Manchester Metropolitan University

Manchester

Student support package 2nd year metcard nonsense.

If your household income is less than £25,000, the Uni offer the student support package.
A total of £4000 you can use in a number of ways.
First year, I chose the £3000 discount on accommodation -That's brilliant. Bravo MMU for offering it.

But in the second year, the only possible option is two installments of £500 on the met card on the following date:
Stage 1 – 23 October 2013
Stage 2 – 27 January 2014

Is it only me who thinks this is useless?
The money could be used where we really need it, on accommodation, travel to and from uni and so on. But no, they've decided we can only spend it on snacks, the crappy food in the union or supplies from the union shop.

Sure, I'm occasionally going to buy all of them things. But I'm never going to buy £1000 worth of pens from the union shop!

The only saving grace of this is the fact you can buy a Unirider from the student union shop. Though the timing of the payment dates makes that problematic as well. You either buy it when you arrive at uni from your own pocket and have £205 extra you'll struggle to spend on the metcard. Or spend money getting to and from uni for the month before the payment comes through and then buy the ticket via the union shop.

The only system of bursaries was far more useful. It was less money but at least you had the freedom to spend it on what you need too. I would spend it on rent.

Rant over. But I do question how wise this is for MMU. I understand it keeps money within their 'mini-economy', but under the old system was surely more helpful to the students and cheaper to implement for the uni.

Reply 1

Ppower

could be worse, imagine you didn't get into Manchester Met halls and got lumped with Private halls, then your £3,000 bursary doesn't have any use at all.

Manchester Metropolitan University

Manchester

Reply 2

linderzz

I went for the accommodation bursary for that very reason. Pay for my rent and I will spend the spare cash on whatever I want

Reply 3

SpicyStrawberry

You can also spend your met card in Blackwells, which will come in handy when you need to buy textbooks

Reply 4

linderzz

Original post by SpicyStrawberry

You can also spend your met card in Blackwells, which will come in handy when you need to buy textbooks

I've been getting my books from amazon. The used prices haven't been bad at all

Reply 5

shakkalab

I was told it came off accommodation (not specified that it was to be MMU only!) Signed with private halls as there were no uni halls left, then got an email about a month after signing my contract saying they can't take it off my halls under any circumstances and now I have 3 grand on a metcard to waste on rubbish yet literally no actual money to buy food as more than my full loan gets taken up by the private halls. Which are really unaffordable for someone from a low income household, if I'd have been told I wouldn't get it off private halls I never would have even signed the dotted line!

Basically - stuck with no food, can't pay my rent as its too expensive without the grant so I'm just sat here with a really expensive bit of plastic, waiting for the impending legal drama from the housing company. Due to the fact this is classed as a 'hardship' grant that is supposed to enable less fortunate students to pursue a good education, I don't think its doing very well. I'm about a month away from having to move home when my overdraft is maxed and I have literally nothing to live on and over £30,000 of student loans debt (but no degree) to show for it.

Reply 6

markova21

This sounds like a ridiculous idea;not the money as such but that you can`t spend it on whatever you like. Surely people should let the University know how useless this scheme is.If enough people complain, surely they will have to change it?

Reply 7

lonelykatana

Quick follow up.
I moaned to the union and they said the money going on the card was already in line for a review, looking likely to be changed in the near future.
Unfortunately that doesn't help any of us, but it's good to see the union doing what they are there for.

Reply 8

fernberry

You are aware you can buy iPads, computers, printers, software, food to take home, trips, cafe food as well as use it in Blackwells arent you...

Reply 9

Ppower

iPads ? You mean a nook ?

Reply 10

itshusi

Original post by Ppower

iPads ? You mean a nook ?

No, he means iPads... They have a Met Card only online tech shop now. They sell lots of different tech products! Go to the MMU Met Card website and you can access it from there.

Reply 11

XxElla93xX

Yeah I bought a £700 laptop off the website and I'm using my next payment to buy my boyfriend a new laptop for his 3rd year at uni. I'm doing English and bought nearly all my books on Amazon before I came to uni but I've really needed that money to get even more books I've needed. You can also get a gym membership with the money as well.

I'm in private halls too and I was gutted I couldn't pay for my rent with the money but I've gotta admit the extra money on my metcard has paid for alot of union meals when I'm been skint. I also bought a nook from Blackwell's that I'm going to sell for real money as well haha :smile:

Reply 12

username909838

I never got this! I get an extra grant on top of my loan which I'm pleased about but it's not like the 4k... One of my flatmates last year used this money to pay for near enough all the rent.

Also what happened with the Met Card? They gave us £20 last year. Was expecting something the same this year, went to buy something and was told there was nothing on it! :colondollar:

Reply 13

jaderose92

Ella93 I bought my tablet from the site :smile:

If you read on the site though, you are restricted to buying one laptop and one tablet so if you already bought a laptop........

As frustrating as the Support Package/Met card situation has been (I pay loads for petrol as uni is an hour and 15 mins away), I am really grateful to be getting something. If only it could go on my rent then I wouldn't have to spend time working when I could be studying :/

Reply 14

XxElla93xX

Original post by jaderose92

Ella93 I bought my tablet from the site :smile:

Hey yeah its one laptop within the year. So I'll buy another next year. I know a few people who have done this now just to get abit of proper money. They bought stuff and sold it on. But I totally get that the money should be available for other stuff.