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Cost of Living Hub
Find out about the support and resources available that may help you with the cost of living.
We’ve created this hub to bring together the financial and wellbeing support that is currently available at Newcastle University to help you with the rising cost of living.
The package of support available to students at all stages has been increased in recent years to over £1.7 million which includes an increase in student financial support, participation bursaries through the Students’ Union and additional jobs for students through Jobs On Campus. Additionally, the Students’ Union have launched a free Pantry and an on campus laundry facility in University accommodation is now available to all students.
This is a working list that will continue to be updated as new initiatives from the Cost of Living working group are introduced so please keep checking back.
View our useful interactive Cost of Living infographic to explore some of these initiatives!
Please also visit the Newcastle University Students' Union's Cost of Living Crisis Hub.
Meet with a Student Finance Adviser
- All students can meet with a Student Finance Adviser who can provide professional and impartial advice, individual and tailored one-to-one appointments and information about bursaries, scholarships and other funding schemes.
- Email student.fin-supp@ncl.ac.uk with your enquiry or book an appointment online directly.
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The Participation Bursary aims to remove financial barriers which prevent students from accessing the activities we offer by helping cover some of the costs of getting involved. The Participation Bursary, when open, is available to eligible students who can receive up to £280 per academic year and can only apply once each academic year. The applications that are received are judged on a case-by-case basis with the eligibility criteria based on the guidance from Newcastle University’s Access and Participation Plan.
- In 2022-23, Newcastle Students' Union awarded a total of £138,484 in Participation Bursaries to 695 students. For 2023-24, you can now complete an interest form and a member of the team will be in contact with you regarding making an application.
- Open to undergraduate, postgraduate taught and postgraduate research students who do not have access to a suitable device and / or internet connection where they are experiencing financial difficulties and cannot access support through other IT provision provided by the University.
Scholarships, Bursaries & Prizes
- There are a range of scholarships and bursaries available to students, including the Opportunity Scholarship for students whose household income is at or below £35,000.
Funding from Charities & Trusts
- There are many external bodies and educational trusts with funds available for students. Please note that eligibility, the application process and the value of awards varies enormously between organisations.
- If you run out money and can't cover your living costs, the Student Finance Team may be able to provide a short-term, interest free, emergency loan.
Student Financial Support Fund
- Provided by the University to give discretionary financial assistance to UK students to help them participate in Higher Education. The assessment process involves identifying students who have particular financial needs or who are in unexpected financial difficulty.
- Check out our myth buster to find out more about the fund, the application process and the support available.
- Provided on a discretionary basis by the University to help International and non-UK EU students in financial hardship. The Fund assists students in serious and unexpected financial difficulties due to circumstances beyond their control, by providing short-term loans or awards.
Urgent enquiries or immediate financial difficulty
- Call 0191 208 5679.
Affordable Meals are back!
Value options are available exclusively for students at a range of cafes on campus, including Bites, Courtyard, NUBS Café, Robinson Library, Walton Library.
The options available include:
- £1 porridge pot with a filter coffee or tea
- £1 three item breakfast bun (except eggs) with a filter coffee or tea
- £1 soup and a bun
|
Offer |
Courtyard |
Bites |
Robinson Library |
NUBS |
Walton Library |
|
Porridge Pot with a filter coffee or tea |
|
X |
X |
X |
X |
|
Three Item Breakfast Bun (except eggs) with a filter coffee or tea |
X |
|
|
|
|
|
Soup & Bun |
X |
X |
X |
X |
|
Value options will be available Monday – Friday upon presentation of a student card. Limited numbers available each day. All three offers are not available in each café, available offers will be advertised in each café.
Food Fob
Make your student loan go further
Fancy making your student loan go further by saving money every time you make a purchase from a campus café? Then pick up your Food Fob today!
What is it?
The Food Fob is a small plastic keyring that you pre-load with funds to spend in any campus café. The best bit is, every time you add funds to your Food Fob we’ll give you 15% extra completely free.
How can I get one?
You’ll be saving those pennies in no time as setting up your Food Fob is simple:
- Pick up a Food Fob from any campus café or accommodation reception. If you choose to pick one up from a café, just ask for one from a member of staff behind the counter.
- Create an account on Debitrak. You’ll need to add your unique 12 digit Food Fob number in here, which can be found on the back of the Food Fob.
- Once you’re all set up, top your card up via Debitrak with your chosen amount of funds. We’ll then automatically add on 15% of this amount for free.
- Start using your Food Fob as a payment method at any campus café.
- The free Pantry can be accessed by all students to take what you need (you do not need to consult with anyone). You can find the new Student Pantry inside the Students' Union (Ground Floor, next to the Welfare & Advice Hub).
- Grace and Green sustainable period products are available in baskets at various locations on campus for all students, with more locations to be added soon!
- All students can use the laundry facilities at Kensington Terrace accommodation between 09:00 and 17:00, Monday to Friday at a subsidised cost of £1.30 a wash and £1.30 a dry.
- Check out the University's campus map to find out where all students can access microwaves, showers and water points. You can also use the Study Space Finder to find out the opening times and availability of study spaces and PCs on campus.
Financial advice from the Student Finance Team
- Click ‘Find out more’ on the webpage for advice about a range of topics for all students from Banking & Credit to Living Costs.
- Undergraduate students can join the money management course in Canvas to find out about making the most of your money at uni.
- The Library now has some eBooks on managing your money and budget friendly cooking in the Student Life section of the new Library Libby App.
- You might also want to check out the huge range of magazines for leisure reading that are available for free.
- As members of NASMA (National Association of Student Money Advisers), our Students’ Union Advice Centre can provide support and guidance to all students on a range of financial issues and queries, including assisting students requiring hardship money from the Student Financial Support Fund.
- Supporting all students within University-owned and managed partnership accommodation through a free organised events programme and free interactive ResLife ‘Hacks’ on topics such as finances and budgeting.
Navigating finances as a student with our Student Content Creators & Lowes Financial
- Join Student Content Creators, Diya and Emma, as they meet Michael Dodds, a Newcastle University graduate, and Helen Grieves, both from Lowes Financial, to discuss navigating finances as a student!
The top places to get your lunch for under a fiver
- Our Student Content Creator, Macy, has shared her top places to get lunch for under five pounds in the city centre.
Managing your money at university
- Check out our blog about the resources available to support you with the rising cost of living during your studies.
5 ways to budget your way through uni
- Check out some top tips for budgeting whilst at university from Leyla, our Student Content Creator.
Advice from the Student Advice Centre about utilities and energy
- Water bill rises
Water UK has confirmed Water bills in England and Wales are set to rise from April by the largest amount for 20 years. An average household will see a rise of about £31 to £448 a year (equivalent to around 60p more each week).
If you are struggling, it might be cheaper to switch to a water meter. However, once installed this cannot be reversed so ALWAYS check your tenancy agreement clauses and get permission from your landlord first.
Your water company might also have hardship funds or agree to repayment plans if you are unable to pay, get in contact with your provider to see what support is available.
- Money Boiler Saving Challenge
You could save money on your heating bills by making one small change to your boiler. Take a look at our recent article about turning down your flow temperature to save money.
If you need further guidance or advice on the Cost of Living or budgeting, please book into the Student Advice Centre via our online booking form.
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- If you're 21 or under, you can now go by bus for just £1 or less in the Tyne and Wear, Durham County Council and Northumberland County Council areas. A valid form of ID must be presented.
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- If you're 21 or under, you can also buy an unlimited £3 day ticket to get around Tyne and Wear, Durham County Council and Northumberland County Council areas by bus, Metro or ferry. A valid form of ID must be presented. Find out more at Transport North East.
- Until 31 December 2024, several bus companies have introduced a £2 fare cap on single tickets. For students who occasionally travel by bus, visit the Government website to see the bus routes included in the £2 fare cap.
Student ticket options on buses
- For those using the bus, each commercial bus company in the region offer their own student ticket options. You can find out more about the options available on each company's website or app:
Go North East
Stagecoach
Arriva
- The Student Metro Season Ticket is available for all students to use in three different zones all day and is the most cost effective method for students who travel on the metro regularly. You can choose an annual ticket or a four weekly one. You need to apply for a FREE Season Tickets Pop card and then renew your ticket online or at any Metro station ticket machine.
- For students who occasionally travel by metro, a Pop PAYG Card (for those 22 or over) or a Pop Blue Card (for those under 22 - up until the day of before the 22nd birthday) may work out cheaper, depending on circumstances. Please visit the Nexus Pop PAYG FAQs for further information.
Network One Students and Young People Travel Ticket
- For students who travel regularly on both the bus and metro, a zone based ticket is available from Network One. This gives the flexibility of using both bus and metro but please note it is a higher price.
- Take a look at how our different Student Wellbeing Teams can support all students, the additional support available and how to contact the service.
NUSU Welfare and Support Centre
- Our Students’ Union's Welfare and Support Centre is a space for all students to access support, resources, and information you might need to support your wellbeing, welfare, & safety whilst you study.
- A free-to-download app for all students where you can talk with other students from around the world if you’re struggling and worried about your mental health.
- The iNCLude self help app is designed for all students to help take small steps to improve and maintain wellbeing.
- The Student Health and Wellbeing Service provide a wide range of workshops for all students, each one running at different points in the year.
Personal Extenuating Circumstances (PEC) application
- While employment responsibilities are not usually accepted as PEC grounds, the University appreciates that the current Cost of Living Crisis is having a negative effect on many of our students and so there may be times when you need to take on additional paid work in an emergency to meet your financial responsibilities.
In these circumstances, you are able to submit a self-cert PEC for an extension of up to 7 days to single assessment, without the need to provide any additional evidence of your circumstances. Please note the number of times you can use a self-cert is limited to only 4 over the whole academic year.
If you require any adjustments beyond a short extension (of up to 7 days) to the submission date of an assessment, you will need to complete a full PEC request and attach supplementary evidence. In these circumstances, a detailed personal statement outlining your current situation may be appropriate. Guidance on writing a personal statement can be found in Appendix 2 of the PEC Procedure.
Please see the PEC: FAQ Guidance for Submission for further information and guidance.
Part-time jobs & paid opportunities
- All students can use the Careers Service to search for jobs and internships from employers seeking Newcastle students and graduates. There are also a wide range of paid opportunities available on campus each year, including temporary jobs, paid internships and opportunities within the Careers Service.
- All students can apply for funding to support with the costs of attending interviews or work experience, developing a project or initiative or exploring a business idea.
- START UP can award between £250 and £3,000 to help you create your own work opportunities and self-employed income*. If you want to start or grow a small business or find freelance work, START UP can support you in everything from selling online to building your brand and more.
*For UK-based opportunities. International students must have the correct visa permissions to be eligible.
- All students can access the Careers Service through MyCareer to book a careers appointment, sign up for events and find online support.
- Funding for Masters students comes from a variety of sources. The funding you could apply for may depend on your personal circumstances, your intended course of study, and your financial situation.
Doctoral College Research Enhancement Fund
- The Doctoral College Enhancement Funds support a range of research-orientated activities. The funding is there to provide opportunities for Doctoral and MPhil students to enhance their experience, develop their academic profile by presenting at key conferences in their field, enhance their networking skills and to develop their career prospects. Please visit the Doctoral College webpage for full guidance and the schedule of calls for applications, closing dates and decision panels.
- From the beginning of the 2023/24 academic year, Cost of Living support for Doctoral and MPhil students transitioned to the Student Financial Support Team under the Student Financial Support Fund (for home Doctoral and MPhil students) and the Financial Assistance Fund (for EU and International Doctoral and MPhil students). This streamlines access to personal funding support by providing this support through one route, rather than through multiple teams across the University. Please visit the Student Financial Support web pages to see the variety of ways that support is offered to our research community.
Postgraduate Wellbeing Support
- Information from Newcastle University and the Students’ Union for postgraduate students on where to receive advice and support.
- The Newcastle University Students' Union’s activities programme is for ALL students. The programme is open to all abilities, no membership is required, and it includes hundreds of exciting activities ranging from crafts, social sports, discounted tickets, and tours and trips to get involved with.