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University of the West of Scotland


Funding and Advice Service

MORE THAN JUST FUNDING!

Yes we handle discretionary funds, SAAS childcare funds and UWS childcare funds, but as a student living in the credit crunch- you will want to maximise your income and minimise your expenditure and we are here to help...

So what else can we offer?

  • We can help you find up to date employment opportunities, through the job shop and student pool service- allowing you to get some extra cash!
  • We can help advise you on the right funding you are entitled to, through SAAS or other statutory bodies
  • We can also help advise on any benifits you may be entiled to- we have priority access to a specialist charity with expert experience in benifits and tax credits.
  • We offer budgeting and debt management advice and can refer you to other agencies if things get too much..
  • We can help point you in the direction of alternative or additional sources of help available, we have local trust funds and subscribe to services which you can use to find an array of different trusts and grants available.
  • We can also help you when things go wrong, so contact us if we can help, or explore the website and make sure your prepared to survive as a proud graduate of the credit crunch!

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Childcare
Sourcing Childcare

Many organisations offer help and support in finding childcare that suits your circumstances. The web site below provides information on many of the organisations that we find helpful, and hope you do too:

http://www.scottishchildcare.gov.uk/

 

PAYING FOR CHILDCARE

Financial support for childcare may be available from:

  • SAAS (for some types of students)
  • Childcare Funds
  • Working Tax Credits

Find out if you're eligible to apply to the childcare funds. If so, Advisers will assess you for any childcare costs above any other childcare funding you may have from the above sources.

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Discounts

Many retailers offer discounts to students as a way of enticing you to spend your money in their establishment. Some discounts simply require you to show your student ID card but many are negotiated nationally by the National Union of Students (NUS) who sell the NUS Extra Card. This card includes a wide range of discounts on food, books, computer equipment, and much more.

Saving money when possible is an excellent way to budget and make your money go further.

BUDGETING

Student life isn't any different than the 'real' world. You have a set amount of money coming in, and that's what you've got to spend and budgeting is key to keeping debt to a minimum. Spend more than you've got, and you'll build up more debts, and paying them back will become a problem.

There are a number of basic steps to take in order to make budgeting easier:

  • Pick the best bank account
  • Shop around: Do your research before you buy. It's easy to assume mobile phones, supermarkets, gym membership, TVs, gas & electricity bills, car and home insurance and other prices don't vary too much – but they do.
  • Budget: Everyone needs to budget but it's more important to do this when your income is low. Doing this keeps you in control of your expenditure and ensures you're not left without cash. For many students, enjoying life as much as possible is an important part of the student experience. There's nothing wrong with spending money on entertainment but you need to budget for it, like everything else in life. Plan when you're going out and when you're staying in, no-one can afford (financially or physically) to party every night, so don't feel pressured into doing it.
  • Don't get the ‘spend it before it goes' bug: When the loan arrives, it's tempting to splurge but remember, this needs to last all month. Everyone loves to splurge but the time to do it is at the end of term, when you've carefully managed your money and know you've got some spare, not the beginning, leaving you short and struggling to pay bills, which is only the beginning of a downward spiral...
  • Get a job: While studying is a priority, it's become commonly accepted now that many students will work to get by. So if you don't have enough cash, don't over borrow, try to find a job instead.