Accessibility statement

Emergency loans

An emergency loan is a short-term loan designed to assist you to support you during short-term funding issues. It can be used to pay for food, utility bills, or travel to your site of study (including placements).

Am I eligible?

  • UK undergraduate students whose funding has been delayed, or who have faced unexpected and unforeseen short-term costs,
  • PG students who have experienced unexpected and unforeseen short-term costs.

Both postgraduate and international students are expected to have made sufficient provision for their studies prior to beginning the year of study. We recommend these students make an appointment with a Student Adviser via the self-referral form online prior to applying for an emergency loan.

What can an emergency loan be used for?

You may apply for an emergency loan for assistance with:

  • food costs
  • essential utility bills, such as heating and electricity
  • travel to your site of study, including placements (following any Covid-19 travel restrictions).

An emergency loan cannot be used for:

  • tuition fee costs
  • rent (you should speak to your landlord in the first instance to negotiate rent payments. Our Student Advisers at the Student Hub can help you if you need support)
  • in place of a negative outcome from the Student Support Fund or the Emergency Student Support Fund
  • unnecessary travel during Covid-19 restrictions.

Students are expected to have made reasonable adjustments to their lifestyles to ensure appropriate budgeting measures are in place.

How much can I borrow?

We will typically give a loan for one week's living costs, based on national standards for expenditure set by NASMA. We give you a basic amount to cover food, travel and essential expenses such as utility bills. For a single student with no dependants in 2021/22, this is set at £81.

This loan cannot be used to cover larger costs, such as rent. You should speak to your landlord in the first instance to negotiate rent payments. Our Student Advisers at the Student Hub can help you if you need support.

Once the loan has been given it will appear as a debt to the University on your account until it is repaid. 

How do I repay the loan?

You'll receive an invoice from the Fees Office, which will explain how to repay the loan. We won't charge you interest on the loan but you'll be expected to repay the loan as soon as you receive the first instalment of your Student Loan or NHS Bursary, usually within four weeks and need to repay it before you can re-enrol or graduate.

Failure to repay may result in your details being passed to a debt collection agency working on behalf of the University.

How to apply

If you require an emergency loan please complete the online application form. In order for us to accurately gauge how much money you reasonably require, you will be expected to confirm what your loan will be used for and how much you estimate this will cost.

Immediately after applying, email the following supporting documents to sfsu@york.ac.uk;

  • a copy of your funding confirmation letter, or confirmation that a funding application has been submitted,
  • and a copy of your most recent bank statement, clearing showing your name and balance at the time of application.

Please quote your student number as a reference.

Your application will not be processed until we have received this documentation. If successful, your emergency loan will be paid via bank transfer. Please allow two working days for processing, from the date you have provided your evidence.  

If you require any support with your application, please contact the Student Support and Advice team.