Kent Emergency Student Loan (KESL)

Students can receive an emergency loan from the Financial Aid Office of up to a maximum of £240 after submitting a completed application. Students must agree a repayment date at the time of application.

Kent Emergency Student Loans (KESL) are available to all undergraduate and postgraduate, Home, EU or International, full time or part time students, who find themselves in temporary financial difficulties.  Applications can be made throughout the year but final year UG's will not receive payments past 13th April 2025.

The purpose of the loan is to aid students suffering financial difficulties who need help with their immediate essential living costs (i.e. not accommodation costs).

To be eligible you need to:

• be fully registered
• have already used all the funds available to you
• have already tried other sources of funding, e.g. parents or bank
• be able to repay the loan within three months
• have not already got any short term loans outstanding
• supply all necessary evidence

Are there any exemptions or things to be aware of when applying?

• Kent Emergency Student Loans are discretionary and not given on demand.
• They are loans granted when all other sources of funding have been exhausted. The University reserves the right to ask that a student exhausts all other reasonable avenues of funding before a KESL is issued.
• They are intended to cover essential expenses such as food, for a limited period of time, to allow time for your financial situation to improve.
• Students can have more than one KESL outstanding at any one time but the maximum amount cannot exceed £240 in total.
• KESLs are loans and must be repaid. If this debt, or any other, is still owed when you graduate then you may be prevented from attending your graduation ceremony, with your degree being conferred "in absentia"
• 1.5% interest will be charged to all KESLs not repaid by their agreed repayment date
• Kent Emergency Student Loans will not be available to final year students in the Summer Term.
• Students applying for a KESL to pay for a fine will also need to provide satisfactory evidence of this with their application. Fines imposed by the University cannot be considered for a KESL.

• Kent Emergency Student Loans are discretionary and not given on demand.
• They are loans granted when all other sources of funding have been exhausted. The University reserves the right to ask that a student exhausts all other reasonable avenues of funding before a KESL is issued.
• They are intended to cover essential expenses such as food, for a limited period of time, to allow time for your financial situation to improve.
• Students can have more than one KESL outstanding at any one time but the maximum amount cannot exceed £240 in total.
• KESLs are loans and must be repaid. If this debt, or any other, is still owed when you graduate then you may be prevented from attending your graduation ceremony, with your degree being conferred "in absentia"
• Kent Emergency Student Loans will not be available to final year students in the Summer Term.
• Students applying for a KESL to pay for a fine will also need to provide satisfactory evidence of this with their application. Fines imposed by the University cannot be considered for a KESL.

When and how will I find out if my application has been successful?

You will receive an email to confirm if your application has been successful. Turnaround for applications is usually no more than 24 hours as long as all relevant documentation has been supplied.

If an application is successful payment should be made within 4 working days.

Can I appeal if my KESL application is unsuccessful? 

Students who are unsuccessful in their application may appeal against the decision. Any appeal must be made in writing within 20 working days from the date of the original decision, marked confidential and addressed to: -

Odette Collard-Woolmer Student Financial Services Manager (KESL Appeals) The Registry, University of Kent, Canterbury, CT2 7NZ Please submit your appeal via email to FinancialAid@kent.ac.uk, stating ‘KESL Appeal’ in the subject box.