COMING SOON: following a review, the Overseas Emergency Access Fund is rebranding as the Overseas Financial Support Fund.  The Financial Support Fund is being introduced to better support students, by making support available to more students and reducing the time taken for assessments to be completed.  

We anticipate that the Overseas Financial Support Fund will open in October.

If you're facing unexpected financial difficulty in 2026/27, we may be able to help you.

The Overseas Financial Support Fund provides limited discretionary financial support for full-time International students who are experiencing unexpected financial difficulty and need emergency funding.

  • The fund is intended to support a temporary financial difficulty rather than be a main source of income. Awards are discretionary and even if you meet the criteria, awards are not guaranteed. 
  • The size of the fund is limited and we may not be able to meet your need in full or guarantee that funds will be available, especially towards the end of an academic year.
  • Changes in exchange rates are not usually considered unexpected. Some costs should be determined before study. For example, rent costs should be agreed before the commencement of the academic year. If you're repeating your course then there must be extenuating circumstances.

Who can apply?

The Overseas Financial Support Fund is open to overseas fee status students on a programme lasting one year (for example an MA) or in the final year of an undergraduate or PhD programme. 

When to apply

Applications will be considered from four weeks after the course start date for eligible new students joining BSU in 2026/27, or from three weeks after the start of a new academic year for eligible continuing students.

Applications will close four weeks prior to the end of the teaching period for the current academic year (to allow time for the application to be assessed) or once funds are exhausted if this is sooner.

Eligibility criteria

To be considered for funding, you must:

  • Be able to demonstrate genuine temporary financial hardship caused by a recent, unforeseen event, and show that this has not arisen through careless financial management.
  • Have £200 or less (including any available overdraft) across all bank accounts.
  • Be fully registered and attending on an eligible programme at ºÚÁÏÕýÄÜÁ¿
  • Have either: 
    o    Started your course before September 2025, or
    o    Started from September 2025 onwards and be studying in Bath, or at Bath Spa London (Hackney) or Bath Spa London (Canary Wharf).
  • Have made realistic provision before the start of your course to fund both tuition fees and living costs for the full duration of your course. Proof will be needed when you apply. These arrangements should have been affected by unforeseen circumstances or events beyond your control, after starting University.
  • Show that you have exhausted all other sources of international funding available to you, for example, government study loans. 

How to apply

Applications are managed via Blackbullion.

  • Applications submitted without all the necessary supporting documentation will not be assessed.
  • Supporting documentation is required for all applications. All evidence must be submitted in pdf format.

Evidence required

Supporting documentation is required in all cases. The documentation required will vary depending on the circumstances of your case and must be supplied with your application.

What happens next

  • We’ll communicate the outcome of our application via Blackbullion
  • We aim to inform applicants of the outcome of their application within six weeks
  • We aim to make payments to your account within three working days of notifying you.

Appealing a decision

Appeals need to be submitted in writing by submitting a on MyServices within ten working days of the initial decision being communicated.  

Appeals would only be accepted where:

  • There was an error in the financial details reported on your initial application.
  • You have new information or supporting documents to submit, which were relevant at the time of the initial assessment but were unavailable.
  • There has been a major change in circumstances between the initial application being submitted and the outcome being communicated.
  • Your application was rejected due to not meeting the attendance criterion and you believe your attendance has been reported or assessed incorrectly, or that there are mitigating circumstances to consider.

Important information

  • While we’re happy to accept repeat applications, our funding is limited. To help us support as many students as possible, we kindly ask that you avoid submitting multiple applications. Please also note that there’s a maximum award amount per student so we can share support fairly across the student community.
  • Students who submit incomplete applications will be given an opportunity to provide the missing evidence. If the evidence is not provided the application will not be assessed, and the application will be rejected
  • All applications will be treated in confidence, however, may be shared with Student Wellbeing Services where deemed appropriate, so that they can offer additional support.

Get in touch

If you have any questions about this award, please contact the Student Awards Team by submitting a on MyServices.