Maintenance loan doesn't cover accomodation

I was going to suggest the obvious answer: working - but as your a medicine student, I fear this may not be as good an idea for you as it is for most, due to the (I hear) demanding nature of your course.

My first thing though would be to talk to the university and find somewhere cheaper to live. Based on your maintaince loan, I take it you are not in london?

There is no way you should ever be spending nearly 7 grand a year on accomodation... ask your university to swap you over, or at least put you on a reserve list for cheaper accomodation.. given your money situation I doubt you could even go to ensuite, so try looking for non-ensuite non-catererd halls, if the university has them.

If they cant to do that, and there is no room to budge at all from the university, then you may need to look at living off campus. I can guarantee you will be able to find a room in your city (as long as its not London) for a lot less then 7 grand for the whole year. I mean I used to rent a 2 bed flat with a garden for £6500 in comutable distance from liverpool, let alone just 1 shared room in a large house. My sister down in bristol rents a room in a lovely house for around £325 a month, which even including bills is around half of what your paying already.

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Once you have cut your accomodation bills down, then you can start to look at part time work / other sources of income to top up your money, and it will be much more feasable for a medical student, as you will likely only need to work 1 day a week, rather then the 2/3/4 you may need to work with your current accomodation bill.

Have you thought about going to the uni?
Sometimes universities have loans/grants they can give students with financial difficulties? Typically limited in number though so get in quick.

That and buy CHEAP stuff, i remember in my first year of uni, I experimented and managed to live off £35-£40 a month in terms of food (a lot of pasta basically with rice and frozen veg, mixed with noodles and some chicken breast).
Living cheap can be done, it's boring but can be done.


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Can you find somewhere cheaper to live? You could get an interest free overdraft with your student bank account. But you do need a long term solution. (ie, a job or money from parents)

Appreciate the thoughts guys and have mulled it over. I'm going to Manchester and think moving to cheaper accommodation is a very sensible shout and think I may do so perhaps a bit into the academic year after being settled down etc.

Unfortunately it's not that simple.

When you sign a uni accommodation contract, it generally commits you to paying rent in that accommodation for the academic year. You can't just move somewhere else a few weeks in. Check the small print very carefully before looking elsewhere. Sometimes uni accommodation will allow you to transfer your rental contract to someone else, but you may be responsible for finding that person. It could be difficult with expensive catered accommodation. The last thing you need is to be legally responsible for paying two lots of rent.

ahhh thank you for that information that's very important. The dots will connect for the better I'm sure, but this has been a major wake up call. Living costs are going to be kept low as possible (besides freshers ) I cycle everywhere and am not a big spender so hopefully shall work out

thank you!

Actually Manchester does allow you to swap very easily. I'm going there as well to study medicine too. Even after you've paid the deposit as long as you find someone of the same sex to swap with and both are happy it's fine. You just have to phone or email them and it should be done within two working days.
On the facebook groups a lot of people are looking for ensuite accommodation so you should be able to find people there. Just be aware you'll probably end up swapping with someone in Wright Robinson, whitworth park or Owens park.


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thanks thats REALLY useful I'll be doing that soon probably! see you there