The SUBU Clubs and Societies Hardship Fund is a brand new initiative for the 21-22 academic year. The new hardship fund allows students to apply for a small grant to contribute up to 70% of the cost of a club/society membership fee or up to £50 to be used towards being an active member of a club/ society you are already a member of.
The fund has been generated in an effort to make clubs and societies more accessible to students who may not otherwise be able to afford to join them, or have additional challenges that make it more difficult for them to join.
There are numerous benefits to joining a club or society so we want to ensure that the opportunity is available to as many students as possible. Clubs and societies offer a unique opportunity to create connections and network with other students and industry professionals, it also provides the chance to try new skills or hone existing ones.
A total of £1,500 will be available in the fund.
Students can apply for either;
1. A grant of 70% contribution to the total membership fee of any club or society, up to the value of £50
OR
2. A grant capped at £50 to cover the associated costs of being an active member of a club/ society they are already a member of
The funding will be distributed on a first come, first served basis.
The SUBU Clubs and Societies Hardship Fund is available to all BU students. You will be required to fill in an application form explaining how you would benefit from the fund and the impact it would have on you whilst studying at BU. In order to support those most in need, students should only apply if they are in financial hardship or face additional challenges. As such, when completing the application you will be asked for some information about yourself to confirm this. Please note that only 1 grant can be provided per person per semester.
Students will be asked to provide a statement explaining why they feel they need financial support for joining a club or society and describe the benefits that the funding will give them along with some questions about themselves.
Applications will be reviewed on a weekly basis by Emma Davies, SUBU Student Opportunities Manager and Omuwa Ayomoto, SU Vice President Student Opportunities.
If the annual allocation has been spent in full before the end of the academic year, further applications to the fund will not receive any funding.
Where a decision cannot be reached, the application will be extended to the Clubs and Societies Awarding Committee; an active committee of internal stakeholders made up of Student Engagement staff, Part-time and Full-time officers. The decision of the Awarding Committee will be final.
A decision on an application will be provided within a maximum of 7 working days upon receipt of the application. Where further information or clarification is requested to inform assessment of an application, this decision may take longer.
Once an application is accepted, the agreed upon membership funding contribution is directly transferred to the bank account of the relevant club or society. The applicant will then be contacted by SUBU to pay the remainder of the fee and complete the purchase of the membership to their chosen club or society.
The membership will last for the remainder of the 21-22 academic year, expiring on 30/06/2022.
Students who are dissatisfied with the outcome of their application should first discuss their case with Emma Davies and Ugo Andy-Eke by replying to the outcome email within 7 days of receipt of the decision. Appeals will only be considered when there is new evidence presented that was not available at the time the application was completed.