Additional cost of living support for Sheffield Hallam students

11th October 2022

Sheffield Hallam University has introduced a raft of measures to support its students with the increased cost of living to reduce the financial burden on those most affected.

Additional support has been put in place for the 2022/23 academic year in response to the rises in the cost of food, energy and inflation which are having a disproportionate impact on some students and young people.

Almost £5 million will be invested during 2022–23, through a series of targeted support packages to provide direct financial support. This is in addition to providing advice on managing budgets and signposting to other external services in collaboration with the Students’ Union advice centre.

The University also provides a broad package of mental health and wellbeing support for students.

Additional cost of living measures include:

• a 60% increase in Hardship Fund awards, providing support if students experience unforeseen financial difficulties
• an increase in Student Success Scholarship awards, which offer up to £2,100 to help students succeed
• free access to the top 100 e-books, meaning students will not need to pay for core textbooks
• graduation support to cover the cost of a gown and two tickets for graduates who are in hardship
• doubling the International Emergency Fund to support international students
• regular offers at our catering outlets, where the cost of food and drink will be £1 for any item all day
• the introduction of a Sport Hardship Fund for those who can’t afford to participate in student sport
• support for students experiencing period poverty

Sheffield Hallam University Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sir Chris Husbands, said: “We understand the cost-of-living crisis is affecting many of our students and we want to help mitigate the impact through our comprehensive support package.

“As the University who has recruited more students from underrepresented backgrounds than any other in the UK, it is vital we do all we can to reduce the financial barriers for those students to succeed.

“Any of our students suffering from financial hardship should speak to their student support adviser who can assist them in accessing the support available to them.”