you have received all the funding and benefits that you are entitled to. They can also help review your budget, provide you with financial education tools from Blackbullion, and ensure you have explored all funding avenues. You can submit a form to access their services. 

Award value

Awards will vary in size depending on the student’s need and circumstances but can be up to £6,000 in exceptional circumstances.

An award from the IHF is not guaranteed and it should not form any part of your planned budget until you have received formal notification that you have been granted support.

Eligibility criteria

In order to be eligible to apply, you must:

• Be a fully registered, campus based Undergraduate, Postgraduate Taught or Postgraduate Research student
• Have made financial provision to completely fund your studies (tuition fees and living costs) prior to enrolment
• Have experienced an unforeseen change of circumstances after you commenced your studies which has caused you financial hardship

Award conditions

Please note, the following changes in circumstances will not be considered as sufficient grounds for application: Increase in tuition fees; high costs of living and/or renting in London; fluctuations in the exchange rate; extension to course length for academic reasons (unless due to unforeseen circumstances); Covid-19.

This list is not exhaustive, and students can contact the Student Funding Office for confidential advice before making an application.

Students who have previously applied to the IHF and received an award, cannot apply to the fund based on the same circumstances as previous applications.

Application process

Step 1: Submit an online application including the supporting documents

Please apply using the big red button on the top of the page.

The application involves series of questions about your current income and expenditure and requires you to write a personal statement explaining your financial situation.

Your supporting statement should include:

• Details of the financial provisions you had in place to completely fund your studies prior to enrolment (Examples of evidence: Loan entitlement letter, Savings bank statements, Parental contribution seen on bank statements, Scholarship award letter).

• Details of the unforeseen change of circumstances that took place after you commenced your studies that has put you in financial hardship (Examples of evidence: Job termination letter, invoices/receipts for expenditure, annotated bank statements/payslips).

• Details of your financial need. State the amount of award you are requesting from this fund and if successful, what this would go towards (example: amount requested: £3,000: £2,000 towards rent and £1,000 towards living costs).

  Once we have received your online application we may have to request further supporting documents from you to enable us to make an assessment. If we need to request anything further we will email you about it.

Step 2: We assess your application

Applications will be assessed and presented to the IHF panel where your application will be reviewed, and a decision made.

Due to the complexity of IHF applications, the panel may request additional information upon reviewing your application. Your application will then be reviewed at subsequent meetings until a decision is reached.  

Awards are not meant to cover all of your financial needs, they are a contribution to your funding.

Step 3: We let you know the outcome of your application

Once the assessment has been completed and a final decision has been reached, you will receive notification of the outcome via email.

Can I apply more than once?

Usually, we will only consider one application per academic year (September-June). This means that if you need to you may be able to apply in subsequent years.

We will only consider a repeat application in the same academic year if you have experienced a significant change of circumstance, that has negatively impacted your financial situation since your previous application.

Before you apply again, please contact the Money & Housing Advice Service to discuss your circumstances and review your budgeting. They can then advise if another application would be appropriate or offer other guidance/support.

If you have received the maximum award from the fund, we will not be able to consider a further application.

Additional Support

If you are still concerned about your financial situation, you should contact a Student Advisor for confidential advice.

You can register with the Money & Housing Advice Service on their webpage. They also run a dedicated Advice Line. Full information about Money & Housing Advice Service and the range of advice services they offer can be found on their webpage.

Student Fees & Funding - Privacy Notice

https://self-service.kcl.ac.uk/article/KA-02058/en-us)