What topics can Money Advice support me with?

The Student Funding Office manage and administrate all student grants, bursaries and hardship funds available at King’s. They assess eligibility and make payments to successful applicants. The Student Finance Office is the main contact for external finance providers such as Student Finance England (SFE), Student Awards Agency Scotland, Student Finance Wales, Student Finance Northern Ireland and US Federal Loans.

Contact the Student Funding Office to check the progress of an application you have made; your eligibility for funding or if your student finance provider needs an update from the university about your registration.

Contact Money Advice if you need help resolving a student finance issues, appealing a decision or identifying sources of financial support inside and outside the university, as detailed above.
 

With your permission we can work with the Student Funding Office, and other departments in the university, to help resolve your case.

If you’re applying for funding and need support Money Advisors can:

• Confirm your eligibility and estimate your entitlement for funding

• Help you to challenge decisions made by SFE and other funding bodies if the rules have not been applied correctly

• Advise and support you if you have previous or repeat studies and have been refused student funding

If you’re facing financial hardship, or are worried about your personal circumstances, Money Advisors can:

• Advise you on hardship funds and emergency assistance at King's

• Signpost you to external sources of support

• Help you to explain your circumstances if your situation is complex

• Appeal a decision if you feel that your situation has not been fully understood

• Explain how funding is affected when you take a break from study and help you to challenge decisions or ask for continued support

• Explain how previous study counts towards your entitlement for funding and provide advice and support on submitting Compelling Personal Reasons (CPRs), for repeat study

You can read our article on paying Council Tax but if you’re unsure, or need support, Money Advisors can help with:

• Understanding when you’re exempt from Council Tax

• Challenging decisions

• Dealing with debt collectors

• Finding other sources of financial support if you aren’t exempt from paying Council Tax

When it comes to applying for welfare benefits Money Advisors can provide:

• Advice on eligibility

• Assistance with applications

• Advocacy and support through appeals and tribunals

• Help with hardship funds if you experience delays or aren’t eligible

For an overview of what's available, read our article What welfare benefits can I claim during my studies?

You can get support with managing your money through:

• A range of online resources to help you consider your income and expenditure and draw up a budget plan to refer to throughout the year

• One to one advice and support if you are finding it difficult to manage your budget

• Peer support with budgeting via our Money Mentor initiative

If you find yourself facing debt, Money Advisors can:

• Advise you on your options if you find yourself in debt to the university

• Advise if you are eligible to apply for hardship funds and the limits of this funding

• Where appropriate advise on breaks from study or a switch in attendance mode if this will help limit your debt and reduce overall debt liability

• Negotiate with Credit Control on your behalf if you’re unable to pay your fees and we can see that there is a sustainable plan for paying them

• Refer you to an external debt advice agency for support if you have multiple debts and/or consumer credit debts 

If you’re considering your options for funding your studies, you can talk to the Money Advisors about other sources of funding to help with your living and study costs. This includes, but isn’t limited to, finding work and applying for grants and bursaries from trusts and charities.

For guidance, read our article How can I find scholarships, bursaries and grants? 

Throughout the year the Money Advice team, in partnership with the Money Mentors and Blackbullion, run campaigns and workshops to help you make the most of your money.

We also recommend using Blackbullion, an online platform to provide digital financial education that develops financial confidence, knowledge, skills, and empowers better decision making.