Financial support and skills

This year’s National Student Money Week theme is thrive and survive. With the end of the academic year on the horizon, why not take a moment to reflect on your successes to date. Whether academic, financial or wellbeing, it’s important to acknowledge the work you have done to achieve your goals. Financially speaking, it’s also helpful to note important upcoming deadlines.

Apply to the Financial Assistance Fund (FAF)

This is the main Queen Mary hardship fund. For a bite-sized overview of the application process and answers to some common questions, why not tune into Episode 2 of our Mostly Money podcast.

Deadlines

Home undergraduate students

• Standard Awards to help meet general living costs: Tuesday 22 April 2025
• Exceptional Awards: Friday 11 July 2025, or for final year students, four weeks before the course end date.

You must have taken your maximum student finance Maintenance Loan or other statutory funding before applying. A Standard Award will consider your reasonable income and expenditure, and an Exceptional Award your unforeseen or exceptional circumstances. You apply on the same form for both types of award.

Postgraduate and International Students

Exceptional Awards only: Friday 11 July or, for final year students, four weeks before the course end date.

Extra student finance Maintenance Loan

If your household income has dropped by at least 15% this academic year compared to two years ago, there is still time to request a Current Year Income Assessment (CYI). Student Finance England (SFE) will compare your household income from 2022-23 with your estimated income during 2024-25 and you may qualify for some additional student finance Maintenance Loan.

Deadline

Your CYI will need to have been processed nine months from the start date of the academic year, normally 31 May.

Queen Mary Bursary

If your undergraduate household income is below £35,000, you may be eligible for the Queen Mary Bursary. If you don’t wish to take a student finance Maintenance Loan, you will still need to have a household income assessment for Queen Mary to assess you for the bursary. Our web page explains more about how you can be assessed for the bursary.

Deadline

Although Queen Mary’s Bursaries Team has a deadline of 31 July for assessing bursary applications, you will need to have had your student finance application income assessed by SFE’s much earlier deadline of 31 May. This is because Queen Mary uses SFE’s income assessment to assess you for the bursary.

Moving out of halls tv licence refund

Students moving out of halls into licensed accommodation can claim a refund on their tv licence. Applying is simple and can be done online or over the phone on 0300 790 6113.

Students’ Union Welfare Loan

If you need short term help due to cashflow issues, you can apply for up to £100 Welfare Loan from the Students’ Union. You’ll first need to complete a short application form.

Help with the cost of food

Queen Mary Supermarket Voucher Scheme

You may be eligible for a £25 supermarket voucher if your living costs’ funding is low. Student Experience’s guidance explains more about the voucher scheme and other available cost of living support from the university.

Students’ Union and Garrod food pantries

For times when you are running low on food, why not visit your local food pantry.

Tower Hamlets Food Store

If you live in Tower Hamlets and you are struggling to buy food, a Welfare Adviser can refer you to The Food Store. In return for a weekly membership fee of around £4-£5, you will normally be able to access £20-£30 worth of food per week. You don’t need an appointment with a welfare adviser for this. Simply email welfare@qmul.ac.uk with your full name, address, postcode, email address and phone number and state you would like a referral to The Food Store and we can refer you.

If you don’t live in Tower Hamlets, you can search online for food banks in your area. If a referral is required, you can contact us to let us know, and we may be able to act as a referral agency.

Queen Mary cost of living support

Student Experience’s Cost of Living web page explains more about how the university can help with the cost of living.

Further advice

Advice and Counselling offer confidential money advice to all Queen Mary students. You can find our money guidance on our website. If you’d like a 1:1 appointment with a Welfare Adviser, please do book one using our contact form.