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In Half-Blood Prince, we learn that there is a fund for students who lack money to be able to fund their school supplies:

‘I haven’t got any money,’ [said Tom Riddle]

‘That is easily remedied,’ said Dumbledore, drawing a leather money-pouch from his pocket. ‘There is a fund at Hogwarts for those who require assistance to buy books and robes. You might have to buy some of your spellbooks and so on second-hand, but –’

Half-Blood Prince - page 256 - Bloomsbury - Chapter 13, The Secret Riddle

The Weasley family is often shown as being quite poor and barely has enough money to buy school supplies (I recall that on one of their trips to Gringotts, they carefully searched each corner of their vault for a spare coin). Also, there wasn't enough money to buy Ron a new wand to replace his broken one until Arthur Weasley won some prize money to pay for it.

Would they have been eligible for this financial aid fund that was given to Tom Riddle? If so, why didn't they use it (were they too proud)?

Thunderforge
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    No idea if it's ever discussed in canon, but my instinct is that Arthur Weasley, as a civil servant, would be very conscious of how much government aid there is to go around. Given that the school is funded by the Ministry: http://scifi.stackexchange.com/questions/25153/where-did-hogwarts-get-money-for-salaries-food-and-other-purchases#95808 I imagine he wouldn't want to take resources that could go to someone more needy than his family. – recognizer Aug 11 '16 at 18:06
  • I think this may end up being opinion based... My thought would be that possibly only those with NO source of income are eligible or that the fund has gone dry by the time the Weasley children are going to school. – Skooba Aug 11 '16 at 18:27
  • I doubt they were eligible. Their father and even elder children had a steady job, Molly arguably could have got one if she wanted to, and they managed. I doubt they would want to ask for charitable donations, and they did manage as so many hard-working and functional families do. They haven't got everything they want, but they've got what they need! – ThruGog Aug 11 '16 at 18:45

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