Money Advice
The Student Money Advice Service offers information, advice and guidance on all aspects of student finance and funding. We administer hardship schemes and the University's emergency loans facility and we can offer help with budgeting and money management. Where appropriate we may refer you to other sources of help, liaising with other services within the University and external agencies.
Please note: we have further web pages of funding information and advice available via this page: Funding and Money Advice
Important Financial Advice for New Full-time UK Students
If you are a new or prospective student, we recommend you look at the following document which contains advice on the timing of loan and grant payments when you start at university and how much money you might need to bring with you whilst you wait for your student funding to be paid. Finance Information Handout for New Students
Budget Planner
Our budget planner is designed to give you a better idea of your income and expenditure, helping you to see whether you have a shortfall or surplus.
Once you have an idea of typical costs, you can begin to work out how you are going to pay for your essentials, e.g. rent, food, course costs. You will then be able to see how much you have left to spend on non-essential items.
It is important that you are honest and realistic about your costs and your spending patterns and that you do not underestimate them. If you are not sure what you are or will be spending your money on, it may be helpful to keep a spending diary first for a couple of weeks so that you can see exactly where your money is going.
Accommodation will be your largest expenditure. If you are living in Halls, it is important that you pay your rent as soon as you receive your student loan/grant. If you are living in private accommodation you are likely to be paying your rent on a monthly basis. Again, you may wish to consider actually paying your rent each semester in advance right at the beginning, or putting the amount for the semester away somewhere, e.g. in another bank account or savings account so that you know you cannot spend it.
Although an individual’s priorities may vary, it is essential that you have enough money for accommodation, food, heating and light. As a student it is also necessary to have enough money to cover your course costs. You must therefore always make sure you have enough money put away for these items.
Once you have completed your budget planner and know how much money you have available each month for non-essential items, it is a good idea to take out your weekly available money at the beginning of the week and make sure that you don’t overspend on this.
It is important that you review your budget planner on a monthly basis and adapt it as necessary. Download a copy of the Budget Planner.
Main Funding Schemes
We administer the limited Department for Business, Innovation and Skills funds that are available for distribution under the following schemes:
- Access to Learning Fund (general hardship awards) (ALF)
- Emergency Loans
- Additional Fee Support Scheme (only available to part-time undergraduates)
These schemes are intended to provide discretionary financial assistance for students experiencing hardship despite taking out their full student loan entitlement. Aimed at facilitating students to remain in higher education, they are (with the exception of emergency loans) distributed in the form of grants, which do not have to be paid back.
Students are assessed on their individual needs but the following groups are given priority:
- Students with children, especially lone parents
- Other mature students, especially those with existing financial commitments
- Students from low–income families
- Disabled students
- Students who have been in care
- Students from Foyers or who are homeless
- Final year students
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ALF Application Form 2011-12 |
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ALF Guidance Notes 11-12 |
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Additional Fee Support Scheme (AFSS) Application Form for Part Time Students |
Appealing against an ALF decision:
Please see the following page for further details: Access to Learning Fund
BACP Bursaries
Limited funds are available and bursaries are therefore capped at £500 each. A total of 30 bursaries are offered annually to students on BACP Accredited Courses.
Awards are only available to students who can provide confirmation that they have been accepted onto a BACP Accredited Course. Applications need to be submitted by the end of July for the following academic year.
Bursaries awarded can only be paid towards the course fee, or for other purposes at the discretion of the Panel, and will be paid by cheque to the institution concerned via the Course Tutor/Administrator.
For further information please see the following BACP webpage: BACP Bursaries
Hockerill Educational Foundation
Grants for students in need
The Hockerill Educational Foundation invites applications for grants (usually £500 - £1000 p.a.) to teachers in training who have particular financial difficulties, for example:
- those who have additional family or other costs and responsibilities
- those who have no family support to fall back on
- mature students for whom teaching is a career change
- those not eligible for the normal statutory loan/grant support
Students training to teach Religious Education are our highest priority, but we can also help students in other areas, particularly primary education students. If you think you may be eligible, you should apply NOW for grants for the next academic year. (We cannot make "emergency" grants for the current year). Applications received by March 31st have priority, but we will consider applications received during April/May if funds are available. The final deadline is May 31st.
For further information see www.hockerillfoundation.org.uk
The Kathleen Flaskett Travel Bursary Fund
Do you want financial help for overseas travel?
This fund was set up in memory of Kathleen Flaskett (who was a student at Bishop Otter College 1917-1919). Its purpose is to help students widen their experience through travel outside the British Isles, especially those who may not have travelled abroad or who cannot afford to do so. The award is available for travel over the summer period only.
There are no academic requirements. Applicants must NOT be in their final year. Successful applicants will be required to write a report on their travel experience facilitated by the bursary.
The fund allocates up to £1000 that may be given to one individual or shared by up to four people.
Portia/email messages are posted each spring announcing application requirements and deadlines for consideration for this award.
Student Money Advice Contacts
To contact the Student Money Advice Service, or to arrange to see a Student Money Adviser at the University of Chichester, please see the information below:
Karena Smale is the Student Money Adviser on the Bishop Otter (Chichester) Campus - September to June each year. Email K.Smale@chi.ac.uk or telephone +44 (0)1243 816 038.
Alexia Gibbs is the Student Money Adviser based at the Bognor Regis Campus, but covering both campuses all year. Email A.Gibbs@chi.ac.uk or telephone +44 (0)1243 812 154.
Our Statement of Service:
How to find us on campus & office opening hours
Bishop Otter Campus
Student Money Advice, Room 101, New Hall, University of Chichester, College Lane, Chichester PO19 6PE. Telephone: (01243) 816038
Semester-time drop-in hours* : Every morning, except Wednesday from 9.30am to 12noon; & Wednesday afternoon 2.30pm-5pm
Bognor Regis Campus
Student Money Advice Room 10, Student Support Services Building, University of Chichester, Upper Bognor Road, Bognor Regis PO21 1HR. Telephone: (01243) 812154
Semester-time drop-in hours*: Monday, Tuesday & Thursday 10am-5pm; Friday 3pm-5pm
* Please note: These hours sometimes may vary to cover other meetings, events and staff leave etc. If you plan to travel a distance to see us, please call or email first to check our availability. Updated weekly schedules are posted on our office doors. During the summer, staffing is limited and opening hours/days on each campus may change considerably.
Useful websites for further information
| Student Finance England. | www.direct.gov.uk/studentfinance |
| Access to Learning Fund Official Guidelines. | http://practitioners.studentfinanceengland.co.uk |
| Student Calculator – online budgeting tool for students. | www.studentcalculator.org.uk |
| To compare bursaries offered by different institutions: | http://bursarymap.direct.gov.uk |
| Training and Development Agency for Schools – information about getting into teaching and teaching bursaries. | www.tda.gov.uk |
| Martin Lewis, known as the Money Saving Expert, has several articles concerning student finance, including comparisons of student bank accounts. | www.moneysavingexpert.com |
| National Debtline offers advice on debts by telephone on 0808 808 4000. | www.nationaldebtline.co.uk |
| For help and advice on tax credits either telephone 0845 300 3900. | www.hmrc.gov.uk |
| For a free on-line credit monitoring and identity fraud protection service. | www.experian.co.uk |
| The Citizens Advice service helps people resolve their legal, money and other problems by providing free, independent and confidential advice. | www.citizensadvice.org.uk |