The College has a number of funds from which grants are made to students to supplement maintenance costs, research, travel, and extra-curricular activities. There are also funds available from the Government and the University to help students who are facing financial hardship.
Hardship Funds
The government makes a sum of money (typically about £10,000) available each year to assist undergraduates and PGCE students whose access to higher education might otherwise be inhibited. Individual awards vary between £100 and £3,000. They are made only to full time ‘home' students who satisfy the residence conditions of eligibility for a student loan or who have refugee status or who are EEA nationals employed in the UK, and it is a condition of the award to someone under the age of 25 that a student loan must have been taken out in the year in which the grant is made. Information is available from the University website.
Funds for Undergraduates and Graduates
Muriel Wise Fund
Grants are available to undergraduates for hardship and/or travel purposes and to graduates for hardship and in connection with research. Individual grants normally range from £100 to £300 and are rarely made to students who are eligible for a student loan but have not taken one out. Loans are sometimes made in lieu of grants. Hardship applications need to be signed off by the Bursar before 5pm Monday of 2nd week.
D D White Fund
This is used to help undergraduates and graduates pay for sport and other extra-curricular activities. Grants are usually in the order of £30-50.
Morgan Fund
This is used to award prizes and travel bursaries to undergraduates, and research or travel expenses to graduates studying history. Applications are made direct to the History Tutors on forms available on the Intranet.
Mary and Tony Moore Fund
This is under the control of the Principal and is used in emergencies and in cases of exceptional hardship. Applications may be made at any time directly to the Principal.
Funds for Undergraduates only
Anne Marie Kirby Fund
This is for undergraduates in second and subsequent years who are domiciled in the UK and studying the humanities and demonstrate financial need. Grants are normally made in Hilary and Trinity terms and are in the order of £100.
Lilian Pickard Fund
This is used to provide bursaries for needy undergraduate students in mathematics and physics. Grants are made by the Mathematics and Physics tutors, normally in Hilary Term.
Christina Keith Fund
This is managed by the Principal and is used to pay for travel for classicists. Applications are made to the Principal, through Classics tutors, in Trinity Term.
Nielsen Fund
This is for assisting undergraduates with research projects.
Beryl Smalley Fund
This is available to assist undergraduates reading history (or a joint school including history) with travel in connection with medieval studies. Applications are made to the Principal, through the History Tutors.
The JCR Overseas Hardship Fund
The JCR Overseas Hardship Fund provides several grants each term to non-EU overseas undergraduates who are experiencing financial hardship. Assessment forms, similar to other hardship grant application forms, are available from the Accounts Office and require your tutor's endorsement. Allocations are made purely on financial need. Completed forms must be handed in to the JCR Vice-President/Welfare Officer by noon on Monday of Second Week, and decisions will be made by a Committee consisting of two SCR representatives, two JCR representatives, and the Junior Dean.
Guidance for Graduates and Undergraduates on making an application
All applications for grants made by the Support and Travel Grants Committee are made on the forms available on the College Intranet (please see the Information and Handbooks page), and in hard copy from the Accounts Office. Students' forms must be signed by their tutor or graduate adviser. The closing time for signed applications is 5 pm on Monday of Second Week. Late applications are not considered. The members of the Committee are the Senior Tutor, the Dean, the Tutor for Graduates, the Bursar, and the Accountant.
Hardship grants
The Support and Travel Grants Committee normally meets each term in 4th Week. If your application has been successful you will receive a letter from the Bursar and you can expect to receive your payment within seven working days from receipt of this letter. Unsuccessful applicants will also be notified.
Further details on making an application and a guide to filling in the forms correctly can be found in the St Hilda's College Official Student Handbook, a hard copy of which is delivered to every student's pigeonhole at the beginning of the academic year. The Handbook is also available on the College Intranet, on the Information and Handbooks page.