Cost of Living Summer Fund

Cost of Living Summer Fund

The Cost of Living Summer Fund is a non-repayable grant of up to £500 awarded to students who are in financial difficulty, and need extra support with living costs over the extended summer break.

Each application is evaluated, taking into account the unique circumstances and financial challenges of the individual. While applications are considered on a case-by-case basis, priority is given to students meeting specific eligibility criteria outlined in the guidelines. Applicants are encouraged to provide evidence substantiating their financial need to strengthen their case.

A student writing notes in a lecture

Am I Eligible?

To apply for the Cost of Living Fund, you should:

  • Be fully registered for the current academic year, at undergraduate degree level or above.
  • Be able to explain in the Personal Statement the financial plans made to fund your studies.
  • Be able to explain in the Personal Statement the unforeseen circumstances which has directly impacted on your financial plans.
  • Be able to provide evidence of how your living costs are paid, from all bank accounts held in your name, as well as your partner/spouse’s bank accounts.

Students who have already received support from the Financial Aid team in 23/24 are only eligible for support under exceptional circumstances.

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Who is not eligible?

  • Students with funds already available to them (£500+ across all accounts)
  • Students studying below undergraduate degree level, such as Short Courses and undergraduate certificate students.
  • Students studying an Upskilling course.
  • Students who have not made adequate financial plans to fund their studies.
  • Students who have adequate personal or family savings or other funds available to fund their studies.

Students registered on the following basis are not eligible to apply for the funds:

  • Erasmus Incoming
  • Exchange In
  • Reassessment of Dissertation
  • Sabbatical
  • Visiting In

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Student viewing a tablet/device

How to Apply

1. Check that you are eligible to apply

2. Ensure you have completed Academic and Financial Registration

3. Collate all supporting documents as individual PDFs (ilovepdf.com)

4. Submit your application via the Helpdesk

Apply now

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Supporting Documents

All supporting documents should be included with your application as separate, clearly labelled PDFs.  For example:

  • Student Current Account PDF
  • Partner/Spouse Current Account PDF
  • Student Savings Account PDF
  • Tenancy Agreement/Mortgage Statement PDF
  • Other relevant documents PDF

We are unable to accept documents saved as zip files or shared documents (e.g. SharePoint).

There are online tools to assist with converting multi page documents to single page PDF e.g. www.ilovepdf.com

There are various online tools to reduce file size. If you are having difficulty attaching documents to your application, you may wish to use https://www.adobe.com/uk/acrobat/online/compress-pdf.html

 

 

Required Supporting Documents

Bank Statements (including spouse/partner where applicable)

  • Recent 30-day bank statements for all accounts held in your name (and your partner/spouse’s name, where applicable).
  • Statements should demonstrate all monthly income and expenditure as declared on your application form.
  • Online statements and transaction lists can be used, but we're not able to accept to excel spreadsheets or word documents.

Tenancy Agreement/Mortgage Statement

  • Tenancy Agreement should be current and show your name, property address, dates of agreement and monthly costs.
  • Annual Mortgage Statement or a letter from provider confirming your name, address, and monthly payments.
  • If you are a sub-tenant and do not have a formal lease agreement, please provide a letter from your landlord or the lead tenant. 

 

Examples of other documents which may be relevant to your application

  • A letter from your employer/funder explaining delay in payment which has resulted in your Cost of Living application.
  • Recent unexpected gas/electricity (or other utility) bill.

 

University Gardens from University Avenue

Appeal Your Application

If your application has been unsuccessful, you can submit an appeal for your application to be reviewed. 

To appeal the outcome of your application, email reg.finaid@glasgow.ac.uk explaining in detail why you feel your original application meets the eligibility criteria above.  You can also provide any additional information and evidence you feel are relevant to your application.  Please mark your email as high importance and enter Cost of Living Fund Application Appeal as your email subject.

Appeals will be considered by the Financial Aid Management and the outcome of your appeal will be confirmed via email within 28 working days of receipt.