With rising cost of living in the UK, you may be concerned about what this will mean for household bills, food and travel costs.
We have a range of support on offer for you to access, including help with funding, making the most of campus facilities and wellbeing support.
Whether you are new to London or have lived in and around the capital most of your life, getting to grips with your student budget can feel overwhelming. The Student Money Mentors have developed a 10 tips checklist to help you manage your money and budget for the year ahead.
Further in this article, we also have a summary of our guidance in key areas affecting your cost of living:
- Budgeting
- Shopping & travel
- Campus facilities
- Earning money
- Funding
- Living & renting
- Money concerns & challenges
A checklist of considerations to think about to help you in managing your money and helping it go further.
- Top tips on managing your money during your studies: Find out how to improve your money management.
- What apps are there to help me manage my money?: Find out about handy apps to help you in your budgeting.
- What household bills might I have?: Plan for and anticipate your bills.
- 5 Steps to more sustainable living: Get tips on living more sustainably.
- Who are the Money Mentors and how can they help me?: Find out about the Student Money Mentors and how they can help you with your money.
- Peer support & money management
- King’s Money Mentors are leading on a cost of living campaign in November to raise awareness of the support available in and outside of the university, as well as the practical steps you can take to stretch your budget. Follow on Instagram for more details.
- Blackbullion are continuing to add content on funding, budgeting and understanding the financial crisis for our students and staff to access for free. From 7 – 18 November students accessing the platform may also win prizes through their annual Unibattle campaign.
- What travelcards & discounts can I get on public transport?: Find out about the Oyster card and National Railcard offering discounts for those up to the age of 30.
- Where can I park & secure my bike on campus?: If you’d like to try avoiding public transport costs altogether and opt for cycling, check out facilities for parking your bike on campus.
- What student discounts can I access?: Find out about student discounts.
- Top tips on shopping as a student: A run down on where and how to shop to get the best value for money.
- Borrowing a laptop: Libraries & Collections has invested in state-of-the-art self-service facilities for student loan laptops in most of our libraries. The system is very user-friendly, and the laptop cabinets function along the same lines as our new and improved book lending and return kiosks. Staff are on hand to lend any assistance if needed, so please ask. Find out more at Can I borrow a laptop?
- ChargeBox: King’s IT offers 30 minutes free charging time for your personal device, in partnership with ChargeBox.
- PC Free: The PC Free service allows students to find the nearest available student PC. Check the availability of PC's in each of the Student Computer Rooms (over 1,200 PCs in over 50 rooms across campuses).
- Food & drink: Eat and drink on campus -
- I want to get a job while studying: Find out what you need to know about getting a job alongside your studies to earn some extra money.
- How can King's Careers & Employability help me?: Quick guide to how the Career's & Employability team can support you in getting jobs and your career plans.
- What is National Insurance (NI) and do I need it?: Guide to National Insurance and when this affects you.
- Do I need to pay taxes if I work during my studies?: Overview of UK income tax and where to find further guidance if you're earning money.
- What loans, grants or scholarships can I get from King’s?: Overview of funding opportunities, including grants and bursaries such as Hardship funds and the King's Student Fund.
- I’m a parent or carer; what additional funding can I get to support my studies?: Find out about extra funding you can get if you're a parent or carer.
- I’m an International student, what financial support can I access?: Find out about extra funding you can access if you're an international student needing support.
- Common scams & fraud; get to know them and how to avoid them: Unfortunately, scams are common and often targeted at students. With living costs rising, it could be easy to fall prey to scammers. Find out about the most common scams that target students to help you avoid them.
- I'm having money difficulties, where can I find support?: Find out where you can access support if you're struggling to pay your bills or fees.
- Money issues are affecting my mental health: If money worries are on your mind a lot and interfering with your studies and your ability to enjoy student life, find out where to get help.