Cost of Living
At uea(su) we get that the cost of living crisis is impacting everyone, not least students. We are looking at how we can support you during this time of crisis and we will update you soon on our Cost of Living Campaign.
We’ve brought together all the support available to students at UEA in one place.
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Cost of Living Manifesto
In October 2022, the uea(su) student officer team published an open letter and proposed manifesto on the national cost of living crisis addressed to David Richardson, Vice Chancellor of the University of East Anglia.
With inflation rising to record highs, student living costs have risen by 14%, compared to a 2.3% increase in the value of maintenance loans (Save the Student). In a survey of 3,500 students and apprentices conducted by NUS, 96% of students reported having to reduce their pending with nearly a third left with just £50 a month after paying rent and bills.
These statistics are unacceptable for the wellbeing of the student body that we represent at UEA - you can view the full blog post, letter and manifesto below.
Need help right now?
I need access to emergency funding
If you find yourself in financial hardship you should contact the University’s Student Life Team. The University has an emergency loan facility (VC Loan) and Student Services Fund (Hardship Fund) which you may be eligible for support through. The Student Life Advisors can also support you with questions around your Student Loan.
Click here to find out more about the Student Services Fund.
Click here to find out more about the VC Loan.
You can contact the Students Life Team finance team through their email.
I currently don’t have any money for food
uea(su) and the University have partnered with the Trussell Trust to help students facing food poverty. If you find yourself in the situation of financial crisis and having no money for food you can speak to a member of staff from either our Advice Centre or from the University’s Student Life Team.
An advisor can help address your crises and provide support to maximise your income, and help you identify any additional grants or funding you could be entitled to either in the short or longer term. If needed, they’ll issue you with a voucher so you can get an emergency food parcel from on campus or at your local food bank in the city.
Each parcel is intended to last 3 days to provide you with breathing space to seek more substantial support.
You can contact our Advice Centre here.
You can contact the Students Life Team finance team through their email.
Safer Taxi Scheme
We believe you shouldn’t have to compromise your safety due to finances. If you ever find yourself in a situation where you feel unsafe or uncomfortable, you can call one of the scheme’s taxi companies and get home safe and sound.
How does it work? All you have to do is call the taxi company, give them your student number (not student ID card) and name, and they will send the invoice to us in the Students’ Union. We will pay the taxi company and then contact you to arrange for you to pay us back later.
These are the taxi companies currently taking part:
ABC Taxi 01603 666333
5 Star Taxi 01603 455555
Courtesy Taxi 01603 446644
Impact on your studies
If your financial situation is negatively impacting your studies, you can submit an extenuation circumstances report to let the University know. Our Advice Centre can provide you with advice and guidance on submitting extenuation circumstance. Click here to view our EC info page or to book an appointment.
Longer term support
It’s true to say that there is very little additional financial support available to students. This is because the current government’s view is that means-tested funding through Student Finance, supplemented by your household income, should be enough to cover the cost of tuition and living whilst you are at university.
However, we understand the reality is this is not the case. We are working to campaign and lobby for greater financial support for students.
Benefits
Benefits for students can be complex. Whilst most students are not entitled to receive benefits, in some cases there are exceptions.
turn2us has great guide to help you understand if you are whether you could be entitled to benefits here.
Bursaries, Grants and Scholarships
At UEA there are a number of bursaries, grants and scholarships available, as well as external grants and scholarships. These schemes are managed by the Bursaries and Scholarship teams. For more information, click the link here or email the teams at bursaries@uea.ac.uk and scholarships@uea.ac.uk.
Budgeting Support
You can get support for budgeting either through our Advice Centre, the University’s Student Life Team or from the Student Information Zone.
Money Saving Tips
Money Saving Expert has produced a student guide that covers all most everything you can think of when it comes to tips and hacks to save money as a student. You can find their student guide here.
Free stuff and things to do
You can get free condoms, period products and STI kits from both our Advice Centre and the Student Information zone.
As a student Union we take period poverty seriously and provide free sanitary products in both the Hive gender neutral toilets and the women’s toilets upstairs near the quiet space.
This year we will continue to lobby for the University to provide free sanitary products in their buildings throughout campus – no one asks you to provide your own toilet paper.