Wether you like it or not, money makes the world go around!
When you arrive at university and get your grant, loan or scholarship, you might find yourself with more cash than you’ve ever had before. Dealing with this may seem like a challenge, but don’t panic, there’s help at hand.
Student Advice has created this guide to help you think about all the important stuff, and our Advisors are here to help if you need us!
You have to make sure you have enough money to pay for everything you need and working this out can feel like hard work. It’s often tempting to fall into the trap of having a big spending spree when your loan payment first comes into your bank account. You can then find yourself over the next few months, wondering where you’re going to find the money to pay the bills, buy materials you need for your course, clothes, food, toiletries while still having some spare cash to treat yourself to a much needed night out or a good time with your friends!
Plus, what about using credit? Is that a good idea or a bad idea?
How do you know if you’ve chosen the best bank account for you? What is a loan shark? Which app is best for budgeting? What is APR, how does it work? How do you deal with those emergency expenses and still stay on track? How can you ever plan for anything on such a limited budget? Are you the only one who doesn’t understand how Student Finance works?!
Oxford SU: Student Advice is here to help you!
Important things to remember about your student money.
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Getting into the habit of doing a budget regularly will help prevent money problems. You can do a budget for a term, a month, a week or even a day!
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Work out a system to keep track of your spending.
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Get into a daily routine of going over your spending two or three times a week. It only needs to take about 15 minutes of your time!
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Be careful about borrowing money. The amount you owe can soon escalate to the point where it’s out of control. If you’re thinking about borrowing money or if you already have, come and see one of our Advisors for friendly advice and free, confidential information.
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Make sure you know your priorities and what you need to pay for such as accommodation, food and household bills. Keep this money safe and seperate. Our Advisors can suggest lots of di erent ways to separate your priority and non-priority spending.
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Look at our website oxfordsu.org/advice for lots more information , top tips and handy details on all things money related.
Who can you ask for help?
We can help you with:
- Managing your money well.
- Using credit.
- Dealing with debt.
- Running your bank accounts.
- Welfare benefits for students.
- Information on loans, grants and fees.
Budget planner.