Access & Success Fund
We are committed to improving the equality of opportunity for underrepresented key student groups to access, progress and succeed in Higher Education. As part of our commitment, we offer a discretionary Access & Success Fund to enhance the 'university experience' for our students from underrepresented groups. Students can receive up to £1,500 in each year to help them to get the most out of their time at Keele University.
The Access & Success Fund can help students in many ways; for example, if you need a laptop to study but can't afford one, the fund might be able to help. If you're interested in joining a society or sports club but unable to afford the membership fee, the fund could help with that too. Or if you would benefit from access to music or streaming platforms, the fund might be able to help you to pay for it.
There's no limit on what the Access & Success Fund can help students achieve, as long as you can demonstrate how it would help you, and you meet the eligibility criteria.
Applications for the Access & Success Fund 2024/25 will open between 21st October 2024 - 15th June 2025.
The deadline for applications from final year students is 15th March 2025, to ensure that grants can be processed in advance of the end of the course.
You can find further information below, including eligibility criteria and testimonials from previous Access & Success Fund recipients.
You must meet the following criteria to be considered for the Access & Success Fund 2024/25:
- Be a current UK, undergraduate Keele University student
- Belong to at least one key student group
- Have an annual household income below £62,347 (verified by Student Finance)*
Our key student groups are:
- Care leavers (aged under 25)
- Mature students (aged 21 or over at the start of your current course)
- Students from a minority ethnic background (including Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities)
- Students who are estranged from their family (aged under 25 and have zero contact with family)
- Students whose parent/s are in the military (service children)
- Students with a disability (including diagnosed mental health conditions)
- Students with caring responsibilities (for a friend or family member with a disability who could not cope without your care)
- Students with children aged under 18
- Students with household income below £25,000 (verified by Student Finance)
- Students with refugee status
- Transgender students
The Access & Success Fund is intended to support students who are in active study, and so we are unable to consider applications from students on a leave of absence or students who are repeating on an assessment-only basis.
*This figure has been set in line with the thresholds for the higher maintenance loan level.
Please note that you must be eligible for UK Student Finance and have provided household income information to Student Finance prior to applying to the Access & Success Fund. If we are unable to verify your household income with Student Finance, then we will not be able to consider your application. If you have chosen not to apply for Student Finance for religious reasons, please contact us at student.services@keele.ac.uk so that we can discuss this with you.
Access & Success Fund
The Access & Success Fund is intended to enhance the university experience for students within our key student groups, by providing financial assistance to help to reduce barriers to accessing higher education. For example, a student may wish to apply to the Access and Success Fund for financial assistance towards:
- a gym membership to support mental health
- IT equipment to help to manage studies around other commitments
- subscriptions to music and film streaming services to support mental wellbeing
- the cost of childcare
- travel or accommodation for a summer internship
- general living costs to reduce dependence on part-time work
This isn't an exhaustive list, and we would welcome students to apply for other reasons too.
Hardship Fund
In contrast, the Hardship FundHardship Fund is intended to provide financial assistance to students experiencing unexpected severe financial difficulties during their course, who are struggling to afford essential costs such as accommodation, food and necessary travel. If you have experienced an unforeseen financial challenge, please speak to our Financial Support Team to understand your options.
You are welcome to apply for both the Hardship Fund and the Access & Success Fund within the same academic year, provided that you meet the criteria for both.
Applications for the Access & Success Fund 2024/25 will be open between 21st October 2024 - 15th June 2025.
Final year students have an earlier deadline of 15th March 2025, to ensure that any grants can be processed in advance of the end of the course.
You can apply via the application link above during the application window. When applications have closed, the application link will disappear.
Applications will be processed in monthly application windows in the 2024/25 academic year, but you can only receive a grant from the fund once per academic year.
We may need to contact you to discuss your application or to request appropriate evidence, and so please ensure that you check your Keele email account regularly.
If you meet the eligibility criteria for the Access & Success Fund, you will receive an award of up to £1,500. Grants are determined based on the key groups that you fall within and how you've told us you would use the grant.
Application windows and expected payment dates for 2024/25:
- 21st October 2024 to 15th November 2024 - payments expected to be made by 20th December 2024
- 16th November 2024 to 15th December 2024 - payments expected to be made by 24th January 2025
- 16th December 2024 to 15th January 2025 - payments expected to be made by 21st February 2025
- 16th January 2024 to 15th February 2025 - payments expected to be made by 21st March 2025
- 16th February 2024 to 15th March 2025 (deadline for final year students) - payments expected to be made by 25th April 2025
- 16th March 2024 to 15th April 2025 - payments expected to be made by 23rd May 2025
- 16th April 2024 to 15th May 2025 - payments expected to be made by 20th June 2025
- 16th May 2024 to 15th June 2025 - payments expected to be made by 25th July 2025
Subject to available funds, applications may close earlier than the published date.
If you do not provide your bank account details when asked to do so, the expected payment dates will not apply, your payment will be delayed and may be cancelled.
If you have any questions, or need help with your application, please contact the Financial Support Team at student.services@keele.ac.uk so that the team can support you.
"The Access & Success Fund has taken off some of the financial pressures and meant I had more time to study, could afford a gym membership to let off some steam and subscribe to a streaming service to give me some time to relax. The less worrying has helped my mental health and made completing the course, which was always my dream, seem possible."
"The Access & Success Fund has benefitted my university experience by allowing me to full invest in an extra curricular activity. It has made me not only be social with people outside of my course but allowed me to learn, to a moderate extent, a skill I've never otherwise had the opportunity to learn and experience. Because of this fund, I've been able to experience uni life outside of the academic space."
"This fund meant that I could replace a laptop that was failing on me. The Access & Success Fund gave me the ability to place such an unreliable and slow laptop, which I depended on for all of my essay writing. I was able to buy a new laptop that wasn't simply another low range laptop, which I otherwise wouldn't even dream of being able to afford! This laptop will help me get through the rest of my studies at Keele and means I don't have to worry about an unreliable piece of equipment which is such an integral part of my uni experience."
"Part of my Access & Success grant went towards food, and part was used for a bike for transport in my second year. It helped me shorten commute times for second year allowing me to get to campus easier."
"I don't think I would have been able to complete this year due to childcare cost, the fund has had a huge positive impact for me personally and I greatly appreciate it. I used the fund to buy myself a new desk for home as I had been working at the kitchen table where my children's schoolwork is."
"I have used the Access & Success Fund to join societies and clubs at university which has become a big part of my experience. It has opened doors for me that I never would have been able to experience otherwise and not to mention the amount of amazing friends that I have made through this makes the experience 10x better."
"I used my award to purchase gender affirming items and medical care which greatly improved my future. I also used it for course related purchases such as streaming servies to access films and television shows required for my studies. I was able to be more confident by my gender affirming items and engage more effectively with my studies."