Hardship loans at uni

[Lunaticmess]

Not sure if this is in the right place, but I'm looking for some advice. For the past two years, we've been looking after DS's friend on and off who has a hard time at home. For the past 6 months, this has become full time. The friend is going to uni in September and we've agreed to drop him off, but our financial situation is a little rocky at the moment due to both me and DH being made redundant recently. It never used to be an issue, but I have enough stress funding my own children's lifestyles and was wondering if I could seek help for the friend to get some belongings together for uni without breaking an already very broken bank account. He needs everything—clothes, bedding, shoes, kitchen stuff etc. I was just going to go and pick these things up, but I wondered if he could get help by way of a hardship fund. I've obviously looked at freecycle and marketplace to try and get some bits and pieces, but it would be far easier for him to have a loan so he could buy what he actually needs. Does anyone know how to access help? Because we haven't legally fostered, we've received no financial help at all, not even child benefit.

Both his Mum and Dad are local to us, but have basically washed their hands of the poor kid, and have made zero effort to get in touch with us to offer any help for over two years. I don't want him to feel like a charity case, but I'm quickly becoming one myself.

This is from years back but when I was at uni you had to already be at the uni, so have already started, and prove your loan had run out. Have you explored more traditional bank financing? For example many banks offer interest free student overdrafts which remain interest free for years so it's a cheap way to borrow money. If he could get a student overdraft of say, a grand, that would more than provide the £600 or so he'll probably need for duvet, bed sheets, kitchen bits etc.

Otherwise there's student loans and obviously assuming he's working this summer to save?

Yeah, I had a feeling that might be the case re being at the uni already. I'm a bit reluctant to get too involved in suggesting he get a proper bank loan, even a student one, because even though he's effectively living here, he isn't my child. Although his absent parents can't really fault me for helping him make these decisions, I don't want to cause further issues between them. I just wondered if anyone had any up-to-date advice on hardship loans, as I expect they have changed quite a bit over the last 20 years, and I heard somewhere that you can get £1000 without having to repay it, though that might not be current. And no, he isn't working. No one would take him on for such a short length of time, though I'd be lying if I said he'd tried. My DS has managed to get a job, so that's another slight bugbear. I'm batch cooking like a woman possessed to feed everyone the 12 meals that all these teenagers need every day.

How’s he paying for Uni?

start by claiming child benefit for him! Also speak to him and explain you can’t afford this all and he as an adult now needs to get off his arse and get a job like your son has! Otherwise he will expect you to carry on paying for everything and frankly we don’t need another entitled male in the world. If he’s able to claim student loan for expenses then this is what he needs to do!!!

He's getting a student loan, but he's obviously going to need stuff like kitchen and bedding stuff before he receives his first payment.

Since he's now 18, child benefit stops this month anyway and he has a legal parent who I'm sure was still in receipt of it. I take your point though. I should have queried it earlier.

I don't know if any of this from Google is any use OP:

Student Finance and Estrangement Status
Instead of a separate "hardship loan," estranged students are granted Independent Status by Student Finance (such as Student Finance England). 1]

• Maximum Funding: This ensures the student receives the maximum tier of the Maintenance Loan and extra non-repayable bursaries without requiring household income details from their parents. 1, 2, 3]
• Proving Estrangement: Students must provide evidence of the permanent breakdown in the relationship. This can include a signed letter from a professional (like a doctor, teacher, social worker, or police report) or a specific estrangement confirmation form. Organizations like Stand Alone provide a dedicated Student Finance Guide detailing how to navigate this. 1, 2, 3]

University Hardship and Emergency Funds
While the main student finance application is being processed or if emergency cash is needed immediately, universities operate their own discretionary Hardship Funds or Support Funds. 1, 2, 3]

• Emergency Support: Most UK universities offer fast-track emergency loans or non-repayable grants specifically for students facing sudden homelessness or family breakdown.
• How to Access: The student should contact their chosen university’s student services, welfare, or wellbeing team as soon as possible. 1, 2]

Charitable Grants
Several external organizations and trusts provide financial aid, scholarships, and grants specifically targeted at young people entering higher education without family support:

• Unite Foundation: Offers free accommodation scholarships for estranged students.
• Buttle UK & Turn2us: Offer grants for young people facing crisis and financial hardship.
• The Helena Kennedy Foundation: Provides financial grants and mentoring.
• Explore the official GOV.UK Estranged Student Guide for detailed application criteria.
• Read the UCAS Estranged Students Page for evidence requirements. 1, 2, 3, 4]

He or you could write to the uni and explain the situation, they may have ways of helping

Some unis have a second hand sale in Welcome Week to reuse items from last year’s students. Ikea, JL, supermarkets etc do packs of basics and some offer discounts to students with NUS cards and unidays.

Get in touch with the university he is hoping to go to and speak to student services or welfare (different unis will have different names for the departments) and explain the situation. They will be best placed to sign post to the relevant help in his situation.

Another option is to open a student bank account and use the overdraft straight away until student finance kicks in. They don’t let you take out much initially but should be enough to buy the basics

Get in touch with the uni now. Students who have moved on may have donated cooking urensils, bedding etc rather than transport it home. DS did this before he graduated a few weeks ago.

There are specific funds at many universities, as soon as his place is confirmed he needs to contact student welfare at the place he’s going to and explain the situation, they will be aware of smaller foundations etc that help with student hardship. As far as the absolute basics (bedding, a pan, plate etc) there is also the option of asking about, they don’t need to be new. He must have clothes

Every church I have attended has the kind of fund you describe. You can usually find contact details on the churches’ websites, or on their noticeboards. Phone, or email them with the information you’ve put in your post and I feel sure they will look favourably on your request and act quickly with cash donations. Well done for giving him a home and family life for the last few months. I hope you and DH find jobs soon.

does your town/city have a facebook ‘free stuff’ type group? If so, might be worth putting a post on there asking for the type of stuff he needs as people will often donate stuff they are wanting rid of.

Does he have student finance as an estranged student?

You need to speak to the uni - where I work we could get him set up with the basics and then apply for a buttle grant for him.

The uni my son went to had a start up bursary for estranged students. Check to see if there is anything similar at where he is going.

Which uni is it? They will hopefully have a student services team who can signpost as above.

Bear in mind that as he is 18 it should be him that gets in touch. Although if you call they might be able to advise you more generally and certainly better than I can

Look into grants from charities / the uni for estranged young people - most universities offer these.

Dd got a hardship fund for her last year at uni as dh was made redundant and so our income was drastically reduced. If you have a look on the uni website it should have info on how to apply for the fund.
regarding other things he’ll need, charity shops or car boot sales might be a good place to start, also, it might be worth posting on your local spotted group on fb stating the situation and asking for donations. I think you can post anonymously on these groups too. It’s probably a good time as students who’ve been at uni for their 3 years may be Moving back home and also with it being the summer hols, I tend to find that this is the time that people have their clear outs!

As an adult he needs to speak to the university about his circumstances and see what help they can provide. Good luck

I would speak to the college/6th Form he has just left and see what support they can offer, including if they will offer evidence that he is estranged from parents.