Money@CampusLife FAQs

It is important for students to consider their financial plan before enrolling onto their course.  Things you may want to consider are:

-What funding are you eligible for?
-What will your outgoings be?
-Will you be able to work part time?
-What is the average cost of living for a student in Swansea?

You will find information on all of these and more on our Cost of Living webpage, which will also link you to our Money Management & Information page.

If you're receiving any loans from Student Finance then the answer is Yes - Student Finance are unable to release your loan payments if your National Insurance number hasn't been provided and verified. If your application assessment or your funding is being delayed, it may be something to do with the verification of your National Insurance number. If you're required to provide your National Insurance number or any supporting documentation to Student Finance in order to complete your assessment, please note that the process can take up to 2 weeks for them to get it verified.

If you don't know your NI number or have lost it you should call HMRC’s National Insurance registrations helpline on 0300 200 3500.

A National Insurance number doesn't need to be provided if you're only receiving grants from Student Finance, or if you're an EU student although if you are an EU student and do have a National Insurance number, then you do need to include it in your application.

Our advice is for students not to enrol unless they have the means of funding their course confirmed and secured because once you enrol, you are liable to pay a proportion of your fees even if you cannot continue to study.  You will also be considered to have utilised a full year of your student finance entitlement according to the Student Loans Company, even if you have not completed the year.  If you are needing assistance understanding and/or accessing student funding, then please contact money.campuslife@swansea.ac.uk  

This should not affect your funding, although you would need to update your online application with your Student Loans Company. The quickest way to do so is via your online Student Finance account. Follow this link for further information on Student Finance for Clearing - Clearing

After completing enrolment, the Student Records Office sends confirmation to our Finance Department and the Student Loans company, which triggers the first maintenance payment into your bank account within 3-5 working days and tuition fee payment to the University.

Nursing students receiving the NHS bursary will usually receive their first instalment at the end of October (which is the second month of your course) and then monthly on the last working day each month thereafter.

You will usually receive your first instalment of your bursary at the end of October (which is the second month of your course) and then monthly on the last working each month thereafter. 

Also as a Nursing Student accessing the NHS bursary scheme you can still apply for a reduced rate maintenance loan through student finance, please see our webpages for further information.

If you are struggling to cover essential costs due to a delay in your funding, you can make an application to our Hardship Fund. This is not a form of funding and cannot be used to pay tuition fees. There is no guarantee of an award, although if an award is made you will not need to pay it back. You can find more information on our dedicated Hardship Fund page.

Only enrolled students can apply. Please do not enrol for the purpose of applying to our Hardship Fund as awards are not guaranteed and once you enrol, you will be liable to pay fees even if you do not continue on your course.

If you withdraw or suspend from your program early (usually within the first two weeks from your start date) then tuition fee costs will be cancelled in full. Any withdrawal/suspension after this 'grace period' and students may be liable to pay a percentage of tuition fee costs (depending on attendance dates). Please be aware that each course has its own grace period based on start dates.

Please note that once you enrol and then decide to withdraw/suspend from study, your Student Funding provider will take the view that you have utilised a year of funding entitlement, even if you do not receive all your funding. If you receive maintenance funding before you withdraw/suspend, it is possible that you will have received more than you’re entitled to. This is classed as an overpayment and would need to be paid back to Student Finance.

For more information on withdrawing or suspending your studies, please refer to our webpage.

Your funding may be affected based on factors such as length of course (both current and future) and previous study.  We advise you contact either your funding provider or Money@Campuslife for advice and guidance before any transfer is actioned.  

Whether you will receive tuition fee funding will be determined by how many years of previous study you have at higher education level. Student Finance count a full year of study even if you did not complete the year. If a student has previous study, then we would advise they contact their funding provider to check their entitlement before they enrol. If you are eligible, then you will usually be able to still receive maintenance funding, unless you already have a higher education qualification.

Students can usually only get student finance for their first higher education qualification. If they’ve already completed a higher education course in the UK, they might not get help for a second course.

If circumstances such as illness, bereavement, family issues, pregnancy or other situation that prevented you from completing a year or resulted in an academic failure, you may be able to appeal for discretionary funding on the grounds of compelling personal reasons (CPR). You will need to provide evidence to support your appeal. The decision to grant discretionary funding is solely up to your funding provider but Money@CampusLife will be able to support you through the process.

You can find more information on the process using our CPR Guide or contact Money@CampusLife

Employment support is available through Swansea Employability Academy (SEA). To find out what support they can offer you in finding a part time job you can visit their webpage for further information - Swansea Employability Academy  

If you a full time student (studying more than 21 hours a week and more than 24 weeks a year) and living alone or in a property occupied by full time students, you should be exempt from paying council tax. You may need a Council Tax Certificate to present to the local authority and you can obtain one by emailing myunihub@swansea.ac.uk . Please see here for further information - Council Tax

If you are a part time student, or a student who lives with someone who is not a student, you may still be entitled to a 25% reduction in your Council Tax liability. Contact MyUni Hub for your certificate and then get in touch with your local council to access the discount.  

Starting University can be overwhelming and you may experience all sorts of emotions. Campuslife have a dedicated welfare team who offer all kinds of different support to students. To see what support is available please take a look at their webpage - https://www.swansea.ac.uk/campuslife/welfare/