Project Description
The BSTF Access Fund
We understand how inflationary cost-of-living pressures are impacting student-athletes, often unevenly, across the country. To assist those student-athletes who are facing the most acute financial challenges we have introduced a new means tested Access Fund, which provides free BSTF membership to applicants who meet the fund criteria.
If you meet the fund criteria and your application is successful a payment will be made to your account equal to the value of your existing student-athlete membership pass for this academic year.
To apply you must:
- Provide documentation showing that you are already be in receipt of an access fund/ financial aid fund/ loan extension etc., from your institution
- Provide documentation showing that you are currently overdrawn on your bank account (or evidence your bank turned down your application for an overdraft facility).
If you think you are eligible, or that you might possibly be eligible, then please do not hesitate to apply for the fund using the application form.
Email us via office@bstf.org.uk with your full name and BSTF ID code, and attach items 1 & 2 listed above if you wish to apply.
We will do our utmost to help our student-athlete members in financial distress to continue accessing the university sport they love. The total amount of funding available for direct financial support like this – as we currently receive no dedicated Sports Council/ government funding for such schemes – is very limited. Until now, our charity’s financial plans have been tailored to minimise participation fees while balancing revenue and expenditure each year. While resources are limited, we project that we will be able to assist ~5% of our student-athletes in this way. Since resources are limited, we aim to identify those student-athletes who have the most acute, immediate financial challenges, assisting them first. The total fund is set to a fixed maximum amount each term, with more funds being made available in the first term as this is when most new memberships/ renewals are registered. Funding is allocated according to need and new applications are grouped and periodically reviewed, approximately once a month.
The fund is available to student-athletes who have already purchased a BSTF membership pass directly this academic year; the Access Fund’s funding may only be transferred to the bank account with which each student-athlete first purchased a membership pass this academic year; you will not be eligible for consideration for the Access Fund if your membership pass was purchased via the Club Committee Portal/ Institution Administrator Portal bulk pass upgrade system; final decisions on fund recipients are made by the BSTF Board’s Access Fund sub-committee/ delegated members following your submission of the listed documentation (showing that you are already be in receipt of an access fund/ financial fund/ loan extension etc., from your institution and showing that you are currently overdrawn on your bank account); our terms and conditions are subject to change; you may only apply to the Access Fund by submitting the required documents and completing the application form in full; if your application is unsuccessful you may reapply the next term and for as many terms as the Access Fund is operating.
If you have any queries about the Access Fund please contact us.
