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 find out contact details at the bottom of this page.

New or Prospective students

If you are a new or prospective student, we recommend you look at the document titled 'finance handout' 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. You can find this document in the download section of this page (top right).

Main Funding Schemes

All our application forms and guidence documents can be found in our download section at the top of this page (on the right)

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

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.

Postgraduate Teacher Training

The Government has just announced bursaries for postgraduate teacher training courses starting in September 2012.

The amount of bursary you could be eligible for depends on the subject you intend to teach and the class of your degree, but it could be up to £20,000 (for graduates with a first class degree who apply to train to teach maths, physics, chemistry or modern foreign languages). Bursaries are not available for GTP trainees.

Applicants for a PGCE in other priority secondary specialisms or primary teaching will also be eligible for a bursary provided they have a minimum of a 2:1class degree.
For full details, please check www.teach.gov.uk/pgfunding

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.

Further details of these schemes and the application forms can be obtained from the Student Money Advice Service offices on both campuses and via notice boards within Student Support Services on both campuses or downloaded from the top right section of this page.

Alternatively, PDF copies can be downloaded from the top right section of this page:

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  
• 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  
• telephone +44 (0)1243 812 154.

Our Statement of Service Document is avalibale in the download section of this page

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.