Are you feeling the pressure of cost of living at the moment? You're not alone. Students all over the country are feeling it too. 

NUS have found that the current crisis is pushing students to the brink. Find out more and sign their petition here

 

At HSU, we've put together a few links and resources to support you during this difficult time. 

 

Food on site 

We've opened up a new kitchen space in Loft which includes two microwaves and a kettle, so you can heat up your own food whilst on site. There's also free tea, coffee and hot chocolate for you to enjoy! 

 

SU Breakfast mornings 

This year we are hosting breakfasts morning every Thursday morning 9.30am-10.30am for you to enjoy free toast or porridge with honey / jam / maramalade. 

 

Finance

You can access the financial support fund (previously hardship fund) – the calculation behind this funding is completely different to that of bursary support, so even if a student has been unsuccessful before, you may be able to access the financial support fund. Find out more about Hartpury bursaries and financial support here. 

Speaking of finance, the finance team @ Hartpury are on hand to answer any questions or concerns that you may have. Contact them via email: studentfinance@hartpury.ac.uk.

There's also a handy Budget Planner tool by MoneySavingExpert here - which many students will find helpful. 

 

 

Tips & Tricks from other students

Many of you contributed to our COL Padlet- sharing your tips and tricks for getting through financial difficulty - from wellbeing support to money saving recipes, check out how other students are coping here. 

 

Clothing, books and stationary SWAP SHOP 

We've set up a swap shop in our new SU Loft to support you in exchanging items for free. If you have something of good condition to donate, please get in touch. Feel free to take any of the stationary, books or clothing items on display. We get a range of items in - including academic and non academic books, as well as Hartpury branded clothes, course related clothing (e.g. lab coats), interview attire and casual wear. 

 

Student-friendly recipes

check out these low cost, student-friendly recipes - Student recipes | BBC Good Food

Keep an eye out on the SU Insta for recipes of the week! 

 

Transport tips

Shuttle bus tickets are cheapest when bought in bulk - if you know you'll be using the bus often, it is worth considering the annual pass - BUT be aware that you are entering into yearly contract so this is not a suitable option if you plan to use an alternative method of transport for the second semester. 

Car sharing is a great way to save money and improve your sustainability. Reach out to coursemates / housemates to ask about sharing. It is a good idea to sort out petrol money from the start so it's fair for everyone! You could try a car sharing app e.g. BlaBla Car.  

 

Money saving Apps

Try out Too Good To Go for food deals from your local suppliers or Olio for food deals and clothing/item exchange. 

 

Your student card

Did you know, every time you upload money onto your card you collect UPAY points? You can use these loyalty points to buy food on campus. Be sure to ask the team how many points you have on your card - if you don't use them, you'll lose them!

 

Post-University funding

Are you concerned about your next steps? There's also funding available at Masters and PhD level. Finance have created this handy guide including a video to help you understand the differences between Undergrad, Masters and PhD funding.

 

Part time work 

Check out some local search engines to help you find part time work and tips for applying here. Don't forget ICE are available for 1:1 sessions to discuss career options, support with CV writing, and help with interview prep. You can book these via Moodle. 

 

APPG for Students COL submission 

HSU was one of 70 SUs to make a submission to the APPG (All-party parliamentary group) for Students on the CoL impact on students. The final report is here. The main recommendations for universities are below, which we believe are entirely inline with what the student movement have been campaigning for (and Sascha (pres: guidance) spoke about from her time at conference).

 

To universities:

1. Increase student awareness of financial support and advice services.

2. Review application processes for support, removing barriers to applications and requirements for unnecessary information.

3. Share information on cost-of-living initiatives to support students to encourage best practice.

4. Provide specific support for, and encourage staff understanding of, students working longer hours in paid employment.