Hardship Fund Application
Your Guide to Accessing Financial Support for Unforeseen Circumstances
At Central Film School, we understand that balancing your academic commitments with financial obligations can sometimes bring unexpected challenges. To support you through these moments, the school provides a dedicated Hardship Fund designed to assist students who encounter unforeseen financial difficulties during their course. This fund acts as a safety net to ensure that financial stress does not compromise your educational journey or overall student experience.
You can read the full policy here.
What is the Hardship Fund?
The Hardship Fund is a discretionary financial resource administered by the Finance and Commercial Committee. It is specifically designed to help meet essential costs that may impact your ability to study effectively. This includes support for vital living and learning expenses such as childcare, books, required equipment, travel, and general living costs like rent. Because the fund is intended to alleviate true financial hardship, any standard or non-standard award you qualify for will not usually have to be repaid.
How Can It Benefit Your Studies?
Financial anxiety can be a significant distraction from your creative and technical development. By helping bridge the shortfall between your expected income and reasonable expenditure, the fund ensures you can maintain access to necessary digital and physical resources without interrupting your training. For first-year undergraduate students facing administrative delays with their maintenance support, the fund also provides interim loans to ensure you have immediate access to resources while waiting for your first Student Finance instalment to arrive.
Key Guidelines and Priority Groups
While all students are welcome to apply at any point during the academic year, the panel naturally assesses applications with a fair framework that prioritises specific groups facing heightened pressure. Priority is given to:
- Students from low-income families
- Students enrolled on high-cost courses
- Mature students over the age of 25
- Disabled students
- Lone parents or students with children
- Care leavers and former Foyer residents
- Final-year students in severe financial difficulty
If you do not fall into these groups, you are still encouraged to apply, provided you can submit robust evidence demonstrating an exceptional need for support.
Please keep in mind that final-year students must submit their applications at least four weeks before the end of their final semester. Standard awards are calculated as a percentage of your financial shortfall, which varies throughout the year and is subject to fund availability. Consequently, we recommend preparing your documentation diligently and applying as soon as an unexpected need arises.
How to Apply
The application process is handled electronically to guarantee complete privacy and fairness. To initiate your request, you must submit an application through the form here. Once your initial details are received, the Student Services Team will contact you via your School email address to guide you through providing the necessary supporting documentation.
Your application will remain pending until all required information and evidence are uploaded, as the committee can only review fully completed submissions. You will receive a formal notification email detailing the outcome within two weeks of your application becoming complete. For further advice or questions about navigating the process, you are always welcome to get in touch directly with the Student Services Team.
