Money is a constant within all our lives and during your time at KMMS. National Student Money Week provides an opportunity to normalise conversations about money and provide opportunities for you to develop your financial wellbeing skills and access support and advice.  

The theme for 2026 is Future Ready: Money Skills for Success, which is all about helping students develop skills which last beyond university, such as planning ahead, decision making, prioritising and being scam aware, especially with the growth of AI. You can find out more information on Kent’s and CCCU’s pages, as well on the National Association of Student Money Advisers’ (NASMA’s) page (National Student Money Week is NASMA’s flagship campaign). 

Financial Support 

As a student at KMMS, there is a range of financial support that you can access. You can find out more information on the KMMS website. 

However, we have included a few options below, which you might consider beneficial: 

• Kent offer the Access to Learning Fund to help support students who are experiencing financial hardship. If you are successfully awarded the ALF, you may be eligible for the Dean’s Fund, which is an additional fund for KMMS students to recognise the additional demands of the course. 

• Kent also offer an Emergency Student Loan to help support students in times of temporary financial difficulties, to cover their immediate essential living costs (i.e. not accommodation costs).  

• The Emergency Hardship Fund is also available to address financial situations due to exceptional/unforeseen circumstances.  

• The Campus Pantry is a scheme that provides short-term support to students in need of food.  

• When it comes to your Electives, there are multiple funding options available, including the Elective Hardship Fund (Dean’s Fund). 

There are also various external funding opportunities available to you: 

• The Royal Medical Benevolent Fund (RMBF) offer grants to assist with essential living expenses for those in their final two years of study.  

• The Leathersellers’ Undergraduate Student Grants aims to support care experienced (from anytime before the age of 18) students.  

Financial Tools 

There are also a range of tools available to you to help you become more financially confident: 

• KMMS provides a helpful guide for budgeting for your degree. 

• Kent offers students access to Blackbullion, which is a platform designed to provide financial education to students. 

• Kent Students’ Union’s Advice Service can help to provide free, impartial, and confidential advice and guidance relating to your financial concerns and support during your studies. 

Please also see some external options available to you: 

• The RMBF offer a range of financial advice and a budget planner, tailored for medical students. 

• Turn2us provides a Grants Search tool to help you find grants you may be eligible for. 

• Save The Student! has helpful guidance regarding money management, across a range of areas. 

Cost of Living 

The current cost of living is impacting us all, but especially students. However, both Kent and CCCU are offering a range of support. 

Some options available at Kent include: 

• Campus meal deals. 

• Travel discounts. 

• Part-time work. 

• Fixed on-campus accommodation prices. 

• Affordable gym access. 

• Free events. 

• Access to technology. 

• Free period products. 

Likewise, support available at CCCU includes: 

• UPay app and Helping Hand Menu. 

• Wellbeing events with free refreshments. 

• Canterbury Campus Pantry. 

• Daily free Breakfast Club. 

• Free hot drinks. 

• Part-time work. 

Access to technology 

As a new starter at KMMS, we expect students to have a readily available device to support their studies. However, we understand that for some students this may be difficult. If you are struggling to find your own equipment, then you can apply for an IT voucher which can be exchanged for a new tablet. If you are a first-year student, who started the course in September 2025, then you can still apply! As we have a few iPads remaining available this academic year. You can find out more information here. 

However, if you started the course at a different time and do not have your own device, then you can apply for a laptop through the IT Voucher Scheme. Unfortunately, applications are currently closed, but you can still contact the team if you need to borrow a device. 

Period Products 

Free period products are now available across the University of Kent’s campuses! Period products are not a luxury, so we want to make sure that these are accessible to our students, and that no barriers to this are created due to cost. 

Notable locations with period product dispensers for your information: 

• Sibson (closest to Pears) 

• Sports Centre (close to Pears) 

• Keynes College 

We also have some free period products available in the SLG room (next to reception in Pears). 

Graduate Students 

We recognise that some of our students at KMMS are graduates, previously completing a degree before joining KMMS, which can result in additional expenses.  

However, there are some external funding opportunities available specifically for these students: 

• The Professionals Aid Guild may be able to help students with small grants.  

• BMA Charities offers grants to graduate students, however applications are only open from November–January.  

• The Sir Richard Stapley Educational Trust offers grants intended to help cover educational and living costs, however applications are only open in January for a select 24-hour window.  

International Students 

KMMS are extremely proud to have a diverse student body but appreciate that the financial support options available to these students differs. 

We have included some options below, for you to explore: 

• Kent offer an Emergency Student Loan to help support students in times of temporary financial difficulties, to cover their immediate essential living costs (i.e. not accommodation costs).  

• The Emergency Hardship Fund is also available to address financial situations due to exceptional/unforeseen circumstances.  

• Kent also offer the International Hardship Fund to support Overseas students experiencing emergency financial situations. 

• The Campus Pantry is a scheme that provides short-term support to students in need of food.  

There are also various external funding opportunities available to you: 

• The RMBF offer grants to assist with essential living expenses for those in their final two years of study.  

There are also some external options for international graduates: 

• The Sir Richard Stapley Educational Trust offers grants intended to help cover educational and living costs, however applications are only open in January for a select 24-hour window.  

Unfortunately, international students are not able to apply for a grant from BMA Charities, however they provide a list of alternative funding sources for graduates which may be available to you.  

Money can be an uncomfortable topic to discuss, but it is an important one. If you ever have any financial concerns during your time at KMMS, then do not hesitate to contact us, as we are here to help.