Advisors meet with students either by appointment or by calling in at the drop-in service. The nearest base for LIPA students to meet with an advisor is at The Aldham Robarts Learning Resource Centre. The drop-in service is each Wednesday and Thursday from 11.00-16.00hrs.
Alternatively, students can:
- Call in at any time and make an appointment with an advisor at The Aldham Robarts Learning Resource Centre (appointments are available outside of the drop-in times above)
- Email for an appointment on studentadvice@ljmu.ac.uk
- Phone for an appointment on 0151 904 6056 or 0151 904 6057
Access to Learning Fund: extra help if you need it
LJMU also manage our Access to Learning Fund that can be used by UK students on HEFCE funded courses.
If you’re in hardship and need extra financial support it can be provided through the Access to Learning Fund. You can apply if you’re a full-time or part-time higher education student, but only if you are studying on an undergraduate course.
What can the Access to Learning Fund help with?
The Access to Learning Fund can provide extra help if you’re in hardship and need extra financial support. Your individual circumstances are considered, but you may, for example, be able to get help:
• for course or living costs that are not already covered by other forms of financial help - these could be everyday living costs, childcare costs or support over the summer vacation if you have no one else to turn to
• for emergency payments to cover unexpected financial crises or exceptional costs - such as repairs to essential household equipment • if you are thinking of giving up your course because of financial problems and need extra support to help you keep studying
Who can apply?
The Access to Learning Fund is available to:
- Full-time higher education students
- Part-time undergraduates can also qualify, as long as their course lasts at least one year, and takes no more than twice as long to complete as an equivalent full-time course
If you have a disability or specific learning difficulty that means it will take more than twice as long to complete your course than would be typical for an equivalent full-time course, you may still be able to apply for help from the fund.
How to apply
When you visit the LJMU Student Advice Department be ready to provide:
- a copy of the letter from Student Finance England showing how much you will get through the standard student finance package
- documents showing your financial situation, such as bank statements and details of rent.
Access to Learning Fund and other types of student finance
Money from the Access to Learning Fund is paid on top of the standard student finance package - it’s not meant as a substitute. However, this funding is discretionary: institutions make their own decisions about whether a student can claim and the amount they are awarded. You’ll be expected to have applied for any student loans, grants and bursaries you’re entitled to before applying for help from the Access to Learning Fund.
How universities and colleges pay out through the fund
All universities and colleges decide how money from the fund is paid out locally. They will look at your individual circumstances, usually assessing whether there is a shortfall between your income and your outgoings. The following groups are priorities for support:
- Students with children - especially lone parents
- Mature students - especially those with existing financial commitments
- Students from low-income families (as determined by institutions)
- Care leavers
- Students who are homeless or who are living in 'Foyers' (these provide accommodation, guidance and support for homeless young people)
- Final-year students
- Disabled students
How are payments from the fund made?
Money from the fund is usually paid out as a grant that you don’t have to pay back, but may also be paid as a loan. Your college or university will decide whether to pay you in a lump sum or in instalments. Any money you get through the Access to Learning Fund won’t usually be counted as income when working out your entitlement to benefits or tax credits, unless it is for day-to-day living costs.