Continuing your education at University can be a costly endeavour. From the costs of the tuition itself to student accommodation and study materials, rough estimates put the figure at over £60k! If you are prepared to commit the student life (and debt), you’ll most likely be looking for as many ways to cut the costs as possible and make your finances stretch as far as possible.
In this article, we have listed just a few of the ways you can save money whilst at University:
Scholarships, Bursaries & Additional Financial Support
In the UK, there are several options available for funding your University studies, these include scholarships, bursaries and additional financial support. It’s essential to check different organisations and review the requirements before you apply to make sure that you are eligible. Many of the scholarships and funding options are merit-based or focused on a specific field such as STEM. By applying for these scholarships and grants you could potentially save thousands of pounds in tuition fees.
Student Discounts
Student discounts are a great way to save money on a wide variety of products and services, so you can really stretch your budget further. In order to take advantage of student discounts, you need to provide proof that you are a student such as your student ID card.
From tech gadgets and clothes to food, transport and entertainment, there’s no end to the number of student discounts available! Many retailers also offer special student promotions or loyalty schemes, so it pays to ask around and do some research before making a purchase – you never know what kind of deals could be waiting out there!
Price Matching
If you are on a tight budget, making use of price matching websites is a great way to find the best deal. Many shoppers stick to a single supermarket or service provider out of loyalty, however, they could be getting the exact same product somewhere else for significantly cheaper.
Website’s like Trolley allow you to enter a product by name and see the prices across all major supermarkets. An example of just how beneficial this can be to your budget is Pizza Express – Classic Sloppy Giuseppe – currently £5.50 in Sainsburys but just £2.75 in Tesco! Even the second cheapest supermarket, ASDA is £4.00.
Railcards
If you are looking to save money on your daily commute, a student railcard is the perfect way to make savings while still getting around. The card entitles you to ⅓ off train fares across the UK, providing an average saving of around £159 per year. The card is available to all students between 16-25 as well as mature students, and can be purchased for either 1 year or 3 years.
With some planning and research, you can make significant savings as a University student while still enjoying your experience. Begin by creating a budget and find the best ways to earn extra money along with finding the best money saving deals.