Cost of Living Hub
We appreciate you visiting the Cost-of-Living Hub. This website gathers all the LATEST data, support, and guidance available to students affected by the rising cost of living.
1 ADVICE AND GUIDANCE
1.1 Assistance and wellbeing
Our team of professional wellness, disability, and mental health experts offers a comfortable, private, and judgment-free setting so that you may discuss any issues that could be affecting your capacity to study. All Quals Skills students are invited to use any of our support services without having to pay a fee.
Quals Skills Student Enquiries system
Quals Skills Student Enquiries Centre
Student Funding Advisors
Students who struggle with money management or are dealing with complex financing challenges can get assistance, counsel, and direction from student funding advisors.
Please submit an inquiry using the Quals Skills support link to schedule a meeting with a student funding advisor and describe the problem you are experiencing.
Support can be obtained by telephone, online, or in-person sessions.
We may offer assistance with a variety of problems, including:
– Student Finance financing
– applications, eligibility, and appeals
– assistance for independent students or those who are separated from their families;
– budgeting and money management;
– information on financing for halting, withdrawing, or repeating studies;
Important Advice:
As a student, money might be limited. During your stay at Quals Skills, we’re here to assist you with managing your finances and solving any issues that may arise.
Stress might result from financial issues. You do not, however, have to experience this alone. We can assist you in determining your future actions if you contact the Advice Service as soon as possible.
Ideally, you should prepare your money before enrolling at Quals Skills or shortly after you arrive. Among other things, this entails making a budget, estimating your expected spending and income while you’re in school.
If circumstances change, be prepared to re-evaluate and modify your plans.
As soon as you suspect you could be experiencing a financial difficulty or debts that you are unsure how to handle, get advice and help (via the Advice Service or other resources). Early issue solving can lead to more alternatives for solutions and less stress in the long run.
Other Support
Other resources for students in financial hardship.
General
The Quals Skills Student Support and Wellbeing website has general information regarding support. Information about student assistance services is also accessible via the Student Union.
Citizens Advice may provide advice on a variety of topics, including debt and money problems.
Food banks
The Trussell Trust lists hundreds of food banks that are accessible nationwide to assist those who are unable to buy basic necessities for a decent standard of living.
People experiencing homelessness might find helpful guidance from Crisis and Accommodation.
Women and children experiencing domestic abuse can get assistance at Refuge.
On our major student financing sites per level of study, you may find details regarding outside sources of financial aid for students.
3. MANAGE YOUR MONEY
With the help of our guidelines on managing your finances, you can prevent financial concerns from interfering with your academics or ruining your experience at university.
Tips for handling your finances
Advice on how to stretch your dollars farther so you can concentrate on your studies and make the most of your time at Quals Skills
Rising living expenses
Quals Skills is aware that the growing cost of living in the UK may put students in a tough financial situation.
3.1 Banking and budgeting
To select the bank account that is ideal for you, it is worthwhile to browse around. Many student accounts include “freebies” like special discounts or incentives. However, you must consider all the account has to offer, such as if an interest-free overdraft option is available. Avoid exceeding your overdraft limit at all costs since the fees might be quite high.
Create a budget, and stick to it!
When it comes to knowing how much money you have available and how much you are spending, making a budget is crucial. Start by taking a look at your sources of income, which may include earnings, maintenance loans, bursaries, personal savings, or family support. The next thing you need to do is examine your expenditures. Rent, groceries, and transportation are often among your necessary costs. You can also have utility bills for electricity, gas, and water if you live in private housing. Don’t forget about additional expenses like phone bills. Your non-essential spending might include, among other things, subscriptions, outings, shopping for clothes, and vacations. To assist with this, a variety of tools are available. These days, many banks provide budgeting applications and other tools for keeping track of your expenditures. Use a different tool instead, such as this Money Advice Service budget calculator. Use a spreadsheet or an in-built tool, but make sure to check your statements frequently to ensure you aren’t overpaying. Making modifications is necessary if your expenses exceed your income. These suggestions will help you make more money or cut back on your expenditures.
Increase your income
Find a part-time job.
Many students decide to pursue part-time jobs in addition to their education, which may be a fantastic way to make some additional money while gaining essential work experience. It’s crucial that you prioritise your education, though. If you don’t have enough money from other sources (such as student loans, scholarships, stipends, savings, family donations, etc.) to pay your critical needs, don’t assume that you will be able to earn enough to cover them.
For current students looking for occasional, part-time, or holiday work, the Quals Skills job store provides an easy-to-use online jobs list. You may look for possibilities on a number of employment boards provided by the Quals Skills Careers Service. Additionally, they may help students with job applications, interviews, and CV writing. Learn more about the possibilities offered by widening participation. Keep in mind that the majority of students will owe income tax and national insurance on money earned. Calculate your take-home income after taxes and social security by using a tool like the salary calculator.
Budget-Friendly Accommodation
There are various ways to pay less for where you live, including home sharing, property guardianship and becoming a residence adviser
Travel
Many London sights are closer than you would expect. Many tube stations have walking maps available from TfL, and after you become used to the area, you’ll find a number of shortcuts.
You may get a bike if you need to travel farther. There are plenty bike parking spaces near Quals Skills.
Additionally, you might want to look at the TfL Santander Cycles rental programme; there are docking stations close to Quals Skills.
You may get a 30% discount on Travelcard and Bus Pass season tickets, valid for durations ranging from one week to one year, with an 18+ Student Oyster Photocard. It does not provide a discount on pay as you go rates, while doing so with your Oyster and 16-25 railcard is feasible.
You may save a third on UK train travel with a 16–25 railcard in addition to receiving additional savings. Additionally, you may connect this railcard to your Oyster card to save a third on each individual bus and tube ride.
Drinks and Food
The price of eating out and ordering takeout may add up quickly. Cooking for yourself or your roommates is more cost-effective and healthy, and it also fosters community. There are many free recipes available online, and cooking alongside your housemates will further reduce the cost.
Before going to the store, write a list of all the ingredients for the week’s meal. This will ensure that you only purchase what you actually need and prevent food waste.
It will be less expensive to carry a packed lunch and coffee, tea, or water in a flask than to purchase everything on campus.
Take the risk of experimenting with inexpensive brands. Studies have revealed that customers may like the less expensive brand since they are much more affordable. Replace one item with the value version each week, and if you like it, continue using it. If not, simply switch back.
Some grocery stores provide meal ticket cards to students, which they may use to purchase food. A parent or guardian can load money onto the card. Ask at your local location if Asda or Sainsbury’s currently offer any programmes.
A lot of supermarkets cut prices one hour before they close. Visit now for significantly lower meal costs.
Course costs
Take use of the Quals Skills libraries, which are available for free and include a large selection of books and other materials in print and online.
You can suggest a book for Quals Skills Libraries to purchase if we don’t already have it.
If you need anything right away, try looking in a neighbouring library (such Canning Town Library or the Eastham Library) or borrowing it from another library to get it faster. For further guidance, speak with the library help team.
Do your homework before you buy a book if you do need or want to. You may locate cheaper books with the use of Book Finder, which browses many online stores. Check at local second-hand stores around Quals Skills to see whether students in years above you or graduates have donated books they no longer need. Websites like Book Shop, Amazon, or eBay can carry the volumes you require at a lesser price.
You can also borrow laptops on a short term basis from Quals Skills Libraries.
Health
People from low-income families can get assistance from the NHS Low Income Scheme to pay for transport, medications, dental, and eyeglass expenses as well as other fees associated with their health on the NHS. It is valid for a year after purchase. Download the HC1 application, fill it out, then mail it to the NHS address
Never pay more for name-brand drugs. Despite having identical active components and effects that are not quantifiably different, generic versions of any drug can be up to eight times less expensive than branded counterparts.
Shopping and way of life
Deals and discounts may be found on student discount websites including Student Beans, My Uni Days, Save the Student, My Student Discount, and Student Money Saver.
You may receive discounts at various eateries, stores, and other establishments using the NUS Extra card.
Students can qualify for discounts on a variety of London’s cultural attractions and events.
Join a website like Freecycle where neighbours may post stuff they are giving away or things they are looking for. You simply need to go collect it. From desks to books, everything is available on Freecycle.
Look around to get the greatest offers. There are several comparison websites that offer details on the greatest prices for smartphones or computers.
Your expenses while you study
Important
The details listed below provide you a general idea of where you should spend your money while you are studying. It is not meant to serve as an estimation of the probable annual cost of living in its entirety.
Tuition fees and living expenses are two factors to take into account when figuring up the cost of education.
3.2 Tuition Fees
Depending on your fee status and the programme you are enrolled in, tuition costs will change. To find out what your costs could be for a certain programme, consult with the Admission/Administration Team.
Additional Course Costs
The cost of some academic programmes may exceed what is included in the tuition. This may involve the purchase of specialised tools, literature, or fieldwork-related expenses.
To learn more about potential extra expenses, get in touch with the department you’re interested in.
Living Costs
Because each student will have different goals and lifestyle preferences, it might be challenging to anticipate what “average living costs” would be. Below are some suggested figures for the many sorts of necessary living expenses you’ll need to pay.
Discretionary costs and budgeting
You may get a general sense of how much you might need to spend on your necessary expenditures from the aforementioned estimates. The majority of students will need to budget for additional luxuries like clothing, subscriptions, and fees connected with going out and socialising. It is strongly advised that you consider the funds you will have at your disposal and modify your way of life to match that budget.
Fraud and scams
It’s crucial to protect your personal information whether doing online activity on phones, tablets, or computers.
Staying safe online
You may take a variety of precautions to safeguard your online safety. Here are a few suggestions for steps you may take to safeguard yourself and your sensitive information.
Be careful while providing personal information on websites and create unique passwords for each.
Passwords should contain a combination of letters and digits, as well as capital letters and punctuation.
Avoid using the same password for multiple accounts.
When making online purchases using bank cards and credit cards, be on the lookout for fraud.
Verify that the website you are accessing is safe by looking for the padlock icon in the address bar next to the web URL, which should begin with https://
Ensure that your antivirus programme is current.
If you are compromised, reset your password right away.
Scams and frauds
Watch out for email frauds. In the past, people posing as pals have written emails to students and employees asking for money because they purportedly needed assistance.
Do not send money to anybody unless you are certain the request is legitimate and you know the person. When an email appears to have come from a friend, but there is a tiny alteration, such as an extra letter or number, be sure to thoroughly check the email address.
Criminals may attempt to target you online or over the phone, for instance by contacting and impersonating a legitimate company like the UK Home Office or an education agency. They may ask payment and threaten negative repercussions if you don’t give it to them right away.
Because they know a little bit about you (such your passport number, along with your phone number and name), or because they seem to be phoning from a real phone number, the caller may come across as authentic and persuasive.
Don’t provide any personal information to the caller or confirm that any information they may have is accurate if you get this type of call or a similar contact.
4. STUDY SUPPORT
Study spaces on campus
Booking study rooms is helpful.
Prior to booking
Please be aware that the majority of our private study rooms are accessible without a reservation. More details are accessible regarding the selection of libraries and study areas we provide.
relating to reserved study areas
Who may make use of the service?
Within 30 minutes of the booking’s start time, you must check in. Your reservation will be made available for usage by other students or employees if you don’t check in.
Laptop Loans
Students now have access to laptop loans.
This year, we’ve expanded the service to certain groups of students in addition to our regular laptop rentals, which are accessible in libraries around campus. Low-income UK students may apply to borrow a laptop from Quals Skills for the duration of their programme. A shorter-term loan service may be available to students who do not meet the requirements for the long-term loan.
5. WORKING DURING YOUR STUDIES
Working while you are a student may be a terrific opportunity to develop new skills, give back to your neighbourhood, and make some additional money.
