Additional Costs: What you didn't know you needed

Monday 20-01-2025 - 14:16

You’ve probably heard about our Money Matters campaign, where The Union has teamed up with Manchester Met to make sure students have access to financial support and that studying doesn’t break the bank. One key focus of the campaign is tackling additional costs.

But what exactly are they? Let’s break it down.

What are additional costs?

Think of additional costs as the little costs that quickly build up during your time at uni. These are the things you need for your course—like art materials, software, specialised equipment, or course books.

If you’re studying art, you might need to stock up on sketchbooks or paint. Doing nursing? A stethoscope might be on the list.

What do we know about additional costs?

A key part of this campaign is sharing real student experiences and sharing more information around additional costs at uni.

Using our survey, so far, we’ve had over 200 students tell us about the additional costs they've experienced, here’s what they’ve told us:

Only 55% of students expected additional costs before starting university.
But once they arrived, 57% told us they’d spent £150+ on course-related extras.

What are these students having to spend their money on? Some of the most common things they’ve mentioned include:

Laptops that are powerful enough to run specialist software needed for courses.
Books that aren’t in the library.
Art materials.
Specialised equipment like sewing kits and camera gear.

The real impact on students

The toll taken of these extra costs isn't just on your bank account balance. Many of you told us about the extra challenges you’ve faced, like:

Financial stress and constant money worries.
Feeling pressure to take on part-time jobs, sometimes having to miss lectures as a result.
Struggling to budget for essentials.
Mental health strains and fatigue.
Increased debt.

These additional costs can be so overwhelming to the point where students are having to sacrifice their uni experience just to pay their rent.

The Union x Manchester Met

In partnership with Manchester Met, we’re not just talking about these issues, we’re taking action. Through the Money Matters campaign, we’re:

Working with the uni to ensure we fully understand what it's like to be a student at Manchester Met and the pressures that you face.
Ensuring we have an accurate and up-to-date understanding of what the financial struggles you are facing and helping the university to plan for the future.
Making sure that the financial support provided by the uni is placed where it will have the most impact and that you know it exists.

But we need your help! If you’ve experienced additional costs during your studies, we want to hear your story. Your voice matters, and together, we can push for real change.

Struggling? Help is here

If you’re feeling the pinch, remember that help is available. The Advice Centre and Manchester Met’s Student Financial Support team are here to support you with any money-related challenges, whether you’re worried about rent, your student loan, struggling to afford equipment, or just feeling overwhelmed.

You don’t have to tackle this alone—reach out and let’s get through it together.