Money Advice
In financial need? Check out our guide to the University's Hardship Funds
Read our Top Ten Money Saving Tips here
Check out these useful websites:
Statutory Support
There is a lot of financial support available to students of every age and background. Check out these websites to see if you qualify for any of the statutory help provided by the Government.
Student Finance - This homepage explains how to apply; how much you may be entitled to; how to re-pay you loan and offers help and guidance on what you need to do.
Student Finance Calculator -The calculator gives an estimate of what’s available for student loans, grants and scholarships and bursaries from your place of study.
NHS Student Grants - If you are currently studying, thinking about or enrolled on a course in health care you may be entitled to a bursary awarded by the NHS. Use the Bursary Calculator to find out what financial support is available to you.
Social Work Bursary - The social work bursary was introduced by the Department of Health as an incentive to train in social work. See if you are eligible for a non-income assessed basic grant.
Teacher Training - If you are considering training to become a teacher there are a range of incentives and financial support available both whilst you train and after you qualify.
Adult Learning Grant - The Adult Learning Grant is there to give you a helping hand towards travel, study materials or other costs you might incur while you’re studying. If you’re an adult taking a full-time course, you could get up to £30 per week during term time - that’s around £1,000 a year.
Education Maintenance Allowance - EMA is cash in your hands to help you carry on learning. If you’re 16, 17 or 18 and have left, or are about to leave, compulsory education, then it could be for you. You could earn up to £30 per week, helping you cover the cost of books, travel and course materials.
Debt
Help is at hand if you find yourself running into debt. The following websites offer independent support and advice for those in the red.
CCCS - CCCS is a registered charity offering free, confidential advice and support to anyone who is worried about debt.
Advice Guide - Online help from the Citizens Advice.
National Debtline -The helpline that provides free confidential and independent advice on how to deal with debt problems.
Other Funding
You may be eligible for other types of funding, so it's worthwhile having a look on these websites and seeing if you qualify for extra support:
Scholarship Search - Use this search facility to see what scholarships, bursaries and awards are available to you.
Support 4 Learning - This website contains information on various forms of financial help and advice available to you if you undertake various kinds of study and/or training.
Entitled To - Just use this simple calculator to work out how much you could claim in tax credits and benefits.
Family Action - Family Action is England's leading family charity, supporting over 45,000 families every year. They tackle some of the most complex and difficult issues facing families today – including domestic abuse, mental health problems, learning disabilities and severe financial hardship.
Discounts
NUS Extra - Don't forget about the great savings you can make with an NUS Extra card. Simply follow the link to apply today!
Student Beans - Everybody loves a discount, so why not sign-up to StudentBeans and see which great offers are happening in and around Birmingham. Updated regularly this website offers discounts on food, shopping, entertainment and great days out!
Student Bank Accounts
Money Saving Expert - The MoneySavingExpert website looks into the types of accounts available to students and informs you of which account will make the most of your money. Updated annually to help you make the right choice on the high street.
Tax
Student Tax Advice - Students in the UK are liable to pay income tax and National Insurance contributions on their earnings, just like everyone else. The Student Tax Advice site and a tax refund calculator have been created to help answer some of your most frequently asked questions about tax, and to help you find out if you might be eligible for a tax refund.
Resources