Before you begin your application
- Read the Student Money Support privacy statement.
- Check you have the evidence required.
- If applying to the Childcare Fund, check you have read our Childcare Fund Fact Sheet for Students.
- Learn how to download PDF bank statements. If your bank is not on this list then you should refer to your bank's own guidance on how to download PDF statements
- Have all your evidence ready/accessible as you will need to upload all of your evidence to your evidence folder within 48 hours
- If you need help with the application form, the evidence requirements, or the general application processes, especially if you have a disability or dyslexia, please talk to an adviser. If you feel it would be useful, you can contact the hub through Live Chat available in the Portal or by Phone: +44 (0) 1786 466 022 to book an "application assistance appointment". These appointments will be with a member of our team to guide you through the evidence needed, the application process, and general questions about your application.
- For more information on the allocation of Discretionary and Assistance Funds, read our Allocation Guidance.
Starting your application
- Start your application now.
- Complete and submit your application form. At the end of your submission, tick the box to be sent an email of your responses.
- You will automatically receive an email containing a link to your secure evidence folder. This folder contains your Funds Application Excel Workbook and evidence list(s). You will have 48 hours from when you receive this email, to provide all information and evidence required.
- In your evidence folder, you will find your Fund Application Excel workbook. Edit this file and enter all of the income and expenditure relevant to you (and, if applicable, your partner) under the specific income and expenditure tabs at the bottom left of the workbook. Ensure you enter all income and expenditure amounts for both you and your partner (if applicable). You should only complete the Childcare tab if you are applying to the University’s Childcare Funds. Any password-protected cells are not to be filled in by applicants. You can only enter data in a colour-coded field. These are not password-protected. The data you enter into the workbook will automatically save.
- Ensure you read the evidence list(s) provided and upload all mandatory evidence. You must also provide any additional evidence that is detailed in the list which may apply to you, depending on your own circumstances. If you have a partner whom you live with, then all evidence will be required from them too.
- Upload your evidence to your folder by clicking the "Upload" tab at the top of the folder and choosing the documents from your desktop.
We ask that you complete the workbook and upload your supporting evidence within 48 hours of submitting your online application.
If all of the mandatory supporting evidence is not uploaded to your evidence folder by the time we start to assess your application we reserve the right to decline your application. If your application is declined, you will be required to complete the full application process again.
The mandatory supporting evidence required for your application is detailed in this evidence list.
This Application Guidance Checklist can assist you in fully completing the application process.
After you have applied
We aim to assess your application within three to four weeks. Applications will be assessed in the date and time order they are received. We cannot fast-track any assessments.
We will notify you of our decision by email. While your application is in process, you should check your university email regularly.
Award payments
Discretionary Fund, Childcare Funds, Student Assistance Fund, and Paramedic, Nursing and Midwifery Discretionary Fund
If successful, your award(s) will be paid into the bank account you have stored on your portal page within two weeks from the date of your decision email. It is your responsibility to make sure your bank account details are correct. The Money Support team/Finance Office is not responsible for any awards that are paid into the wrong bank account.
Awards from the discretionary and assistance funds can only be paid into UK bank accounts. We are unable to make any bank transfer payments to international bank accounts.
Accommodation Enhancement Fund
If successful, your assessor will inform Accommodation Services of your award, and they will deduct the award amount from your outstanding annual rent balance. Accommodation Services will then inform you of your new reduced monthly direct debit charge.
If you leave/have left halls throughout the academic year, any award will be pro-rated against the number of nights you lived in university accommodation.
You may not receive an award if you have paid your annual accommodation balance in full.
Disagree with a decision?
Applicants who disagree with the outcome of their application are required to meet with a Money Adviser before making any formal request for reconsideration of the decision. In most cases, a conversation like this will allow applicants to present information not included in the original application, which could make a difference.
Appointments to speak with one of our Money Advisers can be made via the Student Services Hub.
If, after speaking with a Money Adviser, an applicant still wishes to formally query their award, their reasons for disagreeing with the decision should be submitted in writing to the Deputy Head of Student Support Services within 28 days of notification of the award outcome being made. Such correspondence can be submitted via ask@stir.ac.uk where it will be forwarded appropriately.
Find out more about the appeals procedure and why some applications are refused. If you need help filling in a form, especially if you have a disability or dyslexia, please talk to an adviser.