King's Hardship Fund 2025-26

Award details

Please note we have recently updated and simplified the way students apply for hardship funding and applications are no longer submitted via student records. All hardship fund applications are now submitted via an MS Form.

If you are a Home undergraduate student please submit a hardship fund application via the undergraduate hardship fund application form which can be accessed here.

The King’s Hardship Fund (KHF) is available to help Home students in need of financial support during their studies. Awards made from the fund aim to assist with day-to-day living costs such as rent, utility bills, travel costs etc. An award from the KHF cannot be used to pay tuition fees directly on your behalf.

Applications 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 2026, 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 should not wait until you have run out of money.

Please note that no applications will be processed during the Christmas break between 22nd December – 5th January. Furthermore, we cannot guarantee that applications received after 1st December will be assessed before the Christmas break. This also applies to applications received prior to 1st December where we are missing evidence.

Applications can only be assessed once they are complete, so 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 KHF 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.

If you are experiencing problems with your funding or you’re worried that you will not have enough money to cover all your costs, our Money & Housing Advice Service can assist you by checking that you have received all the funding and benefits that you’re 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

If your application is successful, you could receive between £500 - £3,500.

Please note that any award above £2,000 will be paid in two equal instalments - the first when you are notified of your application outcome and the second in mid-February 2026. If you withdraw or interrupt your studies before the second payment date, this may not be released. If you are considering either option, please contact the Student Funding Office for advice. If you are notified of your application outcome after February 2026, your award will be paid as one lump sum.

An award from the KHF 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

To be eligible to apply to the King's Hardship Fund you must be a home student, which means that you will be paying the home rate of tuition fees. Please note, EU students facing financial difficulties who are not in receipt of a maintenance loan from Student Finance will usually need to apply for the International Hardship Fund.

The KHF welcomes applications from both full-time and part-time students who meet the following criteria:

1. Be an undergraduate student NOT in receipt of the King's Living Bursary

The KHF is intended to provide support to students who do not meet the financial eligibility criteria of the King’s Living Bursary, but who need to access additional financial support.

You must be in receipt of the maximum Maintenance Loan available to you from Student Finance England/Wales/NI/SAAS. This involves sending evidence of your household income to Student Finance to be means-tested.

If you are not taking a loan for religious reasons, please indicate this on your application and provide evidence of alternative financial provision. Please note, we will consider the loan(s) you are eligible for as income unless the maximum loan available to you is exceeded by your alternative financial provision. You must still apply to Student Finance and have your application means-tested. You do not need to take out a loan to have your application means-tested. This is so that we can assess you under the correct hardship fund and include the correct amount of maintenance loan you are eligible for.

If your application is not means-tested, the maximum maintenance loan amount for this year will be included as income.

All Home undergraduate students should submit a hardship fund application via the undergraduate hardship fund application form which can be accessed here. 

2. Be studying a postgraduate pre-registration course

Students who have enrolled onto a postgraduate pre-registration course are entitled to apply to undergraduate funding from Student Finance England (if ordinarily resident in England).

You will need to have applied to receive the maximum statutory support available to you if you are eligible. You should be in receipt of the maximum Maintenance Loan available to you from Student Finance England/Wales/NI/SAAS. This involves sending evidence of your household income to Student Finance to be means-tested.

If you are not taking a loan for religious reasons, please indicate this on your application and provide evidence of alternative financial provision. Please note, we will consider the loan(s) you are eligible for as income unless the maximum loan available to you is exceeded by your alternative financial provision. You must still apply to Student Finance and have your application means-tested. You do not need to take out a loan to have your application means-tested. This is so that we can assess you under the correct hardship fund and include the correct amount of maintenance loan you are eligible for.

If your application is not means-tested, the maximum maintenance loan amount for this year will be included as income.

As you would be in receipt of undergraduate funding please submit a hardship fund application via the undergraduate hardship fund application form which can be accessed here.

3. Be studying a postgraduate degree programme at King’s

• You need to have applied to receive the maximum statutory support available to you if you are eligible (Postgraduate Masters Loan or Postgraduate Doctoral Loan from Student Finance).

• You must be able to prove that you have made sufficient provision to begin your studies, by supplying evidence that you meet the Minimum Required Provision (MRP).

The MRP has been set at £274 per week for students living alone, £231 for students with dependants or a disability preventing work, and £231 for students living at home. Students are expected to meet the MRP with savings, grants, earnings, benefits, family contributions, etc.

If you are not taking a statutory loan for religious reasons, please indicate this on your application and provide evidence of alternative financial provision you have made. Please note, we will consider the loan you are eligible for as income unless the maximum loan you are eligible for is less than your alternative financial provision. 

Case study: Read an example case study of a how a student could be eligible for the King's Hardship Fund on our Hardship Funds Assessment Guidelines webpage.

Please note that students studying on Online programmes are not eligible for the King's Hardship Fund.

Application process

Step 1: Submit an online application

If you are a postgraduate student please apply using the big red button on the top of the page. We have recently updated and simplified the way students apply for hardship funding and applications are no longer submitted via student records. All hardship fund applications are now submitted via an MS Form.

The application involves a series of questions about your current income and expenditure and requires you to write a personal statement explaining your financial situation. You will need to upload relevant supporting documents in each section of the form.

Please be as detailed as possible in your personal statement. It is important that you explain why you require financial assistance and that you include any information that may support your case.

Missing or incorrect evidence will significantly delay the assessment of your application so please do double check before submitting your documents that everything is in order!

For all applicants, submitting false statements and/or documents or deliberately withholding pertinent information constitutes making a false application. This will render your application null and void and could result in referral to your faculty, and/or action being taken under the Non-Academic Misconduct Policy, which may lead to expulsion from the University.

Step 2: We assess your application

We will review the application and supporting documents you have provided. If you have not provided all necessary evidence, we will contact you via email to request further information.

Applications are assessed under an ‘additional need’ methodology, which looks at the difference between accepted reasonable expenditure and expected funding.

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 (October-May). 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