Can I get funding for an unpaid placement?

Student Finance funding should be available during your placement, if you are generally entitled to Student Finance and have enough funding in place. If you are taking an unpaid placement within the public sector with a hospital in a primary care trust in the UK, a local authority, a prison or the probation service you may be eligible for additional Student Finance funding. You can check this by contacting Student Finance. They may need evidence from your placement, in order to confirm the placement meets the public sector criteria. 

If you find yourself in financial difficulty during your placement, we would advise firstly speaking to us to discuss your situation. You can send your questions to the MySurrey Hive team via Surrey Support, and select "Money and Finance" as your enquiry topic. We can talk through options that may be available to you, including the hardship fund. Students can apply for the hardship fund during their Professional Training Year. However, please note if you are on a Study Exchange (not placement/professional training year) then you should approach the University you are based at for that period for financial support in the first instance. If you are unable to receive support from the Exchange University please contact the Student Money Team to discuss this.

For all more information on the hardship fund, what it is, and how to apply, visit the hardship fund page.