Significant rise in University of Sheffield students applying for cost-of-living grants
£2.8m was given out to help students with living costs last year
The University of Sheffield has seen a significant increase in students applying for emergency cost of living funding.
A freedom of information request by The Star has revealed there was a 61 per cent increase in applications for cost-of-living grants, rising from 5,926 in the 2022-23 academic year to 9,593 in 2023-24.
The total cost of the grants was £2,618,513.02, amounting to £272.96 per student.
Sheffield Hallam provided 374 students with grants in 2023-24, with a total fund of £173,957.27 working out at an average of £466 per successful student applicant.
These grants are non-repayable and aimed specifically at supporting students with essential living costs and unforeseen financial difficulties.
The university received 955 applications to its Hallam Hardship fund last year, meaning 581 applicants were unsuccessful.
At the University of Sheffield, only two applications were rejected or incomplete.
This comes at a time when students across the country have faced struggles with living costs, as the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) and student accommodation charity Unipol reported last year that the average university student is now left with only 50p per week from their maintenance loan following rent payments.
The Education Secretary announced last week that maintenance loans are set to increase from September next year, by £317 per year for those studying outside of London and living away from home.
A spokesperson for Sheffield Hallam University told The Star: “We know that many of our students and their families are affected by the current cost of living, and we have a range of support available to help.
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“The university continues to provide a significant amount of funding to students through our hardship fund, which has provided millions in additional support for essential items to help reduce financial pressures.
“We have a range of scholarships and bursaries eligible students can apply for as well as financial advice and wellbeing support for any students whose mental health is affected by financial worries or any other concerns.
“As a university we are committed to supporting all our students to succeed and would encourage any student with financial concerns to access the support available to them.”
A University of Sheffield spokesperson also said: “The university has provided a significant amount of funding to students through its financial support fund and continues to offer financial support to help students overcome unexpected difficulties.
“We encourage any student who is struggling with financial pressures to access available support, which could include financial advice and guidance; bursaries; emergency funding; grants to allow participation in sports and activities; as well as an accommodation guarantor scheme to help eligible students secure rental agreements.”
Featured image via @steelcitysnaps on X
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