The University of Manchester’s cost of living support fund has donated the lowest amount of funds to student applicants in the last academic year since 2021/22.
In a recent report by The Mancunian, the details of which were sourced from a Freedom of Information Request, it was revealed that last year’s applicants for the fund had a 41 per cent success rate of receiving payouts from the fund.
Payouts totalled £261,350, a drop of 27 per cent from the 2023/2024 academic year, when payouts totalled £416,810 and the success rate was 44 per cent.
The university’s cost of living support fund is a scheme covered by “generous donations from alumni and friends” and “provides financial support to students who are unexpectedly suffering financial hardship.”
All students can apply, with the maximum award totalling £2,000. Last year, awards ranged from £200 to £2000.
The Mancunion have reported that the last academic year saw 765 applicants, down from 1,195 applicants the year before. 300 applicants were successful in receiving funds, compared to 525 the year before.
In the 2019/2020 academic year, the fund received only 360 applicants, and had a success rate of 68 per cent. Applicants more than doubled around the time of the pandemic in 2020/2021.
In 2022/2023, the university’s students’ union executive officers ensured that all full-time undergraduate students received a £170 payout from the university to aid with the cost of living crisis. £6.8 million was donated in this scheme, and 40,906 students benefit. In 2024, the university and the students’ union received an “outstanding support for students” award at the Times Higher Education awards ceremony for their efforts in this initiative.
In comparison, the cost of living fund has provided students with just over £1.7 million since the 2019/2020 academic year.
In January 2023, a student who applied for the fund spoke to the Manchester Tab after they received only £300 from the fund for the year, despite working three jobs and receiving the highest student loan due to their household income being below £25,000 per year.
In response to the results of this Freedom of Information request, a spokesperson for the University of Manchester told The Mancunian:
“The University offered an unparalleled package of support during the height of the cost of living crisis in 2022/23 and we continue to offer this fund, alongside a range of additional targeted support. This year we have uprated the value of our bursaries and changed the eligibility thresholds, while we have also introduced an accommodation bursary for the first time which has benefitted 127 students in the 2025/26 year. We encourage all students struggling financially to get in touch and, naturally, demand for support varies year-on-year.
Applications for the cost of living support fund are currently open for this academic year, and should remain open all year long. Students can apply online here.
