Student Financial Support (SFS) offers limited financial support in the form of emergency loans to students who are experiencing unexpected financial difficulties. Other financial support from the University may be available, please see the Student Finance webpage for further information.
This policy has been written with the University's legal duties under the Equality Act 2010, and the University's obligations under relevant data protection legislation including the General Data Protection Regulation, in mind. This policy operates in conjunction with the University's commitment to promoting widening participation.
Further information on the application and assessment processes can be found on the emergency loans web page.
Responsibilities
1. Responsibilities
(a). Responsibility for the administration of emergency loans sits with Student Financial Support (SFS), based in Student and Academic Services.
(b). The Assistant Registrar: Research and Financial Support is responsible for the overall delivery of services within SFS. Responsibility over administrative procedures sits with the Student Services Manager for SFS. Procedures are regularly reviewed and updated where necessary.
(c). Students applying for an emergency loan are responsible for ensuring that the information they provide as part of the application process is factually correct. Where it is discovered that students have knowingly provided inaccurate or incorrect information, SFS reserves the right to withdraw the student’s application and/or withhold any further financial support.
Consent and data
1.2 Consent to share
Applications for emergency loans are treated as confidential. However, in limited circumstances, it may be necessary to share details of an application internally. By applying to the funds governed by this policy, students are confirming that they agree to their applications being shared in the following way, if required:
(a) Students may be referred to the Student Advisers before a decision on their application can be made. This is to ensure that the University is offering the best possible support to the student and/or because further information is required. In these instances, SFS will share the student’s application with the Student Advisers for a limited period of time, until a meeting with the advisers has taken place.
1.3 Data management
(a) Data storage
Applications are held securely electronically on SFS’s online cloud. Access to this cloud is restricted to members of SFS.
Supporting documentation submitted via email will be held securely electronically within Gmail. Access to this mailbox is restricted to members of SFS. Any evidence submitted via Google Form will be viewed for assessment purposes and then securely removed.
Information on the awards made will be held within the University’s databases on Agresso and SITS for financial reporting.
(b) Data sharing
Where data is shared to members of the institution as outlined under 1.2 of this policy, it will be done so securely via named access on the staff-only online cloud and access will be for a limited time period.
Information regarding the student’s academic standing will be requested via email and no information from the application form will be divulged.
(c) Deletion of data
Applications for an emergency loan will be destroyed once six full academic years have passed, eg for an application submitted within the academic year 2020/21, the application form will be destroyed on 1 August 2028. A basic record will be kept confirming that an application was submitted for reporting purposes within the form’s responses spreadsheet.
Should a student withdraw their application, or the application is closed due to no response from the student, the application and supporting information submitted will be destroyed immediately. A basic record will be kept confirming that an application was submitted but that it was later removed for reporting purposes within the form’s responses spreadsheet.
Supporting documentation submitted via email will be removed after six full academic years have passed, for example, if a student submits evidence within the academic year 2020/21, their supporting documentation will be destroyed on 1 August 2028. Any evidence submitted directly within the Google Form will be removed after the application has been considered.
Further information on how the University of York stores and handles student information can be found within its Privacy Notice.
Purpose
2.1 Purpose of loan
An emergency loan is a short-term, interest-free loan designed to assist students who are in a temporary and acute financial need.
An emergency loan can be used to cover the cost of food, utility bills, or travel to the site of study (including placements).
The loan may be also used to support all UK undergraduate students when their funding is delayed upon production of confirmation that their funding application has been submitted. The confirmation letter/email can be attached in an email. Screenshots will be accepted.
Emergency loans are usually made as accelerated bank transfer payment directly to the student within two working days of an application being approved.
Application process
2.2 Application process
Students may apply for an emergency loan at any point during the year, including during summer months, by completing the application for Emergency Loans form.
Students are required to provide a copy of their funding confirmation letter or confirmation that a funding application has been submitted, a copy of their most recent bank statement for each bank/building society account in their name and the current balance for each account.
Please note that screenshots are only acceptable as evidence for the current balance of an account, with your name and account details clearly visible.
Eligibility
2.3 Eligibility
Emergency loans can be offered to students who require short-term assistance with living costs, such as food, utility bills, or travel to their site of study.
Undergraduate students are expected to have applied to their relevant funding body for financial support during their studies. Both postgraduate and international students are expected to have made sufficient provision for their studies prior to beginning the year of study.
Emergency loans are usually offered as one week composite living costs, based on national standards for expenditure set by the National Association of Student Money Advice (NASMA). In exceptional circumstances, more than one week of composite living costs may be issued, based on the information and evidence provided by the student as part of the application process.
Student Financial Support is unable to issue emergency loans for larger amounts, such as rent payments. Students are expected to speak with their landlord in the first instance.
There is no upper limit to the number of emergency loans that can be issued each year. However, applications may be refused or the student be referred to an appointment with a Student Adviser where it is felt that the level of emergency loans requested exceeds expected spend as per the composite living costs noted above.
Repayments
3. Repaying the loan
Students are expected to repay an emergency loan within four weeks.
As part of the application process, students can suggest an alternative repayment date. The repayment date will be confirmed within the outcome email confirming that the application has been successful and the date the loan will be made to the student.
The Fees Office will issue an invoice to the student confirming the amount and when it is required to be repaid. If repayment cannot be made on the repayment date, the student should contact the Fees Office (fees-office@york.ac.uk) to request an extension and/or set up a repayment plan.
Students are expected to repay their outstanding emergency loan debt prior to enrolling in the next academic year or graduating from their programme. Failure to repay may result in the student details being passed to a debt collection agency, who will work to retrieve the money on behalf of the University.
If the student has simultaneously submitted an application to the Student Support Fund, and their application is successful, payment may be made from their award to pay off any outstanding emergency loan debt. The student will be made aware of this within their outcome letter.
Contact us
For enquiries directly regarding emergency loans, contact:
Student Financial Support
+44 (0)1904 324043
sfsu@york.ac.uk
(Office hours, Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm)
For other financial queries, you can find the relevant contact details on the Student Finance webpage.
For help and advice, including information on budgeting and alternative sources of support available, please contact the Student Support and Advice team.
