To be eligible for the fund, you must be:

-           A fully registered student at the University of Kent.

-          A full time undergraduate or postgraduate student being charged tuition fees at                the ‘overseas’ or ‘EU’ rate.

-          Living and studying in the UK.

Applications from 1st year Tier 4 students will be considered but it is unlikely that they will be made an award. This is because they would have had to provide evidence that they have made adequate provision to pay their tuition fees and living costs before they started their course.

Applications are unlikely to be considered where students are in receipt of a US, Canadian or government loan or where the reason for application to the fund is due to fluctuations in exchange rates.

Students studying with the University of Kent International College (UKIC) and partner colleges are not eligible to apply for this fund.

Please note undergraduate students resitting exams during the Summer Vacation in 2026 are eligible for a separate UG resit fund and should apply for this.

Students can submit one application per academic year.

A student must provide the following evidence for their application to be considered:

You must supply continuous bank statements for a 3-month period on ALL bank and building society accounts held in your name, both in the UK and overseas, up to the date of your application. 

The Blackbullion platform includes the option to use Open Banking.  This enables the last 3 months bank statements to be uploaded automatically.  Choosing this option for ALL bank accounts held in your name takes less time, ensures you are providing the correct evidence, and can reduce processing time. Alternatively, you will be able to select to upload statement documents manually.  Please note screen shots will not normally be accepted.

Where a gap occurs between the statement and the date of your application a screenshot of the most recent transactions and the current balance must be supplied.

You must provide evidence of your rent / mortgage payments such as a scanned copy of your tenancy agreement.

You must fully complete the Income and Expenditure sections on the application form to allow the completion of your Financial Shortfall Calculation (FSC).

Where an application shows there is a financial ‘shortfall’, and the student does not have any outstanding tuition fees, the application may be successful. The Financial Hardship Office will notify the student of the application outcome.

Where an application is showing a financial ‘shortfall’ and the student has outstanding tuition fees. Further checks will be made to ascertain whether a payment plan has been agreed. If there is no payment plan in place, the student will be expected to contact the Student Fee Collections Office to agree payment of their tuition fees before an application to IHF can be approved.

An application where the FSC is showing a financial ‘surplus’ may not be successful, and the Financial Hardship Office will notify the student of the application outcome.

You must complete all sections of the application. We do not consider incomplete applications. To avoid delays, please check you have answered all questions and included ALL required evidence.

Turnaround of an application usually takes no more than 20 working days.

First, read the International Hardship Fund Guidance 2026 / 2027 provided below to check your eligibility.

Applications are made via Blackbullion.  If this is your first application, you will need to create an account on Blackbullion, using your University of Kent email address.

For any further queries, please contact financialhardship@kent.ac.uk. 

If you have difficulties in completing the application or require money advice, please contact Kent Students’ Union at advice@kent.ac.uk.

If you are experiencing technical difficulties with the  Blackbullion platform, email support@blackbullion.com. The university cannot assist with technical queries. 

Awards are based on a student’s financial shortfall assessed using the evidence and information provided with their IHF application. The maximum award is £1,000.

Awards will be paid directly into a student’s UK bank account. 

Provided that an application form has been accurately completed and the appropriate documentary evidence supplied then a decision will be made within 20 working days of submission. 

Awards will be paid directly into a student’s UK bank account.

You will be notified of your application outcome via Blackbullion.   

Review 

If your application is unsuccessful and you believe there is further evidence for us to consider then you can request a review of the outcome by the Financial Hardship Manager by emailing the Financial Hardship Office and you must submit evidence to support this. Review requests without further evidence will not be considered. 

Change of Circumstances 

If your circumstances change you can book an appointment with the Financial Hardship team to discuss further options of support and other applications. 

Complaints 

Any complaints regarding the management of the funds and procedures should be sent to the Assistant Director (Student Support) in the first instance who will try to resolve any issues informally. If you are not satisfied with this then you can make a complaint to the Appeals, Conduct and Complaints team.