No, absolutely not. We don’t want you to drop out or fail in your studies because of money worries. We fund around a quarter of our undergraduate home students through our Access to Exeter Bursary and pay grants to many more students during the course of the year to help them overcome hardship or deal with unexpected financial challenges. We are here to help.

Applying for funds is simple but needs a little preparation. All you have to do is fill out an online application form providing information about yourself and your financial circumstances. In the majority of cases you will be asked to upload evidence of your situation along with your application e.g. copies of your bank statements, a breakdown of your outgoings or information about the computer you need help to buy. So, to make the process as easy as possible, do a bit of preparation beforehand and pull together information about your income and outgoings. 

Five step application process:

1. Apply online and upload the evidence requested. Be as open as you can; the more we know about your circumstances, the better equipped we are to help you.
2. We will confirm via email that your application has been received
3. An assessor will review your application and ask for more information if necessary
4. We will inform you of our decision
5. If you have been successful, funds will be paid electronically using the bank account details on your student record unless you request otherwise

You may be able to apply for some types of financial support such as DSA contribution or a Diagnostic Assessment Bursary, before you arrive. We will not process any payments however until you register with us and provide us with your bank details. You will able to do this online via the New Students’ Guide.

Please note there is an expectation you have made reasonable provision to support yourselves prior to commencing your programme, such as through savings, employment or a loan.

If you are experiencing ongoing hardship because your bills and outgoings regularly exceed your income, a Living Costs Allowance will help by supplementing your income. You won’t have to pay the money back and the amount you receive will depend on your individual financial circumstances.

If your financial challenges relate to exceptional circumstances e.g. a family crisis or unexpected bill, you may be given an Extraordinary Costs Payment. This is a one-off grant which won’t need to be paid back. In these circumstances we will usually ask for evidence relating to the particular cost (e.g. car repair bills, flights etc).

Depending on the type of support that you are applying for, you will be asked to submit relevant supporting evidence. As a general rule, you are likely to be requested to provide:

1. Evidence of your financial situation: as a minimum we will require the most recent three months bank statements for each of your current and savings accounts, including ISA accounts and cryptocurrency portfolios
2. A written explanation of any transactions £100 or over for each bank account statement.
3. Evidence of your income (e.g. Student Loan letter, wage slips, scholarship/bursary letters, benefit letters etc.)
4. Evidence of your outgoings as a minimum we will require tenancy agreement/ mortgage statement)
5. Evidence of specific one-off costs (e.g. invoices/quotes relating to the cost you need help with)
6. Supporting statement (why you are asking for financial assistance)

You can upload this information easily within your application in a variety of formats such as images from your phone. More information is provided on the application form and you won’t be able to complete your application without attaching the required evidence.

We will contact you if we require any further information or documentation to finalise your application based on the cost(s) you have applied for.

The University has put aside funds to help students struggling with the cost of paying for an assessment for dyslexia, autism, ADHD, and other learning, social and communication difficulties. Depending on your circumstances we may cover all the costs or make a contribution. If you receive the Access to Exeter Bursary, a Care Leavers’ fee waiver or Sanctuary Scholarship, you will be fast-tracked for funding support. If you are not part of these schemes you may need to provide additional information in support of your application. Apply for financial help for a diagnostic assessment.

Please note we require evidence of the cost of any assessments and booking confirmation (such as an invoice or email correspondence from a specialist confirming costs).

Yes, all registered Undergraduate and Postgraduate students are eligible to apply regardless of fee status. If you are an International student on a Tier 4 Visa, you will have demonstrated you have sufficient funds to pay for your tuition fees and living costs in the UK as a Home Office requirement. However, you may still apply to the Fund for additional support.

Applying to the Success for All fund will not affect your Visa.

Yes, all registered postgraduate students are eligible to apply. You will be expected however to have made sufficient provision to cover your costs while at university and you will be ineligible for some forms of bursary specifically designed and funded for undergraduate students.

Yes, all registered Undergraduate and Postgraduate students are eligible to apply. If your course is part-time, distance learning, or you commute to University, you are also still eligible for support.

We recognise that as mature students, you may face a number of unique issues, such as having pre-existing financial commitments or caring responsibilities, and these will be considered in your application. If you have dependents, or commuting is necessary for your course, please let us know and this will be considered in your application. Please note we will ask for supporting documents to evidence these costs.

No. Your application will be considered in the same way as if you were a full-time student – in other words according to need. You must be studying at least 25% of your course during an academic year to be eligible for funding.

As a general rule, you will not be considered eligible for support if you have interrupted your studies. There may be exceptions, however, particularly during the first four weeks following your interruption to support your transition away from University and also during the period after we receive your intention to return. If in doubt, we would encourage you to apply so we can fully assess your circumstances and support you if possible or signpost you to other forms of help.

Yes, you can still apply as long as you remain enrolled on an eligible course. We also understand that repeating elements of your course such as retaking exams may cause additional financial pressures.

No, you are entitled to apply for this scheme whatever your circumstances. You will need to provide details however as to why your current funding does not cover all your needs at this time.

All you need to do is make a single application for support. Based on your information, the assessor will consider which support you are eligible for and offer help accordingly. Depending on your circumstances, we may offer a variety of help up to a maximum value per individual in any academic year.

Applications are based on need and must be evidenced, so you should only apply for what you need.

The amount awarded will be based on your circumstances and an assessment of living costs which uses a standard calculation for items such as rent, groceries, household bills, entertainment etc. This ensures that all applicants are treated fairly, regardless of where they study and their individual lifestyle choices. This fixed calculation is used for all assessments for Living Costs Allowance.

You can borrow up to a maximum of £1,000 but we won’t offer you a loan unless we are satisfied you can afford to pay it back within the timeframes agreed. Bridging loans are usually offered over one or two months and aim to help with cash flow problems (e.g. if you need to pay your accommodation deposit but are still waiting for your first grant or loan payment). In these cases we will advance you money so you can manage in the meantime.

Loans will be issued with 0% interest and must be repaid within a maximum of 12 months, although usually the amounts offered are lower and paid back over a shorter period of time. We will only enter a loan agreement with you if we are both comfortable that the repayments can be made.

If you are having trouble paying back your loan, please contact us immediately by raising a SID enquiry for the Accounts Receivable team. We will work with you to give you more time to pay. If you default on your payments without contacting us, you may incur penalties such as interest charges for the period during which your payments are outstanding

If you are a UK undergraduate student who has been in local authority care for a period of 13 weeks or more, with some period of care after your 16th birthday, you may apply through the fund for a Care Leavers’ Bursary to support your accommodation costs during the summer. If you meet this criteria, you should already receive a Care Leavers’ tuition fee waiver.

We may also provide bridging support if you are facing financial challenges immediately after graduation.

If you have experience of care but do not meet the eligibility criteria above, you won’t automatically qualify for a bursary but you may still be eligible for financial support depending on your circumstances.

See our WP Student Support web pages for more information about the support available for care experienced students.

If you are a home undergraduate student and estranged from your family, you may be eligible for our Estranged Students’ Bursary which aims to help you with the some of the additional financial challenges you may have to face. The Student Advice Service at the Student Guild will support your application, whether you are studying in Devon or Cornwall. Contact: advice@exeterguild.com. You can find out more on our web pages for estranged students. Impartial advice is also available from Stand Alone.

You may be eligible for financial support during the summer vacation if you meet the following criteria:

• You are not in your final year
• You are a Care Leaver at any stage of your studies, including your final year
• You are an Estranged student at any stage of your studies, including your final year
• You have parental responsibilities
• You are re-taking/re-sitting parts of your course
• You are unable to work e.g. due to illness or disability
• You have no alternative means of support

Yes, but please note we will take into account the funding you have already received during the academic year when assessing your application.

If you have made an application for this academic year within the last three months, you don’t need to submit all your evidence again. Instead please send us details and evidence of how your circumstances have recently changed, such as more recent bank statements. If you are re-applying after a three month period or for a new academic year, please submit evidence in full.

We may ask you to disclose whether you are receiving benefits. That is because we want to make sure you are receiving the statutory financial help to which you are entitled before accessing University funds. To find out more about the benefits you may be entitled to see our tab below for 'Budgeting and Debt Management'.

If you are living with your partner and are sharing household bills, we do ask you provide details of your partners’ income and outgoings to provide an overview your financial situation. Without this information, we are unable to fully assess your application.