UEL Travel Support Fund

Get help with your travel costs when you visit UEL

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Get help with your travel costs when you visit UEL

UEL Travel Support Fund

We know that travel costs can make it harder to attend on-campus events. To help remove this barrier, eligible prospective UK students attending selected UEL recruitment events may be able to claim reimbursement for public transport travel.

Who can apply

You may be eligible if you are:

  • A prospective UK student
  • Attending an eligible on-campus UEL recruitment or engagement event

Eligible events

  • Saturday 14 March 2026
  • Wednesday 22 April 2026
  • Saturday 20 June 2026

Travel reimbursement is available for the attendee only. Unfortunately, we can’t cover travel costs for friends, family members or guests.

What travel is covered

We can reimburse the cost of eligible public transport travel, including:

  • Bus
  • Tube
  • Overground
  • Elizabeth line (non-airport journeys only)
  • Train or coach services (non-airport)

Reimbursement is based on the actual cost of your journey, supported by evidence.

How much can you claim

  • Bus-only travel is reimbursed up to TfL’s daily bus cap
  • Up to £30 for journeys within London/within M25 boundary (eligibility and caps apply)
  • Up to £50 for travel outside the M25 boundary (eligibility and caps apply)
  • Claims are reviewed to ensure costs are reasonable and proportionate

Eligibility criteria and caps apply.

What’s not covered

We’re unable to reimburse:

  • Taxi or ride-hailing services (including Uber or Bolt)
  • Mileage, fuel or parking costs
  • Travel to or from any airport
  • Season tickets or travel passes
  • Travel not taken specifically to attend the event

How to claim

  1. Attend an eligible on-campus event
  2. Keep your travel tickets, booking confirmation or journey history
  3. Following your attendance, you will receive a confirmation email containing a link to the claim form. Please submit your claim within 14 days of the event.
  4. Send your proof of payment for your travel to travelsupport@uel.ac.uk
  5. Approved claims will be processed within up to four weeks
  6. Only one claim per student, per event is permitted.
  7. Reimbursement is subject to confirmed event attendance and evidence checks

Important information

  • Claims submitted late or without the required evidence may be reduced or declined
  • Reimbursement is not guaranteed and is subject to eligibility checks
  • Full terms and guidance will be provided as part of the claim process

Need more information?

If you’re eligible, you’ll receive details on how to submit a claim after attending your event.

If you have further questions, contact us at travelsupport@uel.ac.uk. 

Terms and Conditions

These Terms & Conditions explain how the University of East London (UEL) Travel Support Fund works for prospective students. Please read them carefully before submitting a claim. 

1. What is the Travel Support Fund?

The Travel Support Fund helps reduce the cost of travelling to UEL on-campus open days and recruitment events. The aim is to support prospective students who may otherwise find travel costs a barrier to attending.

2. Who can claim?

  • You may be eligible to claim if you:
  • Are a UK Home prospective student
  • Are classified as a Home student for fee purposes
  • Have registered for and attended an eligible UEL on-campus open day or recruitment event
  • Submit one claim only per attendee for each eligible event

Eligible events under the Travel Support Fund are limited to the following UEL on-campus recruitment activities:

  • Thursday 26 February 2026 – Open Evening
  • Saturday 14 March 2026 – Offer Holder Day
  • Wednesday 22 April 2026 – Offer Holder Evening
  • Saturday 20 June 2026 – Open Day

Attendance at events outside of those listed above shall not be eligible for reimbursement under this Fund.

The fund is available to UK Home students only. It does not cover friends, family members, or other guests attending the event with you.

3. What travel is covered?

You can claim for public transport used to travel to and from an eligible UEL event, including:

  • Bus
  • Train
  • London Underground
  • London Overground
  • Coach

All journeys must take place within the UK and be made specifically to attend the event.

4. What travel is not covered?

The following are not eligible for reimbursement:

  • Car mileage or private vehicle use
  • Taxi, Uber, or similar private hire services
  • Travel to or from any airport
  • Season tickets or travel passes (weekly, monthly, termly, or annual)
  • Travel not related to attending the event

5. How much can I be reimbursed?

Reimbursement is based on the actual cost of your journey, up to the limits below. You must provide valid proof of payment.

  • Bus-only journeys: Up to the TfL daily bus cap (£5.25)
  • Travel within the M25 boundary (using public transport other than bus-only): Up to £30
  • Travel from outside the M25 boundary: Up to £50

UEL will review all claims and evidence before confirming the final reimbursement amount.

6. How and when do I submit my claim?

You must:

  • Complete the Travel Support Fund claim form, and
  • Provide proof of payment for your travel (such as tickets, receipts, or payment screenshots)

Both the claim form and your travel evidence must be submitted within 14 days of the event date.

Due to system limitations, travel evidence must be sent by email after you submit the form.

If we do not receive your evidence within 14 days of the event, we will send one reminder. You will then have 2 additional days to provide the evidence. If we do not receive it within this time, your claim will no longer be valid.

Submitting your claim form on the final eligible date does not extend the evidence deadline.

7. When will I receive my payment?

Once your claim and evidence have been checked and approved, payment will be processed. Please allow up to four weeks from approval for your reimbursement to be paid.

Payments are facilitated by Aspire (operated by JS Group) on behalf of the University of East London. Aspire manages the payment process only and does not assess eligibility or decide reimbursement amounts.

8. Important information

  • Submitting a claim does not guarantee reimbursement
  • All information provided must be accurate and truthful
  • UEL may refuse or recover payments if a claim is found to be incorrect or misleading
  • The Travel Support Fund may be amended or withdrawn at any time

If you have any questions about the Travel Support Fund, please contact the UEL events team using the details provided on the claim form.