Financial Support from University College Birmingham
At University College Birmingham we aim to support our students to develop, achieve and reach their potential. The Kick-Start Scheme provides students targeted financial support to spend on educational resources and a range of products and services to compliment your studies and enhance your student experience.
New UK students starting a full-time undergraduate course may be eligible to receive financial support worth up to £800 in each year of study which does not need to be paid back. Funds are provided as a credit which can be spent on the Kick-Start website to purchase course-related materials and range of products to support your studies. Some of your funds can also be used on campus at our cafeterias and selected other outlets.
Some students may also qualify for an electronic tablet or laptop via the scheme to help access their studies and support learning. Further information about this can be found here.
FAQs for new students
How do I apply?
All eligible students will automatically receive their Kick-Start credit once the enrolment process is fully completed. The earliest date that funds will become available is Monday 5th September 2022.
Once funds have been credited, you will receive an email to your UCB student email account confirming your award and providing the information you’ll need to access the online store.
When will I get my funds?
Funds are released once the enrolment process has been fully completed. For new students joining us in September 2022 this will be no earlier than Monday 5th September 2022.
When can I collect my Kick-Start card?
Your personalised Kick-Start card will be available for collection from Monday 19th September 2022. We will contact all new students by email to confirm the collection location and opening hours closer to the time. Cards will only be issued to students who have fully completed the enrolment process.
How can I contact the Kick-Start team?
If you have a question about eligibility or funding please email kickstart@ucb.ac.uk
If your query is about our online store, our products or a technical issue with your account please email customer.service@ucb-kickstart.co.uk
When contacting us by email please include your UCB student ID number to allow us to help us to process your enquiry efficiently. You can also drop in to see us within Student Services on the ground floor, The Link building.
FAQs for returning students
When will I get my funds?
Continuing students will receive their Kick-Start funds from Monday 26th September onwards. Funds will only be released once your attendance has been confirmed for the new academic year.
If you haven’t already been issued with a Kick-Start card you’ll be able to collect yours from Monday 19th September 2022 onwards.
When can I collect my Kick-Start card?
If you haven’t already been issued with a Kick Start card you’ll be able to collect yours from Monday 21st September 2021 onwards.
Eligibility
Who is eligible for ‘The Kick-Start Scheme’ funds? Who is eligible for ‘The Kick-Start Scheme’ funds?
You must meet all of the following criteria to be eligible:
- You must be considered a new student studying a full-time, undergraduate course, which starts in September 2018 or after.
- You must have a student status of Home or Channel Isles (i.e. not be considered an International student).
- You must be paying fees at the maximum (£9,250) rate.
I have previously withdrawn from study, am I eligible?
When you withdraw from study any Kick-Start funds remaining will be frozen. If you then enrol on a course of the same level you will not receive additional funds but we will make any previous balance available to you. You will then receive your next award when you progress into the next year of your course.
What happens if I change my course?
You can only receive one award per year of study. If you change your course but remain at the same level of study you will not receive a further award in that year but will receive an award in each progressive year of study.
How often will I receive funds?
You will receive funds for each taught year of your course, where you meet the eligibility criteria.
You will only receive funds once for each taught year of your course. For example, if you defer study having already received your entitled funds for that year of the course, when you resume on that same year and course you will not receive any additional funds. When you progress to the next year of the course, you will then be eligible for the next year’s funds.
I am repeating study – am I eligible?
I am on placement – am I eligible?
Students who are on placement do not pay a tuition fee for the period they are on placement and therefore you will not be eligible. However, any credit you have remaining on your Kick-Start account from your previous year(s) can be continued to be used whilst you are on placement.
If your year includes a half year placement, then you will be entitled to half of the funds for that course year (i.e. £150, with the potential of a further £250 subject to meeting the additional payment criteria).
I am not in attendance because I am resitting – am I eligible?
I am topping up from an FdA/FdSc to a BA/BSc(Hons) course – am I eligible?
I meet the eligibility criteria but I have been given a fee discount – am I still eligible?
Funds
How much do I get?
I’m on placement for half my course year – how much do I get?
When do I get my funds?
Your £300 credit on your Kick-Start account will be available within 30minutes of you completing your enrolment in full (i.e. both Enrolment Part 1 and Enrolment Part 2).
If you are entitled to the additional £500 credit (refer to question ' How much do I get?') you will receive this within four weeks of the start of teaching in semester 2.
Once your funds have been released you will be emailed to your University College Birmingham email account (yourstudentid@student.ucb.ac.uk). You can access the Kick-Start website using your UCB email address and your UCB password. Once you have logged in you can start purchasing items straightaway from the Kick-Start website.
Is it a loan? Do I have to pay it back?
What happens to my credit if I don’t spend it?
How do I know how much I have remaining on my Kick-Start account?
Can I, or friends and family add funds to my Kick-Start account?
If I withdraw from the University do I need to pay back the Kick-Start funds I’ve spent?
If I defer from my course what happens to my Kick-Start account? If I defer from my course what happens to my Kick-Start account?
Your Kick-Start account will be suspended from when your deferral is processed until you resume study. This means you will not be able to use any of your Kick-Start funds during your period of deferral, but any unspent funds will remain there ready for when you return to study.
Please note you will only receive funds once for each taught year of your course. For example, if you defer study having already received your entitled funds for that year of the course, when you resume on that same year and course you will not receive any additional funds. When you progress to the next year of the course, you will then be eligible for the next year’s funds.
What happens if I have received an overpayment?
I think I’m entitled to the additional funds at the start of Semester 2 but I haven’t received them, what should I do? I think I’m entitled to the additional funds at the start of Semester 2 but I haven’t received them, what should I do?
You will need to check with Student Finance if your application has been ‘income-assessed’ and, if so, whether the household income figure reported is below £25,000. You will also need to ensure that you and all the people who have supported your application (i.e. parent(s) or partner) have given consent for the University to see this information.
Once you have checked the above please visit our Kick-Start team in Student Services who will check your eligibility for an additional award.
Please note that for students enrolled on a September start course your income assessment must be completed by Student Finance no later than 30th June each year. For January starters awards this must be completed by 30th November of each year. After these dates, no additional awards for that particular year will be issued.
How can I spend my funds?
You can spend your funds on the following:
- On the Kick-Start website run by our partner organisation John Smith’s - take a look to see what you can purchase!
- At the Student Guild:
- Society Membership fees
- University College Birmingham branded clothing
- Towards optional trips (pay at the First Floor Finance Office, The Link)
- In the cafés at Summer Row and McIntyre House
Is there a limit as to how I can spend my funds?
What if I want to buy something that costs more than I have funds for on my Kick-Start account?
This isn’t a problem. You can use what funds you have available from your Kick-Start account and pay for the outstanding amount via credit/debit card. If you have no funds remaining on your Kick-Start account you can simply purchase items using your credit/debit card.
Account / Card
I have forgotten my PIN, how do I reset it?
I have forgotten my Kick-Start account password, how do I reset it?
Can I return items purchased on the Kick-Start website?
The item I ordered on the Kick-Start website has arrived damaged / faulty / incorrectly supplied. What should I do?
An order hasn’t arrived, despite my Kick-Start account showing the order was dispatched more than 48 hours ago.
Getting your Kick-Start Card
How do I get my Kick-Start Card?
We expect to issue Kick-Start cards from the beginning of the first semester of 2022-23.
Once your Kick-Start card is issued, you will be able to use some of your funds on campus at:
- 5th-floor cafe at Summer Row
- Ground floor café at McIntyre House
- Cash Office, first floor, The Link
- The Gym, Moss House
Other queries
If you have a query about your Kick-Start account that isn’t answered here please email kickstart@ucb.ac.uk with your query. Our team will then either assist you with your enquiry about The Kick-Start Scheme or direct you to someone who can help.
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