The team
The Student Finance Team is based on the 1st floor of the Gateway Building and is here to help you with all aspects of student finance. Starting at university can be challenging particularly in the first few weeks so if you have any questions or problems with regards to your student finance, please do not hesitate to contact us.
The Finance Team is made up of two sections:
Student Finance runs the Fees and Collections helpdesk and is open from 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday and can be contacted either in person, by calling 0151 291 3339 or email financequeries@hope.ac.uk. At the helpdesk, you can make payments for all your University charges including tuition and accommodation. You can also ask any questions you may have regarding these charges and set up payment plans for outstanding invoices on your student account.
Student Funds is available by telephoning 0151 291 3666 from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, by appointment at selected times or by email studentfunds@hope.ac.uk. The team will help and advise you on all aspects of Statutory Student Support, University Scholarship schemes and also administers the Student Support Fund. This is a discretionary fund provided by the University to assist students experiencing financial difficulty. Further information and the application process can be found on the Money Advice webpages.
Top tips
- Please bring enough money for the first week at University. As detailed in your letter from the SLC, the earliest you will receive your loans is the first official day of term
- If you have delays in receiving your funding please contact either team – we may be able to contact the SLC on your behalf (provided you consent to share information) to find out the reason for the delay and in some circumstances arrange cash advances to tide you over.
- If you are staying in University halls, please complete the accommodation payment task which will be sent to your information portal before you arrive.
Regardless of the date on your payment timetable, the first instalment of your loan and/or grant will not be paid into your bank account until the University has confirmed with the appropriate Student Finance Company that you have formally registered at the University, arrived on campus and collected your ID card.
For most students, this will be Student Finance England, and once they have received this confirmation, the first instalment will be paid into your account after the first day of term, but this may take a further three days to clear.
If your financial support does not arrive on time follow these simple steps:
- Find out the reason for the delay - contact Student Finance England or check your online account if you have not yet received confirmation of how much you are entitled to.
- If you have received notification of your entitlement and you are awaiting your payment from Student Finance England remember to allow time for the University to confirm your attendance.
- If, after this time, you have not received your payment contact Student Finance England on 0300 100 0607
- Students from other parts of the UK should call one of the following numbers as appropriate:
- Students from Wales - 0300 200 4050
- Students from Northern Ireland- 0330 100 0077
- Students from Scotland - 0300 555 0505
- Make an appointment with the Student Funds Team who may be able to help you by contacting Student Finance England. If there is a problem they can often help on your behalf and, in certain instances, we can offer you short term loans to be repaid when you have received your entitlement from SFE.
- Contact your bank and explain that your financial support has been delayed. If you do not yet have a student account with an interest free overdraft you should contact your bank to see if you can change your existing account to a student account.
- Rent - if you have already set up a direct debit or issued a cheque to cover your rent and do not have enough money in your account you should contact the Fees and Collections Team in Student Finance (or landlord if you are living externally) to explain the situation and negotiate a new payment date. Remember the bank will charge you for failed direct debits and bounced cheques so it is in your own interest to do this.
Common reasons for delays in payment
- Check that you have returned your completed application either online or by post.
- Check that you have signed and returned the loan request form - payment will not be made until you have done this.
- Have you provided the correct university and programme details? If you have changed programme or university you should let Student Finance England know.
- Bank account details - if you have provided the wrong bank account details or you have changed bank accounts and not told Student Finance England your payment could be delayed.
- Declaration - you must sign the declaration and where relevant your parents or partner must sign their declaration. If you do not do this your payment will be delayed.
- Have you registered on your course? If not please register.
Overdraft
Arrange an interest free overdraft facility with your bank. If you already have a bank account from your home address, make sure that you change this to a student account so that you can take advantage of any offers from the bank When loan cash arrives, it’s all too easy to celebrate with a big blow-out. It may be tempting but don’t do it. The time for this is the end of term, when you’ve managed your money and you know you’ve got some spare, not the beginning, leaving you short and struggling for months.
Budget, budget, budget
Do a proper budget. Knowing how much income you’ll have is essential. Most will come from maintenance loans, grants or scholarships, part-time work and parents’ contributions. But no matter where the money comes from, the golden rule is to NEVER spend more than your income.
Home cooking
Learn to cook. There’s no need to live off pricey takeaways at University while longing for home-cooked meals. Take time to learn the basics and it’ll help to stretch your cash much further. Plus, it is far healthier.
Bulk-buying
Buy food in bulk. Buying a large bag of something is a lot cheaper than buying a number of smaller bags. Use your freezer.
Avoid pay-day loans
High Street stores advertising ‘payday loans’ have sprung up nationwide, promising quick cash loans until you get paid. Stay away from them as the interest rates are exorbitant.
Avoid the store card trap
Store cards should be avoided. Most charge 30% interest or more, and even the best aren’t cheaper than banks' credit cards, so don’t get sucked in by the sales patter. They work and feel very much like credit cards, except while credit cards can be used anywhere, store cards can often only be used in specific stores or store groups.
Cash vs card
Use cash on nights out. Leave you card at home and just take money you can afford to spend.
Haggle
Ask for discounts – if you don’t ask you don’t get. Always ask whether shops offer student discount, if not ask for one anyway.
NUS Extra Card
An NUS extra card costs £12, but it will get you discount online and in store with over 120 retailers for a year.
Advance booking
Book travel in advance. Get cheaper train and coach tickets by booking ahead of time.
Library
Don’t buy all the books on your reading list – use the library. Google scholar is also great to use and free. If you do buy key textbooks, you could try for second hand via Amazon.
Walking
Use your legs – could you walk or cycle to University? Ask yourself if you really need to get the bus or drive to save some serious money. Click here to plan your journey.
Railcard
Buy a student railcard for £30. This gives you up to 1/3rd off rail journeys. The young person’s railcard is normally for 16-25 year olds but if you are 26 or over you will need to prove you are a full time student.
Cashback sites
Use cashback sites. When making purchases online, go through a cashback site like Quidco to get money off.