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Help and Support


Help and Support

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Scheme - York St. John Aspire

Do I need to apply for the York St. John Aspire awards?

These awards are no longer available for new students.

If you were eligible you would've already received your funds.

How can I use my funds?

These funds are "credit" funds loaded on to a personal York St. John Aspire account that is set up by the University for eligible students.

These funds can be used as a payment method to purchase resources on the York St. John Aspire online shop.

Looking for more answers?

What can I spend my funds on?

What awards are available to access through the York St. John Aspire portal?

Currently there two awards that can be accessed through the York St John Aspire portal. These are the Aspire Credit and Widening Participation awards. These awards are no longer available for new students.

What is the York St. John Aspire scheme?

York St. John Aspire helps you make the very best of your time at University by improving access to the learning tools and supplies you need to support your studies.

Not only can you access and use your funds on the York St. John Aspire portal, but there is also access to free online resources that cover a wide range of topics like Study Skills, Money Matters, Wellbeing and Employability. 

When do my funds expire?

Your funds will rollover each year while you are at University and will expire on the 31st July at the end of your course in your final year of study, or if you leave the University.

When will I get my funds?

Aspire Credit:

Eligible students will be issued funds in September shortly after enrolment. No new students will be issued funds.

Widening Participation:

Eligible students will be issued funds in November. No new students will be issued funds.

Who are eligible for the York St. John Aspire awards?

Aspire Credit:

Full-time and part-time Undergraduate students whose course started in 2021 or before, were eligible for pro-rata funds (FT - £100 and PT - £50 per year of study).

Widening Participation:

In addition to the above criteria, UK students whose family income is £25,000 or below were given an additional bursary. (FT - £400 per year and PT - £200 per year).

These awards are no longer available for new students.

Why haven't I received any funds?

If you are on placement or are repeating a year or module then no funds will be issued until you have moved on to the next academic year.

If you believe you are eligible to receive funds via York St John Aspire please contact the Funding Advice team at fundingadvice@yorksj.ac.uk.

It may be that you have not completed enrolment, have outstanding debts or there may have been a delay with the data uploading. The University will be able to look into this and advise you correctly.

No new students will be awarded funds.

Account

Do I need to register for an account?

If you are eligible for funds through York St. John Aspire you do not need to register or create an account on the York St. John Aspire portal.

A personal account will be created for you automatically when your funds are awarded and an email with the details will be sent to you when the account is ready for you to log in.

If you are not eligible to receive funds through York St. John Aspire, you will need to register for an account to access the shop and the free resources on the York St. John Aspire portal.

How do I delete my account?

If you wish to delete your account please contact us.

Please note: Once deleted, any remaining funds and/or order details will no longer be accessible.

Looking for more answers?

How do I update my details on my account?

How do I opt in/out of marketing?

When you first logged into your account you were given the choice to opt in/out of marketing.

If you wish to change your preferences, go to 'My Account', 'Contact Preferences'. Please make sure to save your changes.

Looking for more answers?

Do you offer discount codes?

How do I update my details on my account?

To update your personal details, go to 'My Account', 'Edit My Details'.

If you have other details you require to be updated please contact us.

I can't access my account?

Please double check you are entering the correct username and password. 

If you can't remember your password after your York St. John Aspire account has been set up:

- Go to the login area

- Click on 'Forgot Password' under the login section

- Enter your York St. John Aspire account email address in the box and press forgot password.

A secure email will then be sent to you with a password reset link.

If you are still having trouble accessing your account, please contact us.

My account is not verified, what should I do?

If your account is showing as "not verified" please contact us and we will be happy to look into this for you.

What are my login details?

If you are eligible for funds through York St. John Aspire, you will be sent an email with the log-in details once your personal York St. John Aspire account is ready for you to log in.

When you login for the first time you will be prompted to change your password to something more memorable and secure.

If you are not eligible for funds through York St. John Aspire, your login details will be the ones you used to set-up your own York St. John Aspire account.

Where can I find my account balance?

Your account balance is displayed at the top-right of the page on desktop/laptop, and under the menu on mobile when you are logged in.

You can also check your balance by going to 'My Account', 'Check My Balance'.

Where can I find my order details?

Your orders can be found by going to "My Account", "View My Orders"

Click the "order reference number" for the order details and the status of the products under that order.

Where can I find my transaction history?

Once logged in, go to 'My Account', 'My Transactions'.

If you have been awarded funds, this page will show you when those funds were added to your York St. John Aspire account, spent, refunded or expired.

Funds

Are these funds a loan? Do I have to pay them back?

The funds currently available via York St. John Aspire are not loans and you do not have to pay them back. The funds are provided to you by the University to set you up to succeed and help with the extra costs associated with studying.

Can I top-up my account?

Your account can be "topped up" by yourself, family, or friends however you do not need to top-up the funds in your account to place an order.

When funds are added your account via top-up these funds can only be spent in the shop and can't be withdrawn or refunded.

To top-up your account, go to 'My Account', 'Top-Up'. You will need to enter your unique York St. John Aspire ID number.

This ID number can be found under "My Account", "Check My Balance".

Can the funds be taken away from me after they have awarded to my York St. John Aspire account?

Yes, the university can reclaim or restrict access to funds that they have issued. This may happen if:

  • funds were issued in error,
  • you are no longer eligible for the award due to a change of course,
  • you are suspended pending disciplinary action,
  • you interrupt or defer your studies,
  • you repeat a year or module,
  • you have gone on placement,
  • you have left university or graduated.

There may be other reasons not listed above.

How can I use my funds?

These funds are "credit" funds loaded on to a personal York St. John Aspire account that is set up by the University for eligible students.

These funds can be used as a payment method to purchase resources on the York St. John Aspire online shop.

Looking for more answers?

What can I spend my funds on?

What can I spend my funds on?

Your funds can be used to purchase anything on the York St John Aspire online shop, including but not limited to:

  • Art Equipment
  • Bags
  • Books and eBooks
  • Electronics (including computers, headphones and accessories)
  • Home & Kitchen Accessories
  • Nursing Equipment
  • Online Courses
  • Photography
  • Sports, Fitness & Cycling
  • Stationery
  • Vouchers

What happens if I don't use my funds?

If you don't use your funds before they expire, any remaining balance will be removed and you will no longer be able to use those funds.

When do my funds expire?

Your funds will rollover each year while you are at University and will expire on the 31st July at the end of your course in your final year of study, or if you leave the University.

When will I get my funds?

Aspire Credit:

Eligible students will be issued funds in September shortly after enrolment. No new students will be issued funds.

Widening Participation:

Eligible students will be issued funds in November. No new students will be issued funds.

Where can I find my account balance?

Your account balance is displayed at the top-right of the page on desktop/laptop, and under the menu on mobile when you are logged in.

You can also check your balance by going to 'My Account', 'Check My Balance'.

Where can I find my transaction history?

Once logged in, go to 'My Account', 'My Transactions'.

If you have been awarded funds, this page will show you when those funds were added to your York St. John Aspire account, spent, refunded or expired.

Why can't I use my funds on my order?

Please first check the answer to "What can I spend my funds on?" under the "My Funds" section, and the email that was sent to you when the funds were awarded for any restrictions on what your funds can be used for.

If you can't see any advised restrictions and you believe you should be able purchase the items in your basket with your funds please contact us.

Looking for more answers?

What can I spend my funds on?

Why have my funds disappeared?

There are a few reasons that funds may no longer be visible.

  • Funds may have been spent or expired, or in some cases the amount awarded is adjusted or removed by the Institution. You can check for these changes by looking at your transaction history under 'My Transactions' on your York St. John Aspire account.
  • If you have withdrawn, deferred, are currently on placement or redoing a module/year, your account may have been put on stop. This means the funds may not have been removed but access to them has. These changes don't always reflect under 'My Transactions'.

If you are still unclear on why your funds have disappeared, please contact us.

Why haven't I received any funds?

If you are on placement or are repeating a year or module then no funds will be issued until you have moved on to the next academic year.

If you believe you are eligible to receive funds via York St John Aspire please contact the Funding Advice team at fundingadvice@yorksj.ac.uk.

It may be that you have not completed enrolment, have outstanding debts or there may have been a delay with the data uploading. The University will be able to look into this and advise you correctly.

No new students will be awarded funds.

Orders

Can I cancel my order?

Most orders can't be cancelled. If you no longer want your order and it has not been dispatched, you can request a cancellation by visiting your order page and clicking 'Request Cancellation'. This does not guarantee that your order will be cancelled, but we will do our best.

Some items have restrictions:

  • Online courses - Please first check the product page in case there are any specific instructions.
  • eBooks - These are non-refundable as these are loaded and available to you immediately.
  • eVouchers - These are non-refundable as these are loaded and emailed to you immediately.

Can I cancel or exchange my online course?

You have 14 days from placing the order to request cancellation for the course providing the course has not been accessed.*

*Please note: Language courses cannot be refunded or exchanged once supplied.

We cannot exchange one course for another.

Can I change my delivery address?

A delivery address change is not usually possible once an order has been placed. We recommend that you double-check the delivery address before you place your order.

If you do need to change the delivery address, please contact us from your account email address with your order reference number and we will do our best to get that updated for you.

Can I get a refund for my Kortext eBook(s)?

We may be able to cancel and refund your order IF the content has not been accessed and you have contacted us within 14 days of the order.

If you have not accessed your Kortext eBook and want to cancel, please request cancellation through your order page.

Can I order a product that's not on the York St. John Aspire Portal?

York St. John Aspire online shop has millions of products available to order and our product ranges are regularly reviewed and updated. If the product you are interested in is not currently available we hope you can find a suitable alternative.

Apple Products: We try our best to get in new products from Apple, however the stock availability for these items can be delayed when first released.

Please continue to regularly check your York St. John Aspire portal for new products.

We welcome suggestions of products to add to the York St. John Aspire shop. Submit your suggestion.

Can I print off a paper copy of my eBook(s)?

eBooks are designed to be read on electronics only.

You may be able to print a section of the eBook that you have purchased, but you cannot print a full paper copy of the book due to copyright. Each eBook has its own quantity of pages that can be printed set by the publisher.

Can you notify me when a product comes back into stock?

The York St. John Aspire online shop is not currently set-up for stock notifications but this is something that we are looking to develop in the future.

Please note: Stock availability for Apple products is regularly restricted during the Christmas period (November to mid-January). During this time we are unlikely to get estimated arrival dates for stock.

Do I get a certification for completing an online course?

Yes, you will receive a certificate on the completion of your course.

Some of the certifications available through academy+ include CPD, RoSPA, CMA and several others. Which certification you be awarded will depend on the course you have chosen and whether you have fully completed/passed the course.

Do I need internet access to read my Kortext eBook(s)?

You will need internet access when you first receive the eBooks as they will need to be downloaded/added to your Kortext account/app. However, once the eBook is downloaded to your app you will be able to read it offline.

More information can be found in Kortext's article: Can I download my e-textbooks for offline reading?

Do I need to top-up my account before placing an order?

No, if the funds you have in your York St. John Aspire account do not cover the full cost of your order you can pay the difference at checkout.

Do you offer discount codes?

At various points throughout the year we may have special offers or discounts.

If we have any valid discount codes available, they may be shown on your York St. John Aspire Portal, or if you are opted into marketing emails or text messages, these will be sent to you directly.

Do you price match products?

Our aim is to offer our customers the best value and the widest choice of products as possible.

As we do not buy products in bulk (like Amazon & Curry's do) we are unable to offer price matches.

Does the online course that I ordered have an expiry date?

The courses do not have an expiry date.*

*The course will only expire if the platform is shut down, but there are no known plans to do this.

How are orders fulfilled?

York St. John Aspire online shop uses stock from our own warehouse as well as external direct delivery suppliers to fulfil your orders so that we can offer a greater range of products.

This means that you may receive several parcels for your order rather than just one.

We are working to improve visibility on how your order will arrive.

How are refunds issued?

Refunds are issued to the original payment method.

  • If you paid by York St. John Aspire funds, any refunds would be issued back to your York St. John Aspire account which can you access again through the York St. John Aspire Portal.
  •  If you paid by voucher, then a refund would be issued back to the original voucher code.
  • If you paid by bank card, then a refund would be issued to your bank card.
  • If you paid part by bank card and part by York St. John Aspire funds, then any refund would be issued part to bank card and part to your York St. John Aspire account or voucher. (Bank card payment is prioritized to be refunded first, then any remaining amount is refunded to your York St. John Aspire account or voucher.)

How can I track my order?

Once your order has been has been despatched an email or text is usually sent from the courier to advise that your order is on its way.

You can also view your order details and updates by going to 'My Account', 'View My Orders'.

We're excited to advise that we are working on automatically including the tracking information on your order details so tracking is more accessible.

How do I access the Kortext eBook(s) that I ordered?

Once your order has been processed, a Kortext account will be automatically set up for you and you will be sent an email with your account login details, a temporary password and a link to Kortext site, so you can log in and access your book.

Please note: The Kortext account will be set-up under the email address you use to place your order.

If you already have a Kortext account set-up under your York St. John Aspire account email address, then an email will be sent to you once your new eBook has been added to your Kortext Library.

If you already have a personal Kortext account under a different email address and you have placed an order through your York St. John Aspire account email address, please contact Kortext and they will be able to merge the accounts.

Looking for more answers?

Where can I find my order details?

How do I access the online course I ordered?

Once your order has been processed, an welcome email will be sent from the course provider to your York St. John Aspire account email address with the course information and login details.

This email is normally sent within 24 hours of the order being placed (Monday-Friday).

How do I place an order?

  • Login with your account details* (We do not currently offer guest checkout).
  • Add the products you wish to order to your basket
  • Once you've added all the products you wish to order, click on the basket icon and follow the instructions to place your order. 

SHIPPING/DELIVERY ADDRESS: Please ensure that you have entered a complete shipping/delivery address. If you are in accommodation, you will need to include your room/flat number, not just the building name. 

* For more information on whether you need to create an account, please look under the Help & Supports 'Account' section at 'Do I need to register for an account?'

As with all purchases, please check the eBook, PostageReturns and T&C info before you place your order.

How do I return a product?

How do Kortext eBooks work?

Please visit the below links for further information about Kortext:

https://www.kortext.com/university-students/

https://www.kortext.com/help-centre/

How do voucher codes work?

Voucher codes that are still valid can be applied to your basket during the checkout process. 

Looking for more answers?

How do I opt in/out of marketing?

How long do I have access to my Kortext eBook(s)?

You will have access to your eBook indefinitely as long as you have access to your Kortext account.

How long will it take for my order to be shipped?

This will depend on which product you have ordered.

Some products are 'in stock' at our or our suppliers warehouses and can be despatched immediately or the next working day.

Other products may be available to order on our website but are not currently in stock - This includes products that we normally keep stock of but are 'temporarily out of stock', and products that have to be ordered specifically for your order. 'Out of stock' products can take a few days to a few weeks to ship depending on the product.

PLEASE NOTE: The estimated despatch dates on your order confirmation are estimates. The product(s) may be despatched before, or after the estimated dates. Orders are not normally shipped on weekends or bank holidays regardless what the estimated despatch date says.

We are working to improve the availability and clarity of stock information.

How many devices can I access my Kortext eBook(s) on?

You can log in to the Kortext app on up to 5 devices.

For more information please visit Kortext's Help Centre.

How much is postage?

Please visit our Postage Policy page. 

Size Guides

Visit our size guide page.

The product I was trying to order is no longer on the York St. John Aspire Portal?

If you can no longer find the product you were interested in, it is likely out of stock and we don't have a date for restocking. In some cases, it may have been replaced by a newer version.

The range of products on the York St. John Aspire online shop are updated daily so please do continue checking to see if the product is available again.

There is an issue with my Kortext eBook(s), what do I do?

If you can see your eBook on your Kortext account but are having trouble accessing it, or if there is an issue with the quality please check Kortext's Help Centre.

There's an issue with my online course, what should I do?

Please contact support@starskillstraining.co.uk with your account email address and a description of the problem.

What do I do if I place an order with my bank card instead of using my funds?

If you have placed an order using your bank card instead of using your available York St. John Aspire funds, please contact us immediately.

If you are eligible to use your funds to purchase the product(s) you have ordered, we may be able to resolve the issue for you without you needing to cancel the order and place a new one.

Looking for more answers?

What can I spend my funds on?

What does my order status mean?

Once an order is placed, each item within the order will have an individual status. The status will continue to update until the item has been shipped. It will also update if a product has been returned or lost in transit. 

Order Status Codes:

Your order has been received and is currently being processed. It should be shipped soon. Most orders are shipped within 24 hours.

Your order has been received and the product is on order with the supplier. It will be shipped as soon as stock arrives with us. We would expect stock to arrive with us about a week after the order has been placed but if your item has not arrived within 2 weeks you will be sent a further update.

Your item has been dispatched and your parcel should arrive with you soon. If you haven't already, we'd recommend that you take a quick look at our Postage Policy to see how long it should take and when to get in contact with us if it hasn't arrived.

This order line has been cancelled as per your request and a refund for the product and any related postage has been issued.

This order line has been cancelled by the supplier and a full refund for the product and any related postage has been issued. This is normally due to the supplier no longer being able to supply the product to fulfil your order.

Your parcel has been returned as undelivered and a refund for the product has been issued. Failed delivery can happen if:

  • there was an issue with the delivery address.
  • the delivery was refused.
  • delivery was attempted but no one was in to accept the parcel.
  • the delivery was not called for at the depot after delivery failed.
  • the parcel was not collected from a chosen collection point.

You have contacted us to request a return - your return has now been processed and a refund has been issued. 

Your parcel had been shipped but unfortunately it was lost in transit. A full refund for the product and any related postage will have been issued so please place a new order if you still require the item.

TOS

Your product is temporarily out of stock, but we are expecting stock to arrive soon. 

Your product is currently out of stock and we do not currently have an estimated time for stock to arrive. 

NYP

This product is not yet available - this refers to books that are not yet published for sale, or products that available for pre-order. 

POD

Print on demand - These will normally take longer to arrive as the publishers will often wait for a certain number of orders to come through before they will print copies. This update is also used for books that come over from other countries eg. India and the US as they will naturally take a little longer for stock to arrive. 

Your order is currently paused. If you haven't requested a cancellation or address change, and you can't see the reason on your order, please check your emails (& junk folder) to see if we have tried to get in contact with you. There may be an issue with the address on your order. 

EDL

Your electronic download is now available (normally eBooks). You should receive an email(s) with further instructions (please check your junk folder). If you haven't received one within 24 hours of this update and there is no specific information on your order, then please contact us here

OOA

Online Access Available - Online access to your product is now available.

This normally relates to:

  • ASOS Gift Card codes (if available to order): If you ordered 5 or less, the codes can be found on your order details. If you have ordered over 6 codes, please check the inbox (& junk folder) of the email you used when placing the order.
  • Online courses: please check your emails (& junk folder) for the course information.

What happens to my Kortext account if I no longer have access to my York St. John Aspire email address?

If you will be losing access to your York St. John Aspire account email address please contact Kortext who will be able to advise you further.

It may be that you will need to create a second account with a personal email address and then Kortext will merge the two accounts. However, we would recommend contacting them first to confirm if this is required.

What is difference between PDF and an ePub eBook?

PDF eBooks: These are standard, non-interactive electronic copies of the book.

ePub eBooks: These are more flexible and have an interactive functionality. There is greater ability to adjust how the book displays to suit your needs.

Where can I find a proof of purchase/VAT receipt?

Your order confirmation email and dispatch emails are your proof of purchase. If you specifically need a VAT receipt or a manufacturer requires this as a proof of purchase, please contact us and we will provide you with a PDF proof of purchase once your product(s) have been shipped.

We are working on with our IT team to make a downloadable version available in the future.

Where can I find my order details?

Your orders can be found by going to "My Account", "View My Orders"

Click the "order reference number" for the order details and the status of the products under that order.

Which software/devices can I use to read my Kortext eBooks?

These can be accessed via the Kortext platform, either online or via the app. The Kortext app is currently available on Mac, iOS, Android and Windows.

For further information on this, visit the Kortext article: What devices and internet browsers can I use?

Kortext eBooks cannot be used on Kindle or other Amazon owned eReaders.

Why can't I use my funds on my order?

Please first check the answer to "What can I spend my funds on?" under the "My Funds" section, and the email that was sent to you when the funds were awarded for any restrictions on what your funds can be used for.

If you can't see any advised restrictions and you believe you should be able purchase the items in your basket with your funds please contact us.

Looking for more answers?

What can I spend my funds on?

Why isn't my refund showing?

Information about refunds to your York St. John Aspire account can be found by going to 'My Account', 'My Transactions' or under your order details. It may be that the refunded amount has since been spent or removed.

If your refund has not been removed and your balance is not showing as expected, we would recommend following the below steps:

  1. Empty your basket if anything is in it.
  2. Log out of your account and close the web page.
  3. Open a new internet browser.
  4. Clear your cookies via the settings/options section (depending on your browser).
  5. Go to the search engine and go to your York St. John Aspire Portal
  6. Log in to your York St. John Aspire account and go to 'My Account', 'Check My Balance'.

This should resolve the issue but if you believe the balance is still incorrect, please contact us so we can investigate further. 

Refunds to bank cards: Please allow up to 5 working days for any refunds to show in your account. If it's still not showing after this period, please contact us and we will be happy to check for you.

Refunds to PayPal: Please allow up to 5 working days for any refunds to show in your account. If it's still not showing after this period, please contact us and we will be happy to check for you.

If you are expecting your PayPal refund to go through to your bank account and it hasn't, check your PayPal transactions before contacting us. If the refund has gone through to your PayPal account but not any further, please contact PayPal. 

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