Money Worries - Needs To Be Anonymous

If you're in serious financial troube then I suggest you contact student services immediately. There are sources of financial help, including the Access to Learning fund if you're seriously in risk of dropping out due to it.

Reply 2

2026

15

I don't think you can get it backdated actually. It might be too late.

I do sympathise with you though. I think you're in a bit of a worse situation than me, but money is also very tight here. I rely on cards, which is not good!

Reply 3

Adarah

where do you work right now? is it possible you could get a job that paid more money? Waitrose pay over 7 pounds an hour, for example and you get discount on their food. I still prefer to work at my student union though because of the flexible hours, eventhough they only pay minimum wage.
A friend of mine lives here in London. His government pays tuition fees and his accommodation cost in halls, but everything else he has to pay for from his part time job, as he doesn't get any money from his parents (and not eligible for a loan and no overdraft function since he's overseas).
I don't know about submitting the form, if it's possible or not, but I wouldn't do it if I were you. I'd look into sponsorships and grants and all of that stuff, phone your uni and see if they have any grants for you.

Reply 4

Aconite

Does your university have any kind of hardship fund? Many universities have a sum of money set aside for students who are really struggling, so I would speak to the Student Finances department and see what they can suggest.

Reply 5

Access to Learning Fund

http://www.aimhigher.ac.uk/student_finance/sources_of_help/access_to_learning_funds.cfm

Edit: - Other sources of funding can be found on the site. I would strongly advise on you seeing student support/finance staff at uni an the earliest possible opportunity. Hope it works out.

Reply 6

gumbald

6

Go and speak to your university, they should be able to help you better with more explanation of the figures. I don't think they'll be able to backdate though.

Reply 7

Anonymous #2

I don't know if you should submit the form.. I'm so wary of things like this, they try and catch you out on fraud for anything and they're not exactly dying to hand out money either. I really do sympathise with you though... I am going through money hardships as well, I think many people are...

There must be some help available at your uni? Do you have an overdraft?

Reply 8

Anonymous #1

OP

I can get it back-dated. And no I know all about jobs and good wages, but what I am saying is, to support myself it would still be hours and hours of work. I mean the average student gets 800 pounds a term, how many hours do I need to work to get that kind of money? I just did 100+ hours over Easter and it still won't get me through the term on a strict budget and it's already panicked me about work.
And I have applied for a hardship fund once before, they gave me 500 pounds and it's belittled my pride ever since. I will consider doing it again next term.

Reply 9

Anonymous #1

OP

My overdraft is maxed out. I have an LDR 100 miles away which doesn't help at all. But oh well.

Reply 10

Anonymous

And I have applied for a hardship fund once before, they gave me 500 pounds and it's belittled my pride ever since. I will consider doing it again next term.

I wouldn't let it belittle your pride, if you need the money.

I managed to get £300 to cover the cost of appointments with a private psychologist and my parents could have afforded that if needs be, I certainly wasn't in any great hardship. I still don't feel any shame in taking it.

I think that sort of thing is why they renamed it from the hardship fund to Acces to Learning.

Reply 11

Anonymous #2

Anonymous

I can get it back-dated. And no I know all about jobs and good wages, but what I am saying is, to support myself it would still be hours and hours of work. I mean the average student gets 800 pounds a term, how many hours do I need to work to get that kind of money? I just did 100+ hours over Easter and it still won't get me through the term on a strict budget and it's already panicked me about work.
And I have applied for a hardship fund once before, they gave me 500 pounds and it's belittled my pride ever since. I will consider doing it again next term.

hey listen kick pride out. if you can get extra financial help, why not? i do all the time, that's what it's there for. you're working hard, right?> your parents are working and paying their taxes and doing everything okay right? and with all that if money still isn't easily accessible, then applying for help is fine. if you really need money and the overworking is affecting your studies, you should just apply for the help without even thinking about it.

Reply 12

Adarah

Anonymous

I can get it back-dated. And no I know all about jobs and good wages, but what I am saying is, to support myself it would still be hours and hours of work. I mean the average student gets 800 pounds a term, how many hours do I need to work to get that kind of money? I just did 100+ hours over Easter and it still won't get me through the term on a strict budget and it's already panicked me about work.
And I have applied for a hardship fund once before, they gave me 500 pounds and it's belittled my pride ever since. I will consider doing it again next term.

anyway of getting out of your rental contract and getting somewhere cheaper? or put another bed in your room and get another room mate in who can share the rent?
a friend of mine once lived in a garage and lived off peanut butter and bread for a year while studying :s-smilie:

.
some of my sisters friends live rent free by squatting in an abandoned house and using uni gym to shower etc.
all a matter about being creative some times, when money is tight.

i once has only a few quid to live on at the end of a term. The joys of living off one sack of potatoes that was still left in the cupboard ... :biggrin:

haha, luckily one of my room mates (had 2 at the time) went home for Christmas and left me some of her vegetables to eat (and some other stuff, but that looked very suspicious, so I didn't touch it as I didn't know what it was).

Reply 13

mitsabeeba

2

Anonymous

My overdraft is maxed out. I have an LDR 100 miles away which doesn't help at all. But oh well.

ohhh yes LDR's expensive as HELL.

Reply 14

mitsabeeba

2

Adarah

anyway of getting out of your rental contract and getting somewhere cheaper? or put another bed in your room and get another room mate in who can share the rent?
a friend of mine once lived in a garage and lived off peanut butter and bread for a year while studying :s-smilie:

.
some of my sisters friends live rent free by squatting in an abandoned house and using uni gym to shower etc. all a matter about being creative some times, when money is tight.

i once has only a few quid to live on at the end of a term. The joys of living off one sack of potatoes that was still left in the cupboard ... :biggrin:

haha, luckily one of my room mates (had 2 at the time) went home for Christmas and left me some of her vegetables to eat (and some other stuff, but that looked very suspicious, so I didn't touch it as I didn't know what it was).

WOW. i admire them for enduring that for education.i dont know if id ever have the balls to.
my first semester in my 1st year was a disaster money wise. blew all of it in one go and was living off toast and lentils for my last 3 weeks *argh*

Reply 15

HCD

Hardship funds?

Reply 16

mitsabeeba

2

OP:
one of my friends at loughborough university receives some sort of bursary from the university...of about 1000 pounds a year? because his parents earn under 15,000. i don't know how much it would be for the 35,000 mark but you could always check what your uni has to offer.
do you have anything to sell on eBay?

Reply 17

drbluebox

19

AT my worst I lived off a 15p packet of spaghetti pasta for a year(well a college year) due to my bursary just covering rent and no more.

Was also funny going down sides of sofas or seeing 5ps or 1ps on ground then picking them up for my weekly £1 bottle of booze at student bar(still had an excellent time lol)

Right now im in a bit of a pickle myself im unauthorised overdrawn due to rent(which includes food and bills) is £40 more than my loan but its hard finding a job around this as the uni is about 4 miles from town and all we have nearby is a small shop and pharmacy withing about 3 miles walk.

So I know what its like.

Reply 18

Adarah

mitsabeeba

WOW. i admire them for enduring that for education.i dont know if id ever have the balls to.
my first semester in my 1st year was a disaster money wise. blew all of it in one go and was living off toast and lentils for my last 3 weeks *argh*

We never appreciate how good we have it here with loans and all that (although I wasn't eligible for a student loan in my first year of study for silly reasons, glad i have one now). I know plenty of students who go to even greater lengths than living in a garage to afford their education. We are spoilt rotten here to be quite honest and don't even appreciate what good education we are getting and how little it is actually costing us.
A lot of my friends in Germany are doing a lot worse than I am and they don't pay much in the way of tution fees - but they don't get loans unless their parents earn very little. But not all parents support their kids and give them money, so they have to support themselves when it comes to accommodation and food and travel.

Reply 19