Navigating record high inflation and a cost-of-living crisis as a student is a difficult feat. It’s hard to focus on your studies when you’re dealing with financial anxiety and worried about how to pay for all the added expenses that come with living in London. At LSE, students have access to a variety of options for financial support from the university itself and the LSE Students’ Union (LSESU). When facing financial hardship, it can be hard to know where to start, which is why I have compiled a guide for navigating LSE’s financial support options.

LSE Bursary

For home students who have made claims via Student Finance, depending on your assessed household income, you may be eligible to receive between £500 and £4000 per academic year. To be eligible, you must have your household income assessed by Student Finance, and if your household income is less than £42,875 you are eligible. If you are eligible, you don’t need to do anything else after being assessed. You will automatically receive your bursary in instalments across the academic year and (unlike your student loans) you don’t need to pay it back. The best thing about the bursary is that everyone who has been identified as eligible will receive one, so there is no competition.

This bursary is available for students with the Home fees status. If you are an EU student, you can complete the LSE Undergraduate Scholarship Form either during the academic year and/or for your second or third year of study. If you are a current EU undergraduate student who wishes to apply for an LSE EU bursary, please contact the Financial Support Office.

Home UK students may also be eligible for a Discretionary Bursary a well as the LSE Bursary. A discretionary bursary is for students with “exceptional financial needs” like caring responsibilities or students whose parents financial status does not reflect their parents ability to support them. The amount varies depending on need but does not exceed £4000.

LSESU Hardship Fund

The Hardship Fund is an initiative by the LSE Students’ Union to help students who have fallen into short-term, unforeseen hardship to continue with their studies and finish their degree. Some examples of this may include emergency housing, immigration costs, medical costs and emergency living costs. They allow two applications per year and the fund is monitored by an independent advice service. To apply, read through the criteria on the guidance document and if your situation applies, fill out their application form.

Postgraduate students  

There is also a wide range of funding opportunities available for postgraduate students to help them travel to conferences, finish writing their thesis on time and data collection. The travel fund is open to MRes, MPhil and PhD students who have been invited to give a paper at a conference related to their research. The fund usually does not provide more than £1000 per academic session and has a finite amount of funds, so you are advised to apply early.

Additional support funds

LSE and the LSESU offer several other funds to address specific needs:

• Childcare Fund: Assists students with childcare costs who have encountered short-term, unforeseen financial hardship. More details are available on the LSESU Childcare Fund page.
• Gender Expression Fund: Provides financial assistance to trans, non-binary, intersex, and gender non-conforming students for purchasing gender-affirming products. Learn more on the LSESU Gender Expression Fund page.
• Graduation Support Fund: Helps students in financial hardship with costs associated with graduation, such as gown hire and photography. Further information can be found on the LSESU Graduation Support Fund page.

Financial support drop-in sessions

If you have any other concerns or questions regarding financial support at LSE, the Financial Support Office hosts drop in sessions on Zoom from Monday to Friday from 1-2pm. This is a great way to ask for any clarity about specific concerns surrounding your financial situation and, if this does not suit you, you can always contact the financial support service here.

By proactively engaging with these resources and seeking assistance when needed, you can effectively manage your financial situation and focus on your academic success at LSE.