Societies Membership Hardship Fund

The Societies Membership Hardship Fund is a brand new initative for 2022, making sure that societies are accessible financially for all.

We understand the financial struggles of being a student and want to make societies accessible for all regardless of personal financial situations. The Socieites Membership Hardship Fund allows students to apply for a grant to cover the cost of a society membership fee or up to £25 to be used towards being an active member of a society you are already a member of

The fund has been created in an effort to minimise the amount of students who are unable to join societies because of financial troubles and remove as many barriers to partcipate as we can

There are numerous benefits to joining a society or student group, so we want to ensure that the opportunity is available to as many students as possible. Clubs and societies offer a unique opportunity to meet new friends, create connections, network with other students and industry professionals. Societies also provide opportunities to develop new skills or hone existing ones

Availability

A total of £500 will be available in the Societies Membership Hardship Fund for the rest of this academic year

Students can apply for either:

A grant to cover the cost of a membership fee to any Hertfordshire Students' Union society

Or, a grant capped at £25 to cover the associated costs of being an active member of a society they are already a member of

We can combine a mixture of the two - for example, up to £20 to cover the costs of a membership and a contribution towards the activity (e.g. Pole and Aerial Society membership for £10 with £10 towards lessons for the semester

Eligibility

The Societies Membership Hardship Fund is available to all University of Hertfordshire students

Applicants will be required to fill in an application form explaining how they would benefit from the Fund and the impact it would have on them whilst studying at Herts

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 or some information about yourself to confirm this

Application

Applicants will be asked to provide a short statement explaining why they need financial support for joining a society and describe the benefits that the funding will give them along with some questions about their personal circumstance

Applications will be reviewed on a weekly basis by the Student Opportunities Team. A decision on an application will be provided within a maximum of ten working days upon receipt of the application. Where further information or clarification is requested, this decision make take longer

Once an application is accepted, the agreed upon society membership contribution is directly transferred to the bank account of the relevant society. Any grant for society activity will be paid directly to the person providing the lessons/external venue, etc

Students who are dissatisfied with the outcome of their application should first discuss their case with the Student Development Team by replying to the outcome email within seven days of receipt of the decision

The membership will last for the remainder of the 22/23 academic year, expiring on 30/08/2023

Unsure about anything? Please don't hesitate to ask us.