Cost of Living

• This will be paid via your energy provider in instalments from October 2022 to March 2023.
• Direct debit and credit users will receive these as bill credits.
• Prepayment customers will have money applied to the meter or via voucher.

International Students - this is not considered a public fund for immigration purposes, so you may receive this if you meet the criteria.

• Support will be paid direct to your bank via DWP or HMRC depending on which benefit you receive.
• This will be delivered as two lump sums, one in July 2022 and one in Autumn 2022.
• Qualifying benefits are Child Tax Credit, Working Tax Credit (both from HMRC), Income-based Job Seekers Allowance, Income-based Employment Support Allowance, Income Support and Universal Credits.
• This additional support is tax free, not included in the benefit cap and will not impact any other benefits you receive.

• Paid in September direct to your bank which you receive benefits into.
• Qualifying benefits are Armed Forces Independence payment, Attendance Allowance, Constant Attendance Allowance, Disability Living Allowance, Personal Independence Payment, Scottish Disability Benefits and War Pensioner’s Mobility Supplement.
• Again, the support is tax free, not included in the benefit cap and will not impact on any other benefits you receive.

Low Income Winter Heating Assistance (Scotland)

• Eligible households in Scotland will get an automatic £50 payment in February 2023.
• Payments will be made into the bank account which you receive benefits into.
• Qualifying benefits are Income-based Job Seekers Allowance, Income-based Employment Support Allowance and Income Support, Pension Credit and Universal Credit.
• This replaces the Cold Weather Payment which is currently still in place throughout the rest of the UK.

Cold Weather Payment (Rest of UK)

For the Cold Weather Payment, the benefit eligibility is the same but to receive it the temperature in your area must be or be forecast to be –0 degrees celsius or lower for seven consecutive days between 1st November and 31st March each year. The Cold Weather Payment is only £25 but could be paid on more than one occasion.

The UK government extended the Household Support Fund until the end of September 2022, which was aimed at providing additional support for the lowest income families. In England this is administered via local councils but in Scotland this has been split into benefits and grants/voucher schemes.

Home Heating Advice Scotland have the overview of the energy support available in Scotland, which is aimed at those with significant financial hardship. To access help via this scheme applicants must have taken professional energy/money advice from an accredited agency. As such the most effective way to access this is via a partner referral. Information on partners involved can be found on the link below:

Partnership Directory – homeheatingadvice.scot

The Scottish government have announced that this scheme will now run until March 2023. Support may take the form of a direct payment or an energy voucher. This fund aims to support those in need regardless of the type of fuel/meter or payment used. To find out more they have a useful FAQ page for those who feel they may need this support.

In England, a further £500 million support has been announced to come in from October 2022 to March 2023 and again this will be administered via local councils. If you are unsure if you may qualify for this, contact your local council for support.

A budget is possibly the single most important tool for effectively managing your money, so if you’ve never created one before, now is the time. It helps you compare your income to your outgoings, allowing you to see when and where you might need to adjust your spending, in order to make ends meet.

We have a webpage devoted to helping you prepare a budget and prioritise your spending. Visit our budgeting and planning webpage here.

If you’re new to creating a budget, we have tools to help you do this -

• UWS Budgeting Module– This is a web-based tool aimed at home students that takes you through the process of preparing a budget.
• UWS Prepare to Study in the UK – This is a web-based tool designed exclusively for those students joining us from outside the UK. It will help you understand more about money and the cost of living in the UK, and will take you through the process of preparing a budget.

If you are the type of person who already uses a budget to stay on top of their finances, now is the time to review this.

Income changes and the amount you pay for bills can always fluctuate, now more than ever, so it is important to update and review your budget regularly. If you are regularly spending more on certain items than your initial budget allowed for, reassess your situation and adjust your budget, or your expenditure, accordingly.

Visit our budgeting and planning webpage here for help reviewing your budget.

Your lifestyle choices will have a massive impact on your budget. There are no rules about what you should or shouldn’t spend your money on but when times get tough and income doesn’t stretch as far as it once used to, we often need to take a step back and reflect on this type of spending.

When it comes to lifestyle spending, the information and tips available on our dedicated webpage will help you make choices that are right for you, and keep this at an affordable level.

A great way to invest in yourself is by working part-time during your studies. Not only will this help pay your bills, but it will help develop the skills and experience future employers will be looking for. Graduate recruiters highly value work-experience, including part-time work, so this could be a great boost for your CV! We have some great tips on getting a part-time job while you can explore opportunities on our vacancy portal. 

Remember that you are entitled to earn the National Minimum Wage while working. This applies to all students, even International Students who may be working up to 20 hours per week if their visa allows.

Even during times where we are trying to watch our budget and spend less, you will still inevitably need to buy things sometimes. It could be for a gift or perhaps a special occasion. You might need clothing or items for university. This too can be approached in a money-saving way.

As a student you are a key target market for a lot of retailers. Just having a student ID can often secure you a discount in most shops and online retailers. Always check for this before you buy. Signing up for a TOTUM card can secure you additional discounts or try buying via a student focused web retailer like Unidays or Student Beans.

If you have a gift to buy (and you aren’t crafty or good at home baking) try discount sites such as Groupon, 5pm.com, Itison or Living Social. You sign up and receive regular email updates on a wide range of gifts, meals and experiences that can be bought for a discount.

Remember as a student you can get free access to Microsoft 365 and Adobe (only for specific courses that require Adobe as part of the curriculum). Do not buy these products, use your student email to sign up and get this for free. Our ITDS FAQ pages detail some of this for you and you can also ask your course leader if there is a program or suite you need that is more specialist. However, do take into account that a lot of specialist software needed for some courses can be accessed on campus, or remotely using a VPN, meaning you can access the required software without having to buy your own copy.

You will see on this link too that we run a digital hardship scheme. If you find yourself without a laptop or other essential IT kit and have difficulty in being able to replace or repair yours due to hardship, we have options to be able to borrow or secure one from UWS.

When thinking about buying tech, make sure you only buy things you actually need. Ask your course lead what you require and do research using sites such as PC Mag or Techradar before you rush in and buy something.

When you sign up for a good or service such as Amazon, Spotify or even Apple look for any student discount plans. Do really think about whether you need services or goods before buying them and be sure to budget for anything you do sign up to.

If you are not already settled in accommodation, or find yourself needing to move, it is now more important than ever to plan carefully for this.

Our Private Rental Guide includes a lot of advice and guidance to help you source appropriate accommodation and get your budget prepared to meet these costs.

Sadly, there are some out there who would use the current cost of living situation to take advantage of people seeking accommodation. The best way to protect yourself against this is to be alert, and use the information in the Private Rental Guide to ensure you understand how things should be done.

You may also find it helps to check out the tips and info available from Shelter. Just be sure to go into the correct part of the Shelter website as the laws are different in Scotland and England.

The price CAP is a maximum rate that a company can charge you on standing charges and unit rates.

Standing charges are a fixed daily charge that you pay regardless of your energy usage

Unit charges are the price you pay per unit for gas or electricity you consume (measured in kilowatts per hour KWh)

The new price guarantee is £2500 per year for someone with typical use and this will extend until October 2024.

As the cap is on these specific areas and not your bill, it doesn’t mean your bill can’t be higher than £2500. The amount of energy you use will determine your overall bill. This typical figure just helps with illustrating the cap and how it might operate. If you use less energy, your bill will be lower. To help you with a more meaningful figure, Money Saving Expert has developed a calculator you can use. If you find energy bills confusing and aren’t sure where to get the information you need, you may also find their article on Energy Bills Explained helpful.

This is an existing government scheme which provides a £150 relief on energy costs for pensioners and those in the broader group which is where some students may qualify.

Warm Home Discount Scheme: Overview - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

In Scotland, the energy suppliers themselves manage the support for the broader group and not all suppliers are signed up to the scheme. They have a limited number of discounts they can apply and you will need to be on a qualifying benefit to count as a member of the broader group.

The best way to access this is to go to your own suppliers’ website and type Warm Home Discount into the search bar. There is also a list of energy suppliers on the link above where the hyperlinks will take you directly to the webpage you need.

In England for the coming year, they have made a change and those on qualifying benefits who are deemed to have high energy costs will receive their £150 automatically. The high energy use is based on data from the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. Ofgem have advised that BEIS are working on a calculator so homes can work out their eligibility.

Some energy providers operate charitable trusts to assist their customers who find themselves in the greatest hardship. Usually, you will need to be a customer of the company with the exception of British Gas who can provide support to a wider group.

To access this level of support you will need to be already in debt and taking advice from either an energy or debt specialist. You may also need to be on a qualifying benefit. To find out more, take a look at item 3 in this Money Saving Expert article on What to do if you are struggling to pay your energy bills.

Joining the Priority Services Register may assist you if you or someone in your household is pregnant, has young children or a disability or long-term health condition. The support offered is non-financial but can provide valuable assistance, for example in the event of a power cut.

Learning to read your meter properly and getting into the habit with this will assist you to keep on top of your energy use and bills and also help you to make sure you are being charged correctly. Citizens Advice have a good guide with pictures to get you started. Using this and learning how to understand your energy bill will help you to ensure that any charges you are given are just.

Whilst as consumers we have no control over the current energy crisis, working on reducing energy consumption within the home is something we can all work on. This is one of the few things we can do that can help reduce the bills we receive.

Basic tips -:

• Switch off lights and don’t leave devices on standby
• Use your microwave rather than your oven where possible as it uses up to 25% less energy
• Use LED lightbulbs when replacing bulbs
• Close curtains at nighttime
• Use cheap draught excluders to keep heat in your rooms
• Take shorter showers and choose a shower over a bath
• Wash clothes at low temperatures and try to only use full loads in your washing machine or dishwasher
• Do not use a tumble dryer, it uses a staggering amount of energy
• Lower your thermostat and familiarize yourself with your heating controls to ensure you aren’t heating your home when it would be more efficient to turn it off

These tips are all taken from Energy Saving Trust – Quick Tips to Save Energy

Other things to look into are whether or not you and your home qualify for any government support to improve energy efficiency. Home Energy Scotland can assist with this and there is lots of information available on their Reduce Energy Bills page. The Energy Saving Trust have similar support for students who live in England to review.

Due to the current energy situation, Money Saving Expert have updated their Energy Mythbusting page and created a page called Heat the Human Not the Home. Both of these pages have tips to help you keep warm and reduce the energy use in your home and are well worth a read.

At UWS we have a very diverse student population and how much a family or individual will spend on their food shopping will vary from household to household. A family of four will have very different spending needs and habits than a household made up of one student living independently for the first time.

We want to save you money whatever your circumstances, and have pulled together a range of resources on our dedicated Food webpage to help you do this, whether you are a seasoned householder or complete shopping novice.

Learning to cook and planning your meals can save you lots of money in the long run, if it’s done right.

Use our Meal Planner to plan your weekly menu, prepare your shopping list and work out what you have in the fridge or freezer that needs used up.

Check out our Afoodable Guide and The Afoodable Guide: The Sequel to get you started. These cookbooks feature lots of tips for gaining confidence and saving money in the kitchen, and ideas for keeping your costs down while eating well.

According to Love Food Hate Waste, the average UK household throws away £720 of food per year. Whilst no one means to be wasteful, that is a lot of money for most households. Visit our dedicated Food webpage for more advice on how to make the most of the food you buy and cook and how to make it stretch that little bit further.

In some circumstances you may find yourself in need of additional support and there are a wide range of organisations available to help.

Food pantries and larder schemes have been launched in lots of communities and you may find this a helpful way to keep food costs down. These are run by community groups and offer low-cost food for a small membership fee. The food is usually distributed by an organization like FareShare and it stops good surplus food going to waste.

As these schemes tend to be run by voluntary or charitable organisations there isn’t a national directory as such. However, looking on local Facebook pages and on community notice boards in large supermarkets like Tesco and Morrisons may be an effective way to find out about pantries close to you. You can also look in community spaces such as libraries, village hall notice boards etc.

In Renfrewshire you can find a roundup of these from Engage Renfrewshire’s helpful webpage.

In Glasgow here are a few that cover a broad base of the city:

• Glasgow Community Grocery
• Northwest Community Pantry
• Good Food Scotland
• Govanhill People’s Pantry
• Locations/Scottish Pantry Network

In Lanarkshire the following organisations may be able to assist with community shops/pantry schemes:

• The Pantry - Hamilton Seventh-day Adventist Church
• Hillstop Cafe, Hamilton
• Homepage - Communities Together
• The People's Pantry | Facebook

In Dumfries and Galloway:

• The Pantry at River of Life | Facebook

In London the Women’s Environmental Network (WEN) have a round-up of all food support in the Tower Hamlets area.

• Tower Hamlets food support - March 2022 update

Community Fridges also help redistribute good quality food in local areas. Unlike a pantry or larder scheme, the items in these fridges are usually free and can be taken if you find yourself in need of something urgently. The Community Fridge Network has an interactive map where you can find your local support.

You may find that via UWS or another agency supporting you, you are offered a Foodbank referral. A Foodbank is a charitable organisation providing emergency food to individuals and families who need it. Lots of different people are referred to foodbanks and the staff work hard to make them welcoming places to visit. A foodbank provides up to 3 days of food to help cover circumstances where a person has no access to food or funds. This is why it is a referral-based system, so that the support can be offered in a joined-up way. You will often find that other agencies provide support from within the foodbank such as clinics from the local Citizens Advice Bureau. To find out more about foodbanks and how they work read the information on the Trussell Trust website.

Following the success of UWS Breakfast Club in Term 1, from January 2023 we will be offering free breakfasts to our students on Ayr, Lanarkshire and Paisley campuses, Monday to Friday every week, and extending the time that this is available to between 8.30am and 10am.

At UWS we are here for our students, and this initiative ensures all of our students have a healthy kick-start to their day. Students will be able to sit down and enjoy their breakfast in The Atrium at Ayr, The Restaurant at Lanarkshire and The Hub at Paisley.

Eating a healthy breakfast has several benefits and can positively impact your studies, learning and general health. It’s also a great opportunity to catch up with your classmates.

Options available for the breakfast include coffee, fruit and croissants, as well as cereals and continental style offers.

In order to get your free breakfast you will just have to show our catering teams your digital student ID card.

Breakfast Club ‘Fast Facts’

• Students who eat breakfast are proven to perform better during examinations.
• Breakfast can encourage healthier eating, helping reduce snacking and overeating throughout the day.
• Breakfast helps kick-start metabolism, boost energy levels and stables the brain.
• Eating with others has proven positive benefits to mental wellbeing.

The key details:

• Ayr Campus – The Atrium, Monday to Friday, 8:30am - 10am
• Lanarkshire Campus – The Restaurant, Monday to Friday, 8:30am - 10am
• Paisley Campus – The Hub, Monday to Friday, 8:30am - 10am

If you live in Scotland and are 5-21* years old you are eligible for a card giving you free bus travel. Children and young people aged 5-21 years old will need a National Entitlement Card (NEC) or Young Scot National Entitlement Card (Young Scot NEC) before hopping on board.

Find out more about the scheme from Transport Scotland.

*Children under five years old already travel for free on buses and don’t need a card.

Get 1/3 off your rail fares with the 16-25 railcard if you're aged 16-25, or if you’re a full-time student - at any age. At £30 for 1 year, or £70 for 3 years, it can work out to be an investment that leads to lots of savings if you are travelling using the Scotrail network.

Find out more on the Scotrail website.

Many transport companies will offer student discounted tickets, giving you access to preferential rates because of your student status. No matter where you are buying your travel tickets from, always check if you can get a discounted student ticket.

Check out Save the Student’s travel advice.

Now is as good a time as any to make sure you are getting the most out of your banking arrangements, and that this is working for you. It might seem like one bank is much the same as next, but that won’t always be the case. Ask yourself the following questions:

• Are you paying a monthly fee for benefits that you don’t use?
• Is another bank offering a perk that you would use?
• If you are regularly in your overdraft, is this costing you money?

We have lots of tips about student banking on our dedicated banking webpage. This information will help you find the best account for you.

We’re not talking about borrowing through the student funding system, but about commercial borrowing.

As a student, borrowing money at certain times may be unavoidable, and it’s certainly not common to get through life without ever having to do this. Just think about mortgages, or car loans. However, borrowing should not be seen as a way to fund you basic living costs. If you are considering borrowing to pay for your day to day living costs, please do exhaust every other possibility in the first instance, and get advice and support.

If you owe money, it is really important to include these repayments in your budget and treat them as priority spending due to the impact that not paying can have. If you reach the point where you think you might be unable to pay what you owe when you are meant to, talk to your creditor in advance.

You’ll find lots of advice and guidance on our dedicated Debt & Borrowing webpage, and this also includes details of organisations you can contact if you need assistance.

Sadly, there are some out there who would use the current cost of living situation to commit crime and take advantage of people in already vulnerable positions. The best way to avoid this is to educate yourself on what to look out for. Trust your gut instinct if something doesn’t feel right.

Loan Sharks may operate in your local community. These are illegal money lenders and are not a safe place to borrow funds from. Renfrewshire Affordable Credit Alliance has a great short video about this on their website along with information on more affordable credit options.

Scams relating to the cost of living may take many forms. Ultimately scammers want your personal information and bank details. They may target people online, via cold calling, email, text messages and door stopping.

Things to be wary of are:

• Impersonation – calls, messages or emails claiming to be from a legitimate body such as HMRC or your energy company. Asking you to click a link and provide details for a rebate or a grant. You can always double check things by going directly to the company website and looking for the thing you have been offered. Most large organisations would not contact you in this way for these things.
• Energy Efficiency Scams – social media posts, doorstep callers, unsolicited emails advertising energy efficiency measures such as insulation. Do not accept advice on energy efficiency from organisations you have not contacted yourself. The government has nominated information sources who can help you with these things such as Home Energy Scotland and the Energy Saving Trust. Review carefully the website of any company you have found yourself and if you are unsure, check in with one of the government agencies to see if they can help you.
• Banking and Investment Scams – your bank will never contact you via text message or email asking you for details or to change details. Familiarize yourself with your own bank’s policies on communications and look in the help section of their website for suggestions on how to avoid scams and how to report them should you be the victim of one. The same goes for pension fraud. Be very, very wary of anyone asking unsolicited questions about your pension provision or offering to help you release pension funds early to help with your current cost of living.  The FCA have a useful article on this which includes details on how to report these crimes.
• Cryptocurrency Investment Scams are also on the rise. Companies will advertise on social media often using celebrities as promotion to make themselves look legitimate. They will offer you investment opportunities, some even giving you some small returns to conceal they are fake. FCA do not regulate this industry but they do have a guide on this type of scam and how to report it.
• Fake Goods/Online Shopping – everyone loves a bargain, especially when times are tougher. Some criminals will target consumers in this way. Offering low prices on goods and clothing or copying large brand websites to look like the real thing. These criminals want your bank details, and it can be very easy to be scammed in this way. Pay by credit card where possible so you have additional section 75 protection. Check the IP address of websites and look for a padlock icon. Check the spelling and word placement on the website, especially in sections such as About Us. Check they have a returns policy. Check reviews of the seller. Which have a good article on this type of fraud which can help you know what to look for.

Remember most of these scams are orchestrated by professional criminals so if you are the victim of one, it isn’t your fault. These scams can be highly sophisticated and challenging to spot. For more advice on how to be scam aware take a look at Money Saving Experts, 30 Ways to Stop Scams or government backed Take 5 – To Stop Fraud. If you are worried about energy specific scams (one of the fastest growing) The Energy Saving Trust has a How to Spot an Energy Scam guide.

Following the success of UWS Breakfast Club in Term 1, from January 2023 we will be offering free breakfasts to our students on Ayr, Lanarkshire and Paisley campuses, Monday to Friday every week, and extending the time that this is available to between 8.30am and 10am.

At UWS we are here for our students, and this initiative ensures all of our students have a healthy kick-start to their day. Students will be able to sit down and enjoy their breakfast in The Atrium at Ayr, The Restaurant at Lanarkshire and The Hub at Paisley.

Eating a healthy breakfast has several benefits and can positively impact your studies, learning and general health. It’s also a great opportunity to catch up with your classmates.

Options available for the breakfast include coffee, fruit and croissants, as well as cereals and continental style offers.

In order to get your free breakfast you will just have to show our catering teams your digital student ID card.

Breakfast Club ‘Fast Facts’

• Students who eat breakfast are proven to perform better during examinations.
• Breakfast can encourage healthier eating, helping reduce snacking and overeating throughout the day.
• Breakfast helps kick-start metabolism, boost energy levels and stables the brain.
• Eating with others has proven positive benefits to mental wellbeing.

The key details:

• Ayr Campus – The Atrium, Monday to Friday, 8:30am - 10am
• Lanarkshire Campus – The Restaurant, Monday to Friday, 8:30am - 10am
• Paisley Campus – The Hub, Monday to Friday, 8:30am - 10am

The UWS Catering Department is committed to ensuring students receive excellent value for money and a great overall experience. With the cost of living and wider economic environment having a huge impact on students across the UK, our aim is to ensure we are providing variety of choice in our offering, that we meet the needs of our core student customer base, and do as competitively as possible.

We regularly benchmark our prices to ensure that we are well placed within the sector, both across other Higher Education Institutions and the commercial high street.

Together with great initiatives such as the UWS Breakfast Club and future developments across our catering provision, we will continue to ensure our students are at the heart of the catering service at UWS.

At UWS we recognise the transformative power of physical activity and sport in enabling health and wellbeing. As part of this commitment we offer FREE gym memberships to all of our students at our UWS operated facilities, offering modern, warm and well equipped sports facilities throughout the day and evening for students to exercise. 

Find out more online here.

Many other privately operated gym and fitness facilities will offer student discounted membership rates, but remember to only commit to a membership if you will absolutely get your money’s worth.

Each of our five campuses has its own library with study facilities that provide safe and warm space for students to settle in and spend the day studying. Find out more about opening hours and facilities online here.

We are pleased to announce the removal of fines for overdue UWS Library books, effective immediately. This follows a recent book amnesty, waiving fines for late book returns. This will continue, and existing fines are no longer valid. Students and staff should be aware that replacement charges remain in place if items are lost or damaged. 

In addition, a book recall system has been introduced to allow popular print resources to be used by more students. If an item that is on loan is reserved by another user it will need to be returned within a week, which will allow users to access the resources they need more quickly. All items that are available to borrow will be lent to students for 4 weeks unless they are requested by another user.

For further information about the UWS Library, including opening hours, visit: https://www.uws.ac.uk/library/

As well as study spaces within our campus libraries, you'll also find a range of study spaces in all corners of our campuses, offering a warm and inviting space to spend the day studying, and plenty of sockets to keep you plugged in and your IT powered up.

Everyone studies differently, and we work hard to cater to all preferences. If you are looking for silent space to help you focus, or a space for group work, we've got you covered.

Spaces like the Neuk and Crannie on Paisley Campus, the Street in Lanarkshire, and the Atrium in Ayr are all worth exploring. 

We know not everyone studies at the UWS campus that might be closest to their home. If you live in Ayr but study at Paisley, there is nothing stopping you taking advantage of what Ayr Campus has to offer when it comes to study space, and saving on petrol or train fare.

Similarly, there may be libraries and community centres in your local community that you can access and spend time studying.

UWS has student residences in Ayr and Paisley. Staying in University managed accommodation takes the worry out of household bills as the price includes internet access, electricity, heating, security and insurance. It also provides a safe and secure place to live close to campus and is a great way to meet new friends.

Remember that while renting privately may seem cheaper, the monthly rent won’t include any household bills. Take a look at our accommodation comparison to decide what's right for you.

UWS Residences costs for the 2022-23 academic session were set in 2021, before the cost-of-living costs started to increase. Despite this, the costs set in 2021 have been honoured and students can rely on the prices staying as they are for the duration of their contract.

In an effort to reduce food waste, and to support students living in UWS Residences, we regularly deliver unsold food from out UWS Catering facilities to the students in UWS Residences. 

At UWS, we believe Free Is Fabulous, so we are providing free sanitary products for our students. We are committed to ensuring that a lack of access to sanitary products in no way acts as a barrier to a student’s ability to participate fully in University life, so if you need these products please help yourself. Find out more here.

Hopefully you already have in place all of your student funding and have everything you are entitled to as a student. However, it is always worth double checking what might be available. We have pages on Undergraduate, Postgraduate and Paramedic, Nursing and Midwifery Funding that you can use to double check what you have matches what is on offer.

It is also worth investigating if you are entitled to any benefits whilst you study. These are generally restricted to certain types of student but if you check out our page on Benefits to be sure. All full-time students ARE entitled to Council Tax Exemption, and you can read more about this on the page. If you are the only adult in your home, that means you pay £0 and if you have other adults, you are exempt and it may give the remaining occupant 25% single person discount, depending on the makeup of your household.

Another source of potential funding might be trusts and grants. This may sound a bit scary and not for you but please don’t be put off. We have a page where you can learn more about this type of fund and how to access it. On our Alternative Trusts and Scholarship page you will find a list of trusts currently accepting applications and then a selection of trusts we have become aware of over time. Don’t worry if the ones on these lists don’t seem to apply to your situation, they are simply there as examples of what may be available.

Scroll to the bottom of this page and you will find details of websites where you can research this type of funding further and utilise these to find organisations that are right for you. Whether you are undertaking study at UG or PG level, do try the Alternative Guide to Post Graduate Funding first. The name is simply branding, and this great resource can be used at all levels of study. You can sign up for this using the instructions available and this will unlock a large funding database as well as lots of support to fully understand the process of making successful applications.

Do bear in mind that trusts and scholarships are rarely a quick fix but well worth investigating to help you build your overall student support for the year.

There may be other funds to which you can apply during your studies, and we have details of these on our Discretionary & Childcare Funding webpages. What you can apply for differs between students so do scroll to the section that most closely matches your studies. Once you have carefully reviewed the information and feel you would like to apply, watch the helpful YouTube video at the top of the page.

If worrying about money is impacting your mental wellbeing, addressing the root of the issue might give you a little more breathing space. Use the guidance in the sections above to make sure your income is as high as it can be, and your outgoings are a low as they can be.

It may feel overwhelming, and that there is little that can be done about this on an individual level, but there are many opportunities to reduce costs and make savings. Making one change might not have a big impact but making lots of small changes could have the collective impact needed to help you through this difficult climate, and reduce the worry you feel about money.

When we feel overwhelmed it can be easy to retreat away from the world and become isolated. This is especially true if we feel we can no longer afford to keep up the activities that help us look after ourselves and maintain positive mental wellbeing. As tempting as it might be do this, don’t!

There are many low-cost activities that you can help you unwind and de-stress. Making time for self-care and recharging your batteries will help you to manage your stress levels.

Some ideas:

• Go for a walk or exercise.
• Meditate
• Phone or visit a friend or loved one
• Tidy your home or workspace
• Cook your favourite meal
• Journal your thoughts and feelings
• Ensure that you get a good night’s sleep

Remember that UWS Gyms are free to students so you could schedule a workout with your friends. Exercising and socialising are great for mental wellbeing, and you can do both for free.

There are also many community groups that are free to join, offering support, companionship, and new skills. This could be a great way to meet like-minded people in your own local area that share similar interests to you. Your local council or local Facebook groups will likely have details of a range of groups from choirs to craft groups.

You can also check out SilverCloud, the University's digital therapy service. The web resource is composed of a library of courses and resources which are all based on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (an evidence-based psychological treatment). 

The University has gifted free access to this resource to all students, so why not take this time to invest your mental health? You can learn about the nature and function of stress, develop your assertiveness skills, learn to manage anxiety and much more. Sign up for free. 

Counselling at UWS is provided through well-being appointments where you will have the opportunity to focus on what is troubling you and identify what you would like to get from the appointment.

The Counselling and Wellbeing service operates within the hybrid delivery model. Appointments can be accessed via audio or video calls on Teams or in person on campus.

You can request an appointment by contacting The Hub.

We will offer you an appointment as soon as possible after you get in touch, usually within one to two weeks. If you are booking by email, please include the following information in your message:

• Your banner ID
• Your campus
• A contact phone number

Wednesdays aren’t just any old day at UWS –we have Wellbeing Wednesdays which see the Counselling and Wellbeing team hosting a series of free bitesize online workshops.

Each week we will explore topics covering different aspects of university life and how to support your wellbeing. These sessions are delivered on Zoom and will be full of practical tips and advice for helping you to feel good.

For the most up to date list of all our upcoming events go to the UWS Wellbeing Eventbrite page. There you can book and find more information on each event, plus why not follow us so that you never miss out on our latest events!

If you need emergency support out of hours, please call 0800 028 3766 between 5pm and 9am on weekdays, or 24-hours over the weekend. Your call will go straight through to a trained counsellor who will give you space to talk about your difficulties.

The UWS support line is offered to students of University of West of Scotland in partnership with Health Assured. The information you discuss with their helpline support workers is not routinely provided to the University unless your health, wellbeing or welfare is judged to be at imminent risk. In these circumstances and where the support worker thinks you need additional support they will seek your consent to share your name and information about their concerns with the University Counselling Team so that they can provide you with further help.

To access urgent support when GP surgeries are closed please call NHS Scotland 111 Service (NHS 111 for students in England).  In Scotland the newly launched Mental Health Telephone Hub provides immediate phone access to clinically qualified staff who will assess callers and ensure the appropriate support is organised, based on the callers’ individual situation and needs. 

You can also contact the following free listening services:

• Breathing Space: 0800 83 85 87. They also have a webchat option. Their opening times are 6pm-2am Monday-Thursday and Friday 6pm - 6am Monday.
• Call 116 123 to talk to Samaritans 24/7, or email: jo@samaritans.org for a reply within 24 hours
• Text "STUDENT" to 85258 to contact the Shout Crisis Text Line, or text "YM" to the same number if you're under 19 for support from Young Minds.
• If you're under 19, you can also call 0800 1111 to talk to Childline on their 24 hours helpline. The number will not appear on your phone bill.
• Text THEMIX to 85258 to contact the Mix
• If you are experiencing thoughts of suicide, phone Hopeline UK on 0800 068 41 41, or text them on 07786 209 687 between 9am – 10pm weekdays, 2pm – 10pm weekends or email pat@papyrus-uk.org
• Call the CALM helpline on 0800 58 58 58 between 5pm and midnight.