Discretionary & Childcare Funds

Undergraduate

The following funding may be available to you if you are an Undergraduate student from Scotland or the Rest of the UK. As PGDE students are funded through the undergraduate funding system, you should also use this section to find out more about discretionary and childcare funds.

If you are a Pre-registration Nursing/Midwifery, International or EU student, please use the sections below to find out more about discretionary and childcare funds that may be available to you.

Full-time undergraduate students (including PGDE)

This fund is now open for applications for the 2020-21 academic year.

Discretionary Funds, including the Childcare Element, are available to all UK students who are in receipt of the maximum student support available to them and can demonstrate a need for financial support whilst adhering to our various rates for appropriate expenditure. The only exception are students studying pre-registration Nursing and Midwifery courses, who are not eligible and should consult the section below.

Although funding comes from the Scottish Government, you do not need to be Scottish to be eligible, but should be in receipt of student support from Student Finance England, Northern Ireland or Wales.

Discretionary Funds can provide additional financial support to top up the support you receive from government, and help you meet the cost of living. The Childcare Element of these funds can be awarded in addition to the Discretionary Fund and can help meet the cost of study related childcare.

Any award from the Discretionary Fund, including the Childcare Element, is in the form of a non-repayable bursary.

You may apply if you struggle to makes ends meet each month, or if you experience an unexpected cost that you have not budgeted for. These funds are limited and they are awarded on a first come, first served basis so it is recommended that you apply as early as possible to avoid disappointment. The fund can close with little notice due to budget constraints.

It is unlikely that any award will cover your shortfall in full so we would encourage you to use our money advice resources to help you budget effectively.

How to apply:

Application packs, guidance notes and procedures all follow. You should download these from here and follow the guidance carefully to complete your application, and submit this to us in a format that we are able to accept and process.

Applying for THE childcare ELEMENT?

The Childcare Provider Form is now available to download from the section below.

If you have yet to apply, you should complete the Discretionary Application, and submit this along with your supporting evidence and the Childcare Provider Form, completed by your childcare provider. You should do this as soon as possible.

If you have already submitted the Discretionary Application you can now submit the Childcare Provider Form, completed by your childcare provider. You should do this as soon as possible.

We understand that the current climate may bring some uncertainty around your childcare requirements for the academic year ahead. To give you time to plan ahead and better understand your childcare requirements, you should read the Childcare Factsheet below, which detail what can be applied for.

To reassure you, while you might begin the new academic year with blended learning that might reduce your time on campus, we would not expect this to reduce the childcare you can claim from us.

Applications, Procedures & Guidance

The following documents will help you complete your application:

Part-time Undergraduate students

Read the information below to find out how the funds work, and how you can apply when you have enrolled on your modules for the 2020-21 academic year.

Discretionary and Childcare Funds are available to UK students funding their studies through the SAAS Part-time Fee Grant, or having an annual income under £25k. Funding is limited to help meet the costs of books/course materials, travel and childcare, and is designed to ensure that those students on low incomes are not significantly out of pocket as a result of their studies.

We will provide a flat rate award per 20 credit module, towards books/course materials and travel. You do not have to submit any evidence, such as receipts, in order to claim this. You can also use the award at your discretion, to best suit your individual needs. While the University operates a hybrid teaching model where in-person attendance on campus is reduced, this flat rate contribution is £60 per 20 credit module. This will increase when in-person attendance resumes.

These funds are limited and they are awarded on a first come, first served basis so it is recommended that you apply as early as possible to avoid disappointment.

How to apply:

Application packs, guidance notes and procedures all follow. You should download these from here and follow the guidance carefully to complete your application, and submit this to us in a format that we are able to accept and process.

Applying for childcare?

We accept applications from those who require support meeting the costs of study related childcare. Applying for help meeting the costs of childcare should be a priority.

If you also wish to apply for help meeting the costs of study related childcare, we simply include that in your application to the Discretionary Fund. This means you only need to complete one application and we will assess you for both elements. Your childcare provider will need to complete a form and you should read our Student Childcare Fund Factsheet for details of the childcare costs we can consider.

Applications, Procedures & Guidance

Postgraduate

The following funding may be available to you if you are a Postgraduate student from Scotland or the Rest of the UK. As PGDE students are funded through the undergraduate funding system, you should also use the section above to find out more about discretionary and childcare funds.

If you are a Pre-registration Nursing/Midwifery, International or EU student, please use the sections below to find out more about discretionary and childcare funds that may be available to you.

If you are undertaking postgraduate research study, such as PhD level study, please use the section below to find out more about discretionary and childcare funds that may be available to you.

Full-time Postgraduate Students (excluding PGDE and Research)

This fund is now open for applications for the 2020-21 academic year.

Discretionary Funds, including the Childcare Element, are available to all UK students who are in receipt of the maximum student support available to them and can demonstrate a need for financial support whilst adhering to our various rates for appropriate expenditure. The only exception are students studying pre-registration Nursing and Midwifery courses, who are not eligible and should consult the section below.

Although funding comes from the Scottish Government, you do not need to be Scottish to be eligible, but should be in receipt of student support from Student Finance England, Northern Ireland or Wales.

Discretionary Funds can provide additional financial support to top up the support you receive from government, and help you meet the cost of living. The Childcare Element of these funds can be awarded in addition to the Discretionary Fund and can help meet the cost of study related childcare.

Any award from the Discretionary Fund, including the Childcare Element, is in the form of a non-repayable bursary.

You may apply if you struggle to makes ends meet each month, or if you experience an unexpected cost that you have not budgeted for. These funds are limited and they are awarded on a first come, first served basis so it is recommended that you apply as early as possible to avoid disappointment. The fund can close with little notice due to budget constraints.

It is unlikely that any award will cover your shortfall in full so we would encourage you to use our money advice resources to help you budget effectively.

MSc Social Work:

If you are studying the MSc Social Work, what you can apply for through this fund is slightly different to other postgraduates and is detailed in the fund procedures document below.

In a nutshell, if you are funded through SSSC, you may apply to the Discretionary Fund, but not for any Childcare Element. If you are not funded through SSSC, you may apply for the Discretionary Fund and Childcare Element. However, this fund is not an alternative to SSSC funding, so you will need to demonstrate that you have adequate support in place to meet your tuition and living costs.

How to apply:

Application packs, guidance notes and procedures all follow. You should download these from here and follow the guidance carefully to complete your application, and submit this to us in a format that we are able to accept and process.

Applying for THE childcare ELEMENT?

The Childcare Provider Form is now available to download from the section below.

If you have yet to apply, you should complete the Discretionary Application, and submit this along with your supporting evidence and the Childcare Provider Form, completed by your childcare provider. You should do this as soon as possible.

If you have already submitted the Discretionary Application you can now submit the Childcare Provider Form, completed by your childcare provider. You should do this as soon as possible.

We understand that the current climate may bring some uncertainty around your childcare requirements for the academic year ahead. To give you time to plan ahead and better understand your childcare requirements, you should read the Childcare Factsheet below, which detail what can be applied for.

To reassure you, while you might begin the new academic year with blended learning that might reduce your time on campus, we would not expect this to reduce the childcare you can claim from us.

Applications, Procedures & Guidance

The following documents will help you complete your application:

Part-time Postgraduate Students

Read the information below to find out how the funds work, and how you can apply when you have enrolled on your modules for the 2020-21 academic year.

Discretionary and Childcare Funds are available to UK students funding their studies through the SAAS Part-time Fee Grant, or having an annual income under £25k. Funding is limited to help meet the costs of books/course materials, travel and childcare, and is designed to ensure that those students on low incomes are not significantly out of pocket as a result of their studies.

We will provide a flat rate award per 20 credit module, towards books/course materials and travel. You do not have to submit any evidence, such as receipts, in order to claim this. You can also use the award at your discretion, to best suit your individual needs. While the University operates a hybrid teaching model where in-person attendance on campus is reduced, this flat rate contribution is £60 per 20 credit module. This will increase when in-person attendance resumes.

These funds are limited and they are awarded on a first come, first served basis so it is recommended that you apply as early as possible to avoid disappointment.

How to apply:

Application packs, guidance notes and procedures all follow. You should download these from here and follow the guidance carefully to complete your application, and submit this to us in a format that we are able to accept and process.

Applying for childcare?

We accept applications from those who require support meeting the costs of study related childcare. Applying for help meeting the costs of childcare should be a priority.

If you also wish to apply for help meeting the costs of study related childcare, we simply include that in your application to the Discretionary Fund. This means you only need to complete one application and we will assess you for both elements. Your childcare provider will need to complete a form and you should read our Student Childcare Fund Factsheet for details of the childcare costs we can consider.

Applications, Procedures & Guidance

Pre-registration Nursing/Midwifery

The following funding may be available to you if you are a Pre-registration Nursing/Midwifery student from Scotland or the Rest of the UK. This includes courses leading to registration with the NMC at both BSc and MSc levels.

If you are a Pre-registration Nursing/Midwifery student, but are also an International or EU student, please use the International/EU section below to find out more about the funds that may be available to you.

Pre-registration Nursing/Midwifery Childcare

This fund is now open for applications for the 2020-21 academic year.

Pre-registration Nursing and Midwifery Students may be able to apply for help meeting the cost of study related childcare through the UWS Childcare Fund. Full eligibility details can be found in the application pack and fund procedure document below.

This fund is unique to UWS, allowing us to offer additional financial support to help you meet the costs of childcare that may not be available in all universities.

You are applying for a contribution towards your study related childcare costs for an academic year, which will be determined based on your costs for the academic year, and any other financial support for childcare costs that you should be entitled to, such as the SAAS Childcare Allowance of £2,466.

It’s important that you carefully consider the costs associated with using childcare, and do not rely on this fund as it is likely only to contribute a small amount towards your total childcare costs, as detailed in the application pack and fund procedure document below.

We understand that the current climate may bring some uncertainty around your childcare requirements for the academic year ahead. As this fund provides a contribution towards your childcare costs, you should be able to apply using your best estimate of your childcare costs for the year. You can find out more in the UWS Childcare Fund Factsheet below, and will also find a Childcare Fund Factsheet that you should share with your childcare provider.

These funds are limited and they are awarded on a first come, first served basis so it is recommended that you apply as early as possible to avoid disappointment. The fund can close with little notice due to budget constraints.

How to apply:

Application packs, guidance notes and procedures all follow. You should download these from here and follow the guidance carefully to complete your application, and submit this to us in a format that we are able to accept and process.

Applications, Procedures & Guidance

Pre-Registration Nursing/Midwifery Discretionary Fund

The Pre-Registration Nursing and Midwifery Discretionary Fund is available to all UK students studying a full-time Pre. Registration programme, and who are in receipt of the maximum student support available to them. Although funding comes from the Scottish Government, you do not need to be Scottish to be eligible to apply, but should be in receipt of student support from Student Finance England, Northern Ireland or Wales.

Discretionary Funds can provide additional financial support to top up the support you receive from government, and help you meet the cost of living, where something unexpected has impacted your finances.

We appreciate that the vast majority of students on these courses will struggle to meet their cost of living throughout their studies. However, as a result of the limited budget available, we can only consider applications from students experiencing unforeseen financial hardship. In the current climate this could include a change to household income as a result of the ongoing pandemic.

It's not possible for us to publish a definitive list of circumstances as there are so many unique situations. In a nutshell, unforeseen financial hardship is when a situation has arisen that is causing you financial hardship but for which you could not reasonably have planned for. Advisers will also consider how well you manage your money in general, the financial choices you make and the impact that an award might have.

New students cannot apply to this fund in advance of the start of their course, and cannot apply where the unforeseen financial hardship occurred before the course started.

Any awards made are in the form of non-repayable bursaries. These funds are limited and are not a guaranteed source of income, so please apply promptly to avoid disappointment. While every effort will be made to budget the fund across the entire academic year, we will stop accepting applications when the fund runs out, which can happen with little notice.

How to apply

Application packs, guidance notes and procedures all follow. You should download these from here and follow the guidance carefully to complete your application, and submit this to us in a format that we are able to accept and process.

The following documents may help you complete your application:

International & EU

The following funding may be available to you if you are an International or EU student.

International (non-EU) and EU Childcare

This fund is now closed for the 2020-21 academic year. We are no longer able to accept applications.

Should you be interested in the support available for the 2021-22 academic session, please review the information below. The new application and guidance for 2021-22 will be available from 1st July 2021. We do not expect any significant changes to this fund so you may find the information below helpful in understanding how the fund works, and how you can apply when we launch this for 2021-22.

International/EU Students may be able to apply for help meeting the cost of study related childcare through the UWS Childcare Fund. Full eligibility details can be found in the application pack and fund procedure document below.

This fund is unique to UWS, allowing us to offer additional financial support to help you meet the costs of childcare that may not be available in all universities.

It’s important that you carefully consider the costs associated with using childcare, and do not rely on this fund as it is likely only to contribute a small amount towards your total childcare costs, as detailed in the application pack and fund procedure document below.

As this fund provides a contribution towards your childcare costs, you should be able to apply using your best estimate of your childcare costs for the year. You can find out more in the UWS Childcare Fund Factsheet below, and will also find a Childcare Fund Factsheet that you should share with your childcare provider.

These funds are limited and they are awarded on a first come, first served basis so it is recommended that you apply as early as possible to avoid disappointment. The fund can close with little notice due to budget constraints.

How to apply:

Application packs, guidance notes and procedures all follow. You should download these from here and follow the guidance carefully to complete your application, and submit this to us in a format that we are able to accept and process.

Applications, Procedures & Guidance

Research Degrees

The following funding may be available to you if you are undertaking a research degree, such as PhD, DBA, etc.

Research Students Childcare

This fund is now closed for the 2020-21 academic year. We are no longer able to accept applications.

Should you be interested in the support available for the 2021-22 academic session, please review the information below. The new application and guidance for 2021-22 will be available from 1st July 2021. We do not expect any significant changes to this fund so you may find the information below helpful in understanding how the fund works, and how you can apply when we launch this for 2021-22.

Research Students may be able to apply for help meeting the cost of study related childcare through the UWS Childcare Fund. Full eligibility details can be found in the application pack and fund procedure document below.

This fund is unique to UWS, allowing us to offer additional financial support to help you meet the costs of childcare that may not be available in all universities.

It’s important that you carefully consider the costs associated with using childcare, and do not rely on this fund as it is likely only to contribute a small amount towards your total childcare costs, as detailed in the application pack and fund procedure document below.

As this fund provides a contribution towards your childcare costs, you should be able to apply using your best estimate of your childcare costs for the year. You can find out more in the UWS Childcare Fund Factsheet below, and will also find a Childcare Fund Factsheet that you should share with your childcare provider.

These funds are limited and they are awarded on a first come, first served basis so it is recommended that you apply as early as possible to avoid disappointment. The fund can close with little notice due to budget constraints.

How to apply:

Application packs, guidance notes and procedures all follow. You should download these from here and follow the guidance carefully to complete your application, and submit this to us in a format that we are able to accept and process.

Applications, Procedures & Guidance

London Campus

Students studying on our London Campus may also be eligible to apply for Discretionary and/or Childcare Funds, but what you are eligible to apply for, and the process of making an application may be slightly different for you. You can find out more in the section below.

London Campus Students

International and EU students
International and EU students are eligible to apply to the UWS Childcare Fund as detailed in the International/EU section above. If you wish to make an application to this fund, you should follow the guidance above carefully to submit this via email.

You are not eligible for any living cost support.

UK Students
UK Students funded through Student Finance England, are not eligible for any Childcare Funds through UWS as you should apply for help meeting this cost through Student Finance England.

You may be eligible to apply to the Discretionary Fund but your eligibility for this is slightly different due to the student funding you receive, and we will explain below how this impacts the process.

Discretionary Funds come from the Scottish Government and are designed to provide some additional financial support to students who demonstrate a need for this. The funding is limited, and we do need to ensure that it is awarded to students that need it the most. Scottish students typically receive less student funding than those funded by Student Finance England. As such, they remain the priority for the funds so we may not always be in a position to offer support to you.

If you do feel you have circumstances that merit an application, you should follow the guidance above carefully to submit this via email.

If you have any questions or require advice, please contact: fundingadvice@uws.ac.uk