Most students will have some financial difficulties at some point and it is always better to seek help with financial problems as soon as they occur.
Below are some common areas that students may need help with, as well as some links to help you with your money whilst you are at Bucks. If you cannot find the information here that you need or you would like to discuss something in confidence, then get in touch with us in the Advice Centre.
Student funding
The Bucks Hardship Fund and Bucks Advantage Bursary Scheme
If you find that you are struggling with your money, you might be able to apply to the University for additional funding to support you.
The Bucks Hardship Fund (BHF) is for home students only. For details on the fund please visit the University website.
The Bucks Advantage Bursary is available to EU and international students only. It is to support students that find themselves in financial difficulty.
To apply for either fund, you must have applied for all student funding, benefits, and grants, that you are eligible to apply for, prior to applying to either of the funds.
If you would like to discuss either hardship funds, you will need to book an appointment at the Students’ Union Advice Centre. Please contact the High Wycombe Campus by calling 01494 603 016, or for the Uxbridge Campus 01494 605 180. You can also email us at suadvice@bucks.ac.uk.
Bank accounts
Whilst you are studying it is worth looking at your bank account to see if you are getting the best value from it. You may be eligible to apply for a student bank account which could be beneficial to you financially, or what it may offer in additional benefits that suit you. You can check with your current bank to see what accounts would be best for you. The Money Advice Service has a guide to student bank accounts that can be found on the Money Advice Service website.
Budgeting your money
A budget is a simple way of checking the amount of income you have coming in minus your outgoings. The difficulty with budgeting for students is that your income will vary during your time as a student with payments being paid termly rather than weekly or monthly.
Planning your money
If you are looking to develop your budget a little further and to plan your finances out over the year, the Bucks Financial Forecaster is a tool that allows you do that. A budget will allow you to see a snapshot of your income and expenditure over a defined period. The forecaster allows you to see your finances over a 12 month period, which may help with planning ahead for times when your income will be lower, or identify periods where you expect your expenditure to increase.
Check out an example of the forecaster
Check out the full forecaster
The cost of renting
If you are looking to find a new place to live either on your own or as a small group you will want to check what you can afford and take into consideration the fixed costs like rent as well as the variable costs including utility bills.
The Cost of Rent Calculator is a tool to help you calculate the cost of a property and to compare properties with each other. You can print out the worksheet to take with you to viewings, or use the spreadsheet.
Download the Cost of Rent Calculator
Additional links