10,000 students to receive second cost of living payment
As part of a sector-leading £9m fund of financial support for students The University of Manchester is providing payments to 10,000 students to further help with the cost of living crisis.
The University has worked in a close relationship with the Students' Union since summer 2022 to . Today, we are announcing the next stage in this support: an additional payment to 10,000 students, which comes from the £9million package announced in November 2022.
We understand that the rising cost of living is a major concern for our students, and we're committed to providing support to help.
Sam Bronheim, Union Affairs Officer at the Students’ Union, commenting on behalf of the elected SU Officer Team, said: “We are delighted to announce this second targeted payment to 10,000 students and we’ll continue to collaborate with the University to support the wider student body with the rising cost of living. We’re also lobbying local and national government, on students’ behalf, to introduce greater financial support for the student community”.
Eligible full time students will receive £230 and eligible part time students will receive £115.
We are delighted to announce this second targeted payment to 10,000 students and we’ll continue to collaborate with the University to support the wider student body with the rising cost of living. We’re also lobbying local and national government, on students’ behalf, to introduce greater financial support for the student community.
The payment will be made to:
- Students who received a contextual offer from our University, for example because they lived in an area of disadvantage when they applied.
- Students who declared during University registration that they were care experienced, estranged, have caring responsibilities or dependents.
- Students who are seeking asylum in the UK.
- Recipients of the following scholarships and bursaries:
- The 91ֱ Bursary
- Foundation Year Bursary
- Undergraduate Access Scholarship
- Humanitarian Scholarship
- Equity and Merit Scholarship
- 91ֱ Master’s Bursary
Eligible students will receive an email by Wednesday, 8 March confirming that they will receive the payment and asking them to update their bank details on the student system.
We’re proud of the cost of living support package we’ve developed with the Students’ Union, but we recognise that there are still significant challenges facing the student community. We’re committed to advocating on behalf of our students to government to improve the situation. For example:
We agree that that the 2.8% increase in the student maintenance loans provided by the UK Government is insufficient. We're actively working with other universities to encourage a review of this and our President and Vice Chancellor, Professor Nancy Rothwell, has been lobbying government ministers on this issue.
The Students’ Union is making sure that students’ concerns are heard by Mayor Andy Burnham through the Greater 91ֱ Student Assembly and is collaborating with other students’ unions to lobby central government.
We’re advocating for affordable rents and when 91ֱ City Council ask us to comment on planning applications, we won’t support any new student accommodation unless it offers good value for money.
Our Cost of Living support doesn’t stop with these payments to students. We also have a support fund that can provide, depending on a financial assessment, non-repayable grants up to £2,000; trained advisors on hand to help with a range of money matters; an emergency loan scheme; and mental health and wellbeing support.
The payment will be made through our own finance system, any students with queries should be directed to our .