Yes, you do need to apply for these awards.

Further information can be found here or you can contact the University at studentfunding@sussex.ac.uk.

These funds are "cash" funds. They are loaded to a personal Sussex Aspire account that is set up by the university for eligible students. These funds can be withdrawn using NatWest Payit.

There are several awards that can be accessed through the Sussex Aspire portal. Please see them below:

• Office for Students Fund
• Academic Award Fund
• Sussex Hardship Fund
• Welfare Loans

Sussex Aspire helps you make the very best of your time at University by improving access to the funds you need to support your studies.

Please see the expiry dates for the funds below:

Office for Students Fund: 29th of July

Academic Award Fund: 29th of July

Sussex Hardship Fund: 29th of July

Welfare Loans: Please check with the university.

Eligible students will automatically receive an email once the funds have been issued and your Sussex Aspire account is ready for you to log in.

Eligibility is assessed based on student needs.

You can find more information about the available awards by clicking here or you can contact studentfunding@sussex.ac.uk.

If you believe you are eligible to receive funds via Sussex Aspire please contact the university.

It may be that you have not completed enrolment, have outstanding debts or there may have been an delay with the data uploading. The university will be able to look into this and advise you correctly.

If you are eligible for funds through Sussex Aspire you do not need to register or create an account on the Sussex Aspire portal.

A personal account will be created for you automatically when your funds are awarded and an email with the details will be sent to you when the account is ready for you to log in.

If you are not eligible to receive funds through Sussex Aspire, you will need to register for an account to access the shop and the free resources on the Sussex Aspire portal.

If you need to update your 2FA (Two-Factor Authentication) mobile number please go to "My Account" and select "Edit My Details".

Enter the UK mobile number you want to use in the "2FA Cash Withdrawal Mobile Number" box, and click on "Update Details".

Please allow up to 5 minutes for the system to update before starting your cash withdrawal.

If you have already started withdrawing your cash funds before updating your number, this will automatically cancel any withdrawals that you have not completed.

Please allow up to 5 minutes for the system to update, before starting the withdrawal process again.

If you wish to delete your account, please contact us. Please note if you have an account balance, this will be removed, and any remaining funds or order details will no longer be accessible.

When you first logged into your account you were given the choice to opt in/out of marketing. If you wish to change your preferences, click on 'My Account' and 'Contact Preferences' from the drop-down menu. Make sure to save your changes.

To update personal details on your account, click on 'My Account' and then 'Edit My Details' from the drop-down menu. If you have other details you require to be updated please contact us.

Please double check you are entering the correct username and password. 

If you can't remember your password after your Sussex Aspire account has been set up:

- Go to the login area

- Click on 'Forgot Password' under the login section

- Enter your Sussex Aspire account email address in the box and press forgot password.

A secure email will then be sent to you with a password reset link.

If you are still having trouble accessing your account, please contact us.

If your account is showing as "not verified" please contact us and we will be happy to look into this for you.

If you are eligible for funds through Sussex Aspire, you will be sent an email with the log-in details once your personal Sussex Aspire account is ready for you to log in.

When you login for the first time you will be prompted to change your password to something more memorable and secure.

If you are not eligible for funds through Sussex Aspire, your login details will be the ones you used to set-up your own Sussex Aspire account.

Your account balance is displayed on the top right-hand corner of the page once you are logged in. You can check that your balance is correct by going to 'My Account' and clicking on 'Check My Balance' from the drop-down menu.

Once logged in, click on 'My Account' and then 'My Transactions' from the drop-down menu.

If you have been awarded funds, this page will show you when those funds were added to your Sussex Aspire account, and when any funds were spent, refunded or expired.

Some may not need to be paid back, but others like the Welfare Loan may need to be paid back.

Further information on the available bursaries can be found here or you can contact the university at studentfunding@sussex.ac.uk.

You can check the status of your withdrawal transaction on your Sussex Aspire portal by going to 'My Account' and selecting 'My Transactions' on the drop-down menu. 

Once you have found your current transaction you will be able to see the status of your transaction. Should there be any further action required, you will be instructed to click a link to continue the process. 

If you need further help with this, please contact us here.

If you need to update your 2FA (Two-Factor Authentication) mobile number please go to "My Account" and select "Edit My Details".

Enter the UK mobile number you want to use in the "2FA Cash Withdrawal Mobile Number" box, and click on "Update Details".

Please allow up to 5 minutes for the system to update before starting your cash withdrawal.

If you have already started withdrawing your cash funds before updating your number, this will automatically cancel any withdrawals that you have not completed.

Please allow up to 5 minutes for the system to update, before starting the withdrawal process again.

These funds are "cash" funds. They are loaded to a personal Sussex Aspire account that is set up by the university for eligible students. These funds can be withdrawn using NatWest Payit.

Cash awards can be withdrawn directly into your bank account using NatWest Payit.

For information on exactly how to withdraw, please see the video here: HOW TO WITHDRAW VIDEO

Please note: If you chose to enter your bank details manually rather than through your banking app, please triple check you enter your sort code and account number correctly, as mistakes can't be rectified once the transaction has completed.

The maximum limit is your available withdrawal balance, this is shown on your screen. The minimum value is £20, or if the balance is below £20 then the full value under £20 can be withdrawn.

You do need a UK based or GBP/Sterling(£) bank account to be able to withdraw your funds through Payit.

If you do not have a UK based bank account, the Payit service does allow GBP/Sterling(£) payments into neobank* accounts such as Monzo, Revolut and Wise where a GBP/Sterling(£) pot has been created in the account. This method has been used by other international students to successfully withdraw their funds.

If you do not have a UK based or GBP/Sterling(£) bank account, and do not want to set-up an account with a neobank please contact student services or the department that awarded your funds.

*Neobanks are online financial services that offer digital banking options and do not have a physical location. We cannot make any recommendation on which banks you should choose to use. Any queries about the services they offer should be directed to the individual companies.

You do need a UK Mobile number to be able to withdraw your funds.

If you do not have UK Mobile number, please contact student services or the department that awarded your funds.

Please ensure that you have good service, and that your 2FA mobile number is correct on your account*. This SMS code may take up to 15 minutes to arrive.

*If you notice that your 2FA mobile number is incorrect, you can update it by going to "My Account" and selecting "Edit My Details". Further information on this process can be found under question "How can I update my 2FA moblie number?"

Most UK banks are available on Payit and if you use mobile banking you can use this to pay your funds into your bank account.

However, if you cannot find your bank in the drop-down list, or you do not use mobile banking, click on 'Can't see your bank?' at the bottom of the page and simply enter your bank account number and sort-code.

Please note: If you chose to enter your bank details manually rather than through your banking app, please triple check you enter your sort code and account number correctly, as mistakes can't be rectified once the transaction has completed.

If your funds have disappeared from your account but haven't yet arrived in your bank account it is likely that you have not fully completed the withdrawal process.

You can check the status of your withdrawal by clicking on 'My Account', and selecting 'My Transactions' on the drop-down menu. 

If the transaction status shows as 'Click Here To Claim Your Funds ' you will need to continue the process to withdraw your funds into your bank account.

For a reminder on how to withdraw your funds please see the video here.

Once you have started the withdrawal process, your funds will disappear from your Sussex Aspire account while they wait to be deposited into your bank account.

If you do not complete all the steps in the withdrawal process, the transaction will time out and your funds will automatically be put back into your Sussex Aspire account after 7 days.

Please contact us and our team can unlock the transaction for you.

Once unlocked you will be able to continue withdrawing your funds by clicking on the 'Click Here To Claim Your Funds ' link under the 'My Transactions' section of your account.

This may have happened if the banking systems are experiencing technical difficulties.

You can continue the withdrawal process by following the below steps:

• Clearing the cookies on your web browser, and if you are using a mobile switch off and restart your phone.
• Click 'Start' on your Payit email or the 'Click Here To Claim Your Funds' link on the Sussex Aspire portal, found under 'My Account', 'My Transactions'.
• Once you get to the stage where you select your bank, continue scrolling to the bottom of the bank list and select 'Can't see your bank?'. Then enter your bank details manually.

If this does not work please take a screenshot/picture of the error message and contact us here.

Please allow up to 5 minutes for your withdrawal status to update to 'Click Here To Claim Your Funds'.

If you have not received your confirmation email and your Transaction Status has not updated to 'Click Here To Claim Your Funds' within 2 hours please contact us so we can look into this for you.

If you don't use your funds before they expire, any remaining balance will be removed and you will no longer be able to use those funds.

Please see the expiry dates for the funds below:

Office for Students Fund: 29th of July

Academic Award Fund: 29th of July

Sussex Hardship Fund: 29th of July

Welfare Loans: Please check with the university.

Eligible students will automatically receive an email once the funds have been issued and your Sussex Aspire account is ready for you to log in.

Your account balance is displayed on the top right-hand corner of the page once you are logged in. You can check that your balance is correct by going to 'My Account' and clicking on 'Check My Balance' from the drop-down menu.

Once logged in, click on 'My Account' and then 'My Transactions' from the drop-down menu.

If you have been awarded funds, this page will show you when those funds were added to your Sussex Aspire account, and when any funds were spent, refunded or expired.

Your transaction reference number was shown on screen when you started withdrawing your funds.

You can also find it by clicking on 'My Account' and selecting 'My Transactions' on the drop-down menu. 

If your withdrawable funds are showing a "£0.00" balance, but you have funds in your account, please contact us so that we can look into this for you.

There are a few reasons that funds may no longer be visible.

• Funds may have been spent or expired, or in some cases the amount awarded is adjusted or removed by the Institution. You can check for these changes by looking at your transaction history under 'My Transactions' on your Sussex Aspire account.
• If you have withdrawn, deferred, are currently on placement or redoing a module/year, your account may have been put on stop. This means the funds may not have been removed but access to them has. These changes don't always reflect under 'My Transactions'.

If you are still unclear on why your funds have disappeared, please contact us.

If you believe you are eligible to receive funds via Sussex Aspire please contact the university.

It may be that you have not completed enrolment, have outstanding debts or there may have been an delay with the data uploading. The university will be able to look into this and advise you correctly.