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.
For more information please read the FAQs below.
New students starting a full-time undergraduate or PGCE course from September 2018 may be eligible to receive financial support in the form of the ‘The Kick-Start Scheme’. Eligible students will receive credit of up to £800 in each year of study which does not need to be paid back. Funds can be spent on a dedicated website to purchase course-related materials or on selected items on campus.
The Kick-Start Scheme has been set up in partnership with the John Smith’s Group to help kick-start your studies and enable you to make the best of your time at University. The Scheme will help to improve access to the tools and resources you need to support your studies.
There is no application process, all eligible students will be able to collect their Kick-Start card as part of the enrolment process. Once you have enrolled and collected your card funds will be ready to spend immediately. Your account will come preloaded with £300, and if you are eligible to receive the additional £500 this will be loaded onto your account in the first few weeks of semester 2.
Some students will also be entitled to an electronic tablet, pre-loaded with relevant Apps, to assist you in your studies.
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 or PGCE course, which starts in September 2018 or after.
- You must have a student status of Home, EU or Channel Isles (i.e. not be considered an International student).
- You must be paying fees at the maximum (£9,250) rate.
Am I considered a new student?
You are a new student if you meet one of the following criteria:
- This is the first full-time undergraduate course you have started at University College Birmingham.
- You are starting a PGCE course after 1st September 2018.
- You have previously started an undergraduate course at University College Birmingham, from which you have been withdrawn.
Specific rules apply to students who have received Kick-Start funds in the past and then withdrawn from study. See question ‘I have previously withdrawn from study, am I eligible?’ for more information.
-
You have transferred from a part-time undergraduate course onto a full-time undergraduate course in September 2018 or after.
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?
I am a student who started my full-time Undergraduate course prior to September 2018 – why am I not 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 will also be sent a password to access the Kick-Start website. 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, Summer Row)
- Printing credits (can be purchased from the Resource Centre, Summer Row only)
- 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 Account / Funds
How do I get my Kick-Start Card?
Due to the need for social distancing and cashless payments on campus, Kick-Start cards will not be issued during the first semester of 2020/21. This will be reviewed closer to the start of second semester.
Once your Kick-Start card is issued you will be able to use some of your funds on campus at:
- 5th floor and 8th floor cafes at Summer Row
- ground floor café at McIntyre House
- at the Cash Office, first floor, The Link
- at the Resource Centre, lower ground floor, The Link
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.
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.
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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