Turn2us Grants Search is not a scholarship in the usual sense. Nobody will pay your tuition because you scored well in your A levels. It is a free online search tool run by Turn2us, a national UK charity, that matches people who are struggling financially with charitable grants, utility company support schemes and other practical help. If you are a Pakistani student already living in the UK and your money has run thin, it is one of the more useful tools to know about. If you are still in Lahore or Karachi looking for funding to start a degree, this is the wrong place to look. You can see the full scholarship details on our listing page.
This guide explains what the search tool actually does, who it realistically helps, and how to use it without wasting your time.
A hardship search engine, not a study grant
Turn2us exists to help people in the UK make ends meet. Its Grants Search database lists not-for-profit organisations that give financial help to people facing hardship, either directly or indirectly. It also lists utility providers (water, gas and electricity companies) that run public support schemes, and these come with no commercial obligation for the person receiving help.
The key thing to understand is that Turn2us is mostly a directory. It points you to hundreds of separate grant-giving organisations, and each one has its own rules, its own deadlines and its own application process. Turn2us does run some funding of its own, such as the Turn2us Edinburgh Trust, but for most funds the search tool is the starting point and the charity you are matched with makes the decision.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Provider | Turn2us (Elizabeth Finn Care) |
| Funding | Full or partial, depending on the individual fund |
| Study level | Varies, confirm on the official site |
| Fields | Varies, confirm on the official site |
| Deadline | Varies by each charitable fund listed in the search |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Cost to use | Free |
| Official site | turn2us.org.uk |
What you can actually get through Turn2us
Because the tool connects you to many different funders, the help on offer is broad. Based on what Turn2us lists, you can expect:
- Access to a database of charitable grants from a range of UK organisations
- Cash grants and financial support through specific funds such as the Edinburgh Trust
- Support schemes from water, gas and electricity providers
- Free use of the Turn2us Benefits Calculator to check whether you are entitled to means-tested benefits
- Practical guidance and tools for building longer-term financial security
Turn2us also has a PIP Helper among its free tools. Do not expect a fixed package. There is no single amount, no stipend and no tuition waiver attached to the search itself. What you receive depends entirely on which fund you qualify for and what that fund gives out.
The Edinburgh Trust and its partner route
The Turn2us Edinburgh Trust has worked in Edinburgh since 2011 on financial insecurity in the city. Its programmes, including the Edinburgh Together initiative and the Thriving Futures Fund, combine cash grants with tools for building financial security over the long term, delivered through a network of local community partners.
The catch is how you apply. You cannot apply to the Edinburgh Trust directly. You need to be receiving support from one of its Community of Partners organisations, and the application goes through them. If you are studying in Edinburgh and struggling, your first step is finding and contacting one of those partner organisations, not filling in a form on your own.
Is a Pakistani student eligible?
Turn2us does not set a nationality rule on the search tool itself, and the information available does not say whether international students on a student visa are covered. The general requirements are:
- You must be facing financial hardship or struggling to make ends meet in the UK
- You must meet the specific eligibility criteria of the individual charity you pick
- For Edinburgh Trust grants, you must be receiving support from a Community of Partners organisation
- You must give accurate personal and financial information in the Grants Search questionnaire
That second point is where most international students will be filtered in or out. Each listed charity decides who it helps. Some funds may be open to anyone living in a particular area or working in a particular trade, while others may be limited to certain groups. Check eligibility for your nationality and visa status with each fund before you spend time on an application. The Benefits Calculator, in particular, checks entitlement to means-tested state benefits, and you should confirm carefully whether any benefit applies to your own immigration situation before making a claim.
Being in the UK is the baseline. The tool is built for people facing hardship there, so it will not help you fund a move from Pakistan.
Paperwork depends on the fund you choose
There is no fixed document list for the search. What you will need varies with the requirements of the grant-giving organisation you apply to. In practice, a charity assessing hardship will usually want to understand your income and spending, so keep your financial records organised and up to date. Our bank statement and proof of funds guide covers how to keep those records clean, which helps here too.
Read each fund's instructions before you gather anything. Sending a full pile of documents to a charity that only asked for a short form will not speed things up.
Using the Grants Search from start to finish
- Open the Grants Search tool on the Turn2us website.
- Answer the questionnaire about your situation, location and financial needs.
- Review the list of matching charitable funds and grants the tool produces.
- Pick a grant provider and follow its own application instructions, or apply through a partner organisation where the fund does not accept direct applications.
Turn2us suggests giving the questionnaire a full 10 minutes. That is good advice. The matching works off your answers, so rushing it or guessing at figures can hide funds you would actually qualify for. The questions are there so the system can match you on your situation, location and needs, and the more precise you are, the better the shortlist.
There is no single deadline here
Turn2us has no application window of its own. Every listed charity operates independently, so deadlines vary fund by fund, and opening dates also vary. Some funds may accept applications at any time and others may run in rounds. Confirm the current timing on the official site and on each fund's own page before you plan around it.
Because hardship rarely waits for a convenient date, it makes sense to run the search as soon as money becomes a problem, rather than after your rent is already overdue.
Where students go wrong with Turn2us
The biggest mistake is treating it like a scholarship portal. Turn2us is for people in financial difficulty. If you apply hoping to cover a tuition gap you knew about before you arrived, you are probably not the person these funds are built for, and you should be honest with yourself about that.
The second mistake is applying to everything on the results list without reading the rules. Each charity has its own criteria, and a rejected application costs you time when you have little to spare. Shortlist the two or three funds that clearly fit you and do those properly.
Third, students in Edinburgh often miss the partner requirement and try to approach the Edinburgh Trust directly. That will not work. Find a Community of Partners organisation first.
Finally, do not assume one tool solves everything. Use the Benefits Calculator alongside the Grants Search, check what your own university offers, and keep in mind that your visa was granted on the basis that you could support yourself. If you are preparing to go to the UK now, the scholarships guide for Pakistani students and the list of all United Kingdom scholarships are better places to look for study funding.
Frequently asked questions
What exactly is the Turn2us Grants Search?
It is an online tool from the charity Turn2us that helps people in financial hardship find charitable grants and support from various UK organisations. You answer questions about your situation and it shows matching funds.
Does it cost anything?
No. All Turn2us tools, including the Grants Search and the Benefits Calculator, are free to use.
Can I use it to pay for my degree before I travel from Pakistan?
It is not designed for that. The tool is for people struggling financially in the UK, and the funds it lists are hardship grants run by independent charities. Look at proper scholarships for study funding.
Can I apply directly to the Edinburgh Trust?
No. Edinburgh Trust grants have to go through one of its Community of Partners organisations, so you need to be receiving support from one of them first.
How much money can I get?
There is no set amount. Funding can be full or partial and depends on the individual fund you qualify for and apply to.
Can charities list their own funds?
Yes. Charitable organisations can register free of charge to list their funds and reach eligible recipients through the platform.
Before applying anywhere, run the search yourself on the official Turn2us website and read each fund's rules carefully. For a summary you can come back to, see the Turn2us Grants Search scholarship page.