Student Hardship Assistance (SHA)

Student Hardship Assistance (SHA)

Student Hardship Assistance (SHA) provides one-off financial support to eligible students experiencing unexpected financial hardship that is affecting their ability to continue their studies.

What is a Student Hardship Assistance Grant? 

The grant is intended to support urgent, short-term needs, such as: 

  • Food and essential daily living expenses 
  • Rent or temporary accommodation-related costs 
  • Essential travel or transport costs 
  • Medical expenses 
  • Essential study-related costs, such as urgent laptop repair or replacement 

SHA is not intended to support ongoing or long-term financial difficulty. 

Who is eligible? 

You may be eligible if you meet all of the following criteria: 

  • You are currently enrolled in an RMIT award program. Students in single course, short courses, exchange programs, English programs, Foundation Studies and UniSTART are not eligible. 
  • You are not currently being considered for exclusion from the University due to unsatisfactory academic progress. 
  • You have completed at least one semester at RMIT 
  • You are experiencing unexpected, short-term financial hardship, for example: 
    • Unexpected medical expenses 
    • Recent loss of income or employment 
    • Sudden changes in family or living circumstances (e.g. relationship breakdown, need to relocate) 
    • Unexpected failure of essential study equipment (e.g. laptop) 
    • Natural disasters (e.g. flood, fire) 
    • Your situation is affecting your ability to study 
  • You can provide supporting documents to demonstrate your circumstances 
  • You have paid your tuition fees or have an approved tuition fee extension, where applicable. SHA is designed to support essential living and study-related needs rather than tuition fees. 

SHA is available to both domestic and international students. 

Important information 

You are expected to have explored other available financial support options before applying (e.g. support from family/friends, scholarships, tuition fee extensions, or adjustments to your study load). 

SHA is limited and discretionary funding. Applications are considered in the order they are received. The fund is intended to support students throughout the year; however, it is limited and may be fully allocated before the end of the year. If the fund is fully allocated, applications will close and this webpage will be updated to reflect the status. Students can still speak to Student Connect to explore other options. 

Applications that are missing required supporting documents may be returned for further information, or declined if the required documents are not provided within the requested timeframe. 

All information submitted as part of your application must be true, accurate, and complete. If it is later identified that false, misleading, or incomplete information was provided, the University may require the grant to be repaid in full. The matter may also be referred to Student Conduct in accordance with University policies. 

Students may apply for SHA more than once during their studies if they experience a new or different hardship circumstance. Each application will be assessed independently, and previous approval does not guarantee future approval. 

What support can I receive? 

  • The maximum Student Hardship Assistance grant is VND 11,000,000. This is the net amount you will receive if your application is approved for the maximum level of support. 
  • A 10% Personal Income Tax (PIT) deduction may be applied in accordance with Vietnamese tax requirements. Where applicable, RMIT will process the PIT amount as part of the total grant arrangement, so the approved net amount paid to you will not be reduced. 
  • Example: If your application is approved for the maximum grant, you will receive VND 11,000,000. The applicable 10% PIT will be calculated within the total grant amount of VND 12,100,000.
  • Payment is made by bank transfer and in VND only. 

Please note that receiving a grant does not replace your responsibility to pay tuition fees or other university charges. 

How to apply 

Expand all sections

Submit an enquiry via the Student Connect Online Portal. 

A Student Connect staff member will: 

  • Review your situation 
  • Advise whether you meet eligibility criteria 
  • Provide the application form and guidance 
Submit your enquiry

You will need to provide: 

  • A completed application form 
  • Details of your financial situation, including your income, expenses, and spending over at least the past three months 
  • Supporting documents related to your situation, for example: 
    • Proof of financial situation  
      • Bank statements of all your bank accounts (last 3 months, PDF format). Bank statements in excel or csv format are not accepted. 
      • Termination of employment certificate 
      • Recent pay slips (showing reduced income)  
      • Debt statements (e.g., bank loans, credit repayments)   
      • Relevant tax documents  
    • Proof of expenses  
      • Medical bills or invoices 
      • Rent contract  
      • Utility bills, such as electricity, water, gas or internet bills 
      • Proof of financial dependants (e.g., birth certificates)  
      • Laptop repair quote 
    • A written explanation of your circumstances, including: 
      • The reason you require financial assistance 
      • How your situation is impacting your ability to continue your studies  
      • Justification that your situation is temporary and that this support will help you continue your studies. 
  • Under 18 students need to provide a parent/guardian consent form for application and payment. 

Applications without supporting documents will not be assessed. 

Please submit only one application for the same hardship circumstance. 

If you need to provide additional documents or update your application after submission, please contact Student Connect rather than submitting a new application. 

What happens next? 

If your application is incomplete 

You may be asked to provide additional documents within 5 working days. If the requested documents are not provided within this timeframe, your application may be declined or closed. 

If your application is complete 

It will be assessed by a panel based on your financial situation (including recent income and expenses), the reason for your request, and the impact on your studies. Each application is assessed individually, and outcomes may vary depending on circumstances and evidence provided. 

When will I receive an outcome? 

Outcomes are typically provided within 5 working days (from when a complete application and all supporting documents are received). 

For more complex cases, additional time may be required. You will be informed if there is a delay. 

If your application is approved 

You will receive confirmation of the approved amount. The approved amount may differ from your request, based on the University’s assessment of your financial need and the available funding. 

You will need to provide your bank account for payment. Payment is expected to be processed within 10 working days after all required payment information has been received  

If your application is not successful 

You will receive an explanation of the decision 

You may choose to: 

  • Contact Student Connect to explore other available support options 
  • Request a review within 10 working days of receiving the outcome. The review decision will be the final decision for that application. 

Need help?

If you are unsure about your eligibility or what documents to provide, you can submit an enquiry via the Student Connect Online Portal 

Student Connect can: 

  • Help you understand your options 
  • Guide you through the application process 
  • Recommend alternative support if needed 
Student Connect Online Portal

Scam alert

RMIT will only contact students through official RMIT channels, such as your RMIT student email or official RMIT phone numbers. Please be cautious of unexpected calls, messages or emails asking for money, personal details, passwords or bank information. If you are unsure whether a contact is genuine, do not respond or make payment. Contact Student Connect directly to verify. 

You may also be interested in