BU Covid-19 Impact Support Fund

This fund is to support BU students who are being financially impacted by the coronavirus pandemic and who have lost income due to Covid-19. Any student enrolled at BU can apply for this fund however to qualify you must either show evidence that you have had to self-isolate* or lost your job as a result of the pandemic since 20 September 2021 and provide evidence that this has affected you financially. If you are successful, you will receive a one-time payment of £200. This funding is limited and therefore awards are not guaranteed even to those that meet the criteria.  

*this self-isolation must be because of a positive Covid test or because you have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive. 

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BU Financial Support Fund

We all experience financial difficulties at some point in our lives and the BU Financial Support Fund is designed to help you should you experience them during your degree. This is non-repayable and can help with living costs as well as academic ones such as childcare, travel, accommodation, course books and equipment. The amount awarded depends on your circumstances. To apply contact AskBU for the details of how. Please note that EU, Channel Islands, Isle of Man and international students cannot apply for this fund. 

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BU Laptop Support Fund

The BU Laptop Support Fund is designed to support students who do not have access to their own laptop. To be eligible you must: 

• Be classed as a 'home' student for fee purposes 

• Have a household income of £16,000 or below, (undergraduate students only) as determined by your funding provider (SFE, SFW, SFNI, SAAS) 

• Be fully enrolled on a BU course 

• Be without a working laptop/computer for study purposes 

• Be able to confirm that you do not have the funds to buy a laptop 

Successful applicants will receive a £250 voucher to use with BU’s IT supplier, Getech. The fund is limited and awarded on a first come first serve basis. 

Find out how to apply here

Placement Opportunity Fund

Taking on a work placement as part of your studies can be a great way to get real world experience while still at university but it can be costly. The Placement Opportunity Fund is to help eligible students with these additional costs such as travel and clothing for interviews, essential uniforms and tools, DBS checks and visas.  

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Small Emergency Grant

This Grant provides short-term assistance for students who have no or very little funds available to them. Usually paid in denominations of £20, the grant is often paid in supermarket vouchers. Your request will only be considered if you are enrolled on a BU course and are able to show that you have very little or no funds remaining. Application forms can be obtained for SUBU Advice. You are not required to pay this grant back but if you have the ability to do so later it will mean that BU can assist other students in the same way. 

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NHS Learning Support Fund

If you are a student on an NHS course you may be eligible for additional support from the NHS via their Learning Support Fund. This money can help with childcare, travel and dual accommodation expenses for placements in addition to books and equipment and is available to students studying Midwifery, Nursing (adult, child and mental health), Occupational Therapy, Operating Department Practice or Physiotherapy. The fund includes a Training Grant, a Parental Support Fund, Travel and Dual Accommodation Expenses Fund and Exceptional Support Fund. 

You can find more information here

Adult Dependants’ Grant

This grant is for full-time higher education students who have an adult that depends on them financially. The maximum grant for the 21/22 academic year is £3,190, does not have to be paid back and is on top of your other student finance. It is based on a number of criteria and is [aid in three instalments across the academic year. 

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Additional Learning Support Team

If you have a disability, medical condition, mental health issue or temporary injury, then the ALS team are designed to support you throughout your studies. They can help arrange exam adjustments, arrange screenings for dyslexia, dyspraxia and ADD, help with Disabled Students’ Allowance applications and provide support to ensure you are not disadvantaged during your studies. You can find the in DLG17 in the Sir Michael Cobham Library on Talbot Campus (9am-4pm (Mon-Tues & Thurs-Fri), 9am-12pm (Wed)) or email them on als@bournemouth.ac.uk 

PAL Leaders

PAL or Peer-Assisted Learning is a scheme where trained second year students (PAL Leaders) who are on the same course as you provide support during your first year of studying. As a fellow student your PAL Leader will directly understand your experiences as a first year, especially when it comes to specific course content and teaching. PAL sessions are timetabled into your studies and can be a useful space for discussion and learning from someone else’s experiences. 

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Student Reps

The Student Rep programme run by SUBU is a hugely important programme for getting student voices heard at BU. Reps will collect feedback from their fellow students, present it at relevant meetings with SUBU and BU and report back to students what was discussed in relation to their feedback. In addition to Student Reps, SUBU also has a team of Department Reps and Faculty Reps tio ensure that students’ feedback is heard at every level of the university. 

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Academic Advisors

As well as being able to go to your lecturers for academic support you will also be assigned an Academic Advisor towards the start of the academic year. This advisor will be a lecturer from within your course who you can talk to should you have any issues with your academic work. 

Library Support Team

The university libraries are great resources of information especially when doing assignments. It’s website is also helpful for information on various academic skills you may need during your time at BU including plagiarism, referencing and essay planning. As well as there being a general library support team, each faculty has a team of librarians who can assist you in finding the academic resources you might be looking for. As well as helping you find books or journals, the team can also help you book study areas for group work. To find the email for your faculty library team head here or pop into either the Sir Michael Cobham Library (Talbot Campus) or Weston Library (Lansdowne Campus) to have a chat with the library team in person.

Study Skills Workshops

Run by the Library team, Study Skills workshops are all about teaching you vital skills you will need during your studies from how to reference properly and avoid plagiarism to learning how to think critically or plan your essays - there are loads on offer. Sessions take place throughout the year and can all be found here.

Student Wellbeing Service

The Student Wellbeing service is a free confidential service for all BU students to contact when they are felling stressed, anxious or in a low mood. They offer a number of different services that might help: 

• Appointments – These are with the team’s trained Wellbeing Advisors and are for you to discuss anything surrounding your wellbeing from stress and anxiety to homesickness and eating difficulties 

• Drop-in Sessions – These drop-in sessions are currently online and run during term-time from Mondays to Fridays, 1-2pm. You’ll get to chat to a Wellbeing Advisor about whatever issues you are currently experiencing 

• Counselling – As well as appointments with the Wellbeing Advisors, the Student Wellbeing team can also organise for you to talk to a counsellor. The counselling will provide you with a space to talk and reflect on what is troubling you and, with help from your counsellor, find solutions. 

• Workshops – the Student Wellbeing team runs a number of workshops throughout the year on various wellbeing topics for example how to boost your mood, managing worry and anxiety, and relaxation 

Even if you aren’t sure if the service can help, they are more than happy to help you find the best support for your situation. You can self-refer using the online form found on the Student Wellbeing section of the BU website or email them with any questions or concerns you may have. 

Find out more and how to contact them here 

BU Faith & Reflection 

Whether you follow a faith or don’t, the Faith & Reflection centre is a welcoming sanctuary from the busy student life. The chaplaincy and faith advisor team are predominantly based in the Faith & Reflection centre on the first floor of Talbot House (the same building as the Student Medical Centre) and exist to listen to, support and encourage you in whichever way you need. Within the Faith & Reflection centre you can find a communal area, a quiet room for individual prayer, meditation or just sitting, an Islamic prayer room, a Kosher kitchen and an open kitchen for anyone in the centre to use. The team also runs some events throughout the year including celebrating faith-related festivals or holidays, helping facilitate acts of remembrance and vigils and events specifically for the international student community, such as the weekly Global Café, and postgraduate students, such as monthly PGR lunches. 

You can find the team in the Faith & Reflection centre on the first floor of Talbot House (where the medical centre is) between 8am and 6pm Monday to Friday or drop them an email at faithandreflection@bournemouth.ac.uk

SportBU

Getting exercise is a proven mood booster and can help lower stress levels so why not join SportBU? SportBU is the university’s centre for sports and fitness with various team sports, group classes and gym equipment to help you get moving. They also have fun activities for kids on Saturday mornings during term time and Holiday Camps during the holidays. You can join online or by talking to the SportBU team on campus (located next to the Student Centre). If you have any questions or want to see what facilities are on offer in person, then contact the team. 

Togetherall

Togetherall is an anonymous online mental health support service which is free for all BU students. This online community which is available 24 hours a day 365 days of the year, allows members to support each other while there are trained professionals monitoring activity to provide extra help and support where needed. They also provide a bank of useful information such as self-help programmes for anxiety, sleep, depression and more. You’ll need to register the first time you use the website but its quick and easy to do. 

Sign up now