Hardship Funds and Emergency Loans
During your time at University, you may find yourself with little money and struggling to meet your financial obligations. This may be for a variety of reasons such as problems with your student funding, budgeting issues or an unexpected change in your financial circumstances.
An adviser can discuss the options available for your circumstances and these may include the Hardship Fund, the Summer Hardship Fund for undergraduates and/or an Emergency Hardship Loan. Please note that if you find yourself with very little money left to live on, you should contact us straight away to discuss your options (including an interest free Emergency Hardship Loan).
Hardship Fund - What is it?
The University’s Hardship Fund provides a grant to students who find themselves in financial hardship due to unforeseen circumstances since starting the course. The purpose of the Hardship Fund is to provide support for students who would not otherwise be able to continue to study. The fund cannot help with tuition fee payments. If you have savings or other money available to you, you will be expected to use these funds for your living costs before applying. The fund can only help with general day to day living costs.
It can’t make awards to cover:
- Tuition fees
- Sport related costs
- Summer camps/Internships
- Support student is giving to their family other than dependents
- IT related costs such as replacement/repairs for laptop or PC
- Private health care
- Visa application costs
Please review the video below for more information on the University's hardship Funds and who can apply:
Hardship Fund Summer Scheme for Undergraduates – What is it?
The Hardship Fund Summer Scheme is intended to help undergraduate students who face financial difficulties during the summer vacation.
Financial assistance may be granted if students are living independently over the summer, possibly due to being a care leaver, estranged from their family, prevented from supporting themselves due to caring responsibilities or other family, personal or health difficulties which make it necessary to stay in Loughborough. It is expected that students will attempt to find paid work or other means of supporting themselves over the summer but should explain if they have reasonable grounds for not doing so.
Applications will be accepted from the end of summer term (mid-June) to mid-September and decisions/payments will be made within four weeks of receipt of a completed application. The application form, information on eligibility and how to apply will be available on this web page around mid-June.
Applications will be assessed over the 14 week period of the summer vacation. It is important to set out your specific circumstances over the summer. In general your term time student finance will not be treated as income during the summer vacation but, if eligible, you are expected to have borrowed a government maintenance loan during the previous academic year.
Emergency Hardship Loan – What is it?
The University can provide you with an Emergency Hardship Loan up to £250 depending on need. This is short term and attracts no interest or charges, unlike an unauthorised overdraft or payday loan.
Last updated: 11th June 2025