Application guidance for financial aid

The application is a 4-step process

  1. Step 1: Read these guidance notes
  2. Step 2: Complete the application form
  3. Step 3: Look out for an email from Financial Aid within 5 working days. We will let you know what evidence you need to provide to complete your application
  4. Step 4: Reply to our email, submitting ALL the evidence requested
  • Please note that your application is not complete until you have submitted all the evidence requested. An incomplete application will be rejected. 
  • Please wait for our email before sending any evidence. The evidence we ask for is tailored to each student’s application.
  • The primary purpose of Financial Aid is to relieve financial difficulties which might impact on a student’s participation in higher education at Oxford Brookes and help them remain at the University. 
  • Students should be aware that Financial Aid is intended to act as a safety net for those in financial difficulty rather than their main source of income.

Who can apply?

Any Oxford Brookes University enrolled student is eligible to apply, except for Global Banking School (GBS), Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and Degree Apprenticeship students. 

You must demonstrate that you had all funding, for which you are eligible, in place for living costs and tuition fees at the start of your course and of the academic year. 

If you are a Postgraduate, EU, International or other self-funded student, you must provide evidence that you made adequate provision for your tuition fees and living costs such as rent, travel, childcare and bills for the duration of your course, prior to the start of the course and of the academic year. You will then need to demonstrate that there has been a significant and unexpected change in your circumstances since the start of your course. 

If you are a Postgraduate, EU, International or other self-funded student and are unable to fully fund your studies, you can defer your course start date or take approved temporary withdrawal: the deadline for suspending your course and not being liable to the University for tuition fees for the year is Friday of Week 4 of the start of your academic year. 

What evidence will we ask for?

Please wait for our email before sending anything.

We will email you on your Brookes email within 5 working days of you submitting your application form. The evidence we ask for is tailored to each student’s application.

We will ask you for at least 3 pieces of supporting information: 

  1. Evidence of how you fund your studies eg. Student Finance Entitlement letter;
  2. 3 months of bank statements for all bank accounts in your name and a bank statement for September;
  3. Tenancy agreement if you don’t live in Brookes-managed accommodation.

Depending on your circumstances, we may ask you for additional evidence eg. childcare invoices, partner’s payslips, state benefits. 

Every application is individually assessed and means-tested. 

NB You must submit all the evidence we ask for by replying to our email. Please note that we do not chase for supporting evidence. If anything is missing, your application will be rejected.

Bank statements

We will ask to see the last three months of bank statements plus September, in PDF format, for every account you have or have in a joint name including:

  • Current accounts 
  • Savings 
  • Help to Buy ISAs 
  • Trading accounts 
  • Premium bonds 
  • Any other account you are able to access funds from eg. PayPal account, Crypto currency etc. 

We will email you within five working days of you submitting your application form. 

Please wait for our email before sending anything. 

Here’s how to download your bank statements as PDFs

You will need to provide a brief explanation for every transaction of £100 or more, in or out, to help us understand your cash flow. 

Frequently asked questions