‘This fund shows me that the school cares about me and students' mental state and wellbeing and I am grateful to be given such an award. It definitely makes me feel included and appreciated.’
‘The student engagement fund helped me because it offered me the ability to take different opportunities that I would not have otherwise been able to have taken if it wasn’t for the engagement fund. It helped me to purchase a DBS check which led to me taking up an opportunity in a form of work at a local school. I believe the fund is very inclusive and beneficial to students should they need it and I encourage students in need to make use of it!’
‘The fund meant that I was able to take part, be included, and to not worry that I couldn’t afford to join in with everyone else.’
– 'Testimonials from Simmies who have received the WP Student Engagement Fund'
This page firstly provides general information on the main WP Student Engagement Fund. If you are looking for information on the WP Student Engagement Graduate Support Fund, or the WP Student Engagement Commuter Fund, please scroll down.
1. What is the WP Student Engagement Fund?
The WP Student Engagement Fund (SEF) was established by the Widening Participation Team in collaboration with the Students’ Union and Sport St Mary’s. It is a fund designed to support St Mary’s students to engage with extracurricular activities, as well as to support some course-associated costs wherever students are faced with financial barriers. It has been set up to ensure cost is not a prohibitive factor when students wish to engage in additional and enriching opportunities and experiences provided by the University. In line with the University’s core values, the fund is in place to help ensure that St Mary’s is consistently and meaningfully inclusive for all our students.
The fund is in place to provide students with practical support to purchase or reimburse small items in order to increase their engagement with and enjoyment of University life. The fund typically supports bids up to £175, depending on eligibility and the application. In recognition of the fact that we may not always know our students’ specific needs, all applications are reviewed individually on a case by case basis.
Some examples of what the fund might cover include:
- Clubs and societies membership fees
- Gym membership
- DBS checks associated with a course
- Compulsory and supplementary course costs (e.g. course kit, various equipment, first aid training, etc.)
- Costs associated with a course trip
- Sporting equipment such as wearable technology, items needed to play sport (e.g. racket, rugby boots, etc.), digital tech watches, etc.
- Ticketed online university social events
- From 2025 we are now supporting some travel expenses in exceptional circumstances.
Please note: this list is neither exhaustive nor guaranteed and each application will be reviewed individually. The SEF is focused primarily on additional, rather than primary costs, and is separate from the Hardship Fund, which supports students in financial difficulty with their fundamental living expenses. To learn more about the Hardship Fund and/or require financial and budgeting guidance, please contact studentfundingservice@stmarys.ac.uk.
A note on diagnostic assessments - we encourage students who are struggling to pay for diagnostic assessments to seek support from the Hardship Fund in these instances. We can, however, support students with costs incurred for obtaining medical evidence of existing diagnoses.
2. Who is the SEF for?
The fund is open to all currently registered St Mary’s University students and is specifically in place for students who, for financial reasons, do not engage with additional opportunities on offer to them.
To make sure the fund goes to the people who need it most, we've set the following conditions.
- Students will have to demonstrate an economic need such as low household or personal income (we may check declared household income on registry information).
- Students who are already in receipt of a financial award (scholarship or bursary) from the university, might not be eligible for this scheme, except in exceptional circumstances.
It is only in exceptional circumstances that the following students will be considered:
- International students
- Students on a leave of absence from University
- Masters and PhD students.
Please note: All students must have accessed all statutory support from the government if eligible, before applying to this fund.
3. How do I apply to the SEF?
To apply, students must complete an application form with a personal statement explaining their need for the fund. They will also need to sign to agree to terms and conditions.
Apply to the WP Student Engagement Fund.
All questions and queries should be sent to studentengagement@stmarys.ac.uk
4. How do you choose who gets a grant from the SEF?
This decision will be predominantly based on your personal statement, where you will be asked to describe clearly what you are requesting, why you need the financial support, and how this will meaningfully improve your student experience.
We unfortunately cannot approve all requests we receive, so when selecting candidates, we prioritise certain groups of students when deciding how to allocate the funding. These include:
- Undergraduate students and students studying PGCE programmes
- Students engaging with the BUCS Active 4 programme
- Students who have not previously applied for the SEF
- Students with children (especially lone parents)
- Disabled students
- Former/Current young carers
- Care leavers, care experienced students or those otherwise estranged from their families
- Students who have not previously been members of any sport club or society at the Students’ Union.
5. How does the SEF work?
All applications are reviewed on a case by case basis and where requests are approved we work with students to support them as fully as we can. In some instances, the fund is used to purchase items on their behalf (such as membership fees, fitness items, et cetera) but in others we will request receipts/proof of purchase and reimburse students directly for agreed expenses (in these instances, please get in touch at studentengagement@stmarys.ac.uk to ensure expenses are agreed prior to purchase). Retrospective payments are only considered in exceptional categories.
See our full list of FAQs below the Commuter Fund and Graduation Fund sections:
WP Student Engagement Commuter Fund
Since 2025, we have introduced the Commuter Fund wing of the WP Student Engagement Fund. This means that in exceptional circumstances, the SEF is now providing one-off support towards travel costs for students of up to £175. In order to apply for this, fill in the SEF application form as usual, but when you are asked on Page 4 whether you are applying for (i) "general support from the WP Student Engagement Fund", or (ii) "support for some travel costs in exceptional circumstances", please select the second option.
You will need to include a Personal Statement as usual, as well as a clear breakdown of the costs you need (e.g. £50 travel card to X on Y dates).
If your application is successful, the team will contact you either to arrange purchase of your travel costs on your behalf (e.g. buying a travel card/specific tickets), or we will arrange a SUNDRY form to reimburse you. If you are being reimbursed, this needs to be agreed in advance of the purchase you make and you will need to provide full receipts.
WP Student Engagement Graduate Support Fund
While we know that graduation is of course exciting, we are also aware that for some students, the costs involved create barriers to their attendance. In order to ensure that all students have the opportunity to attend their own graduation, we work with Registry and Ede & Ravenscroft to provide financial support to cover gown rental and guest ticket charges. Students applying to the fund can apply for one of two packages:
- Gown hire and 2 x guest tickets
OR
- Gown hire and 1 x essential photography package
We proactively contact students our records show may be most likely to benefit, but all undergraduate home students can apply for the fund. Successful applicants will be given a unique code they can enter on the Ede & Ravenscroft website in order to ensure the costs associated with their chosen package become free to them.
Apply to the WP Student Engagement Graduate Support Fund for Summer Graduation 2025
FAQs about our funds:
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How long does it take to complete the fund?
The form should take around 10-15 minutes to complete.
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I’m struggling to read the form - is there an accessible version of it?
Yes – if you require the form in a different format, or help completing the form, you can contact studentengagement@stmarys.ac.uk.
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When will I find out if my application is successful?
Applications are reviewed on a fortnightly basis, so you should always hear back from us within two weeks of submitting your application.
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Will I find out if my application is unsuccessful?
Yes. You will be contacted whether your application is successful or not. If it is unsuccessful, we will provide advice and signposting where relevant, and if it is successful, we will send through instructions on the next steps.
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Can I be reimbursed for a cost I have already incurred?
With the general SEF, no; with the WP Student Engagement Commuter Fund, this is possible, as long as the amount and dates of travel have been agreed and approved in advance.
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If I am reimbursed, how long will it take for this to reach my bank account?
Finance warns it can take up to 4 working weeks.
- Can I apply to the SEF more than once?
Yes, you can apply as many times as you like. Please note, however, if we receive a large volume of applications, we will give priority to students who have not received the fund previously.
- Can I apply to the SEF if I am an international student?
Unfortunately, the SEF is primarily for home students, however in rare instances we do make exceptions.
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Can I talk directly with the team if I am struggling with the form, process, or just have general questions?
Yes, absolutely! You can book an appointment with one of the team by emailing studentengagement@stmarys.ac.uk.
Apply to the WP Student Engagement Fund
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