Being a student in London is becoming more and more challenging. We're here to help during the cost of living crisis. Below you'll find information about the different financial support options available to you, what we're campaigning on to make London a more affordable student city, and what we're doing on campus to help your budget go further.
Financial Support
Financial support is available to help with your everyday living expenses, to cover the cost of getting involved with activities, and to support with the cost of purchasing gender-affirming products.
If you have no other way to fund essential living costs, we can help.
Financial support is provided by our trained, independent, and impartial advice team.
Living Costs Support - Need to know:
- £150 of financial support is available within days, transferred directly into your account.
- You can use this to cover the costs of food, travel, and other expenses i.e utility bills.
- You don't need to repay this, it is a grant.
- Your department, tutor, parents etc. won't know you have taken this support unless you choose to tell them.
- Support of up to £3,000 is available, although this can take up to five weeks to process.
- If you need financial support of up to £3,000, but can't wait five weeks, the £150 grant (and other similar grants) can help cover immediate financial pressure.
- Our trained Money Advisors in our Advice Service can support you through the process of accessing financial support.
Join the campaign
Students are facing a cost of learning crisis.
Many students live on some of the smallest budgets of anyone in our society. Our research earlier in the year found that 97% of students are concerned about the cost of living.
4 in 5 respondents have reduced the amount of socialising that they do, and more than half have stopped taking part in extra-curricular activities due to financial pressures.
We've launched a campaign to change three key areas of student life - rent, food, and travel.
What we're trying to achieve:
Freezing rent prices
We think students should live in affordable, safe and acceptable conditions: we are backing the Mayor of London's rent freeze campaign; lobbying for a continued freeze of UCL accommodation fees until 2023/24, and for an introduced rent freeze across private halls.
Eating well on a budget
We think students should be able to eat well and inexpensively, so they can focus on their studies: we are pushing for low-cost food options across our outlets; promoting discounts; and redistributing food to students.
Travelling to university economically
We think students should be able to travel to university without worrying about the cost: we are lobbying for discounted tube fares; free bus travel; and more inclusive discounts on Santander cycle hire.
Life on campus
Getting value on campus
All of our cafes are better value than the high street, with prices as low as possible. Any surplus we make is reinvested into funding all the different things we do - like providing advice and support.
Free Hot Water. All of our cafes will provide you with hot water, free of charge. That means you can bring your noodle pot, cup-a-soup or even teabag and we'll fill you up.
Microwaves. If you've bought food to campus (great money saving tip) then you can heat it up in one of the campus microwaves. Find a microwave. You're welcome to eat your packed lunch in our spaces on campus.
Showers. If you need to shower on campus, there are lots of facilities available to you. View the showers list and map here.