Find out how to request a cash-flow loan if you have a financial emergency.
About the Welfare Loan
If you’re worried about short-term money problems, we can offer an interest-free loan of up to £700 to cover any immediate costs.
The Welfare Loan is different from our Hardship Fund because it is a loan you need to pay back.
You can spend the loan on whatever you need, but you must pay the money back within an agreed timeframe.
We do not assess your income when offering loans.
Eligibility
You can apply for a Welfare Loan as long as you:
- are a registered student at Sussex
- have no outstanding debts to the University – this includes debts for rent, fees and library fines.
Students who are not eligible
You are not able to request a Welfare Loan if you are:
- on a study abroad or placement year
- final year students resitting an assessment
- paying continuation fees – for example, because you’re handing in your dissertation late
- on temporary withdrawal
- a Visiting and Exchange student
- doing a Online Distance Learning course
- studying a Skills and Knowledge Enhancement (SKE) course
- a graduate with completed status, having finished studying your course
- studying through BSMS – see University of Brighton bridging loans.
If you are not eligible and you have problems with your financial commitments, you can speak to a Student Money Advisor to discuss your circumstances. Email moneyadvice@sussex.ac.uk.
Requesting a Welfare Loan
Applications for the Welfare Loan are open throughout the year, including the summer.
You ask for a Welfare Loan by filling in a short form. This takes about five minutes.
You can request up to £700 as a loan, but the amount you borrow can be lower if you need less cash.
Receiving the Welfare Loan
After submitting your application you will get an initial auto-reply email confirming your request for a Welfare Loan. Within seven days you should receive a follow-up email from the funding team with the decision about your loan.
If your loan is approved, it will be paid through the Sussex Aspire Engagement Portal. This portal has been specifically designed to support you in accessing the funds you may be eligible to receive.
You will receive an email from Sussex Aspire with your login details to access the Engagement Portal. You will be able to withdraw your funds when you log in. Once withdrawn funds are usually paid instantly, but can take up to 2 hours.
If you have any questions or need support in withdrawing your funds, email student.info@sussex-aspire.co.uk. For any other queries, email the Sussex Student Funding Team at studentfunding@sussex.ac.uk.
Repaying your Welfare Loan
Important: The loan must be repaid through Sussex Direct. You can repay the loan at any time before the repayment date.
When you request your loan, you suggest when you would like to repay it.
If this is within 30 days of your request, we will normally accept your suggested date. If it isn’t, we will set the repayment date for you.
This date can be extended for home-funded students over the summer to one week after the September maintenance loan installment.