Budgeting & Other Support
It is a good idea to try to manage your finances from as early on as possible in the year. Here are some suggestions to help you.
Contact details and appointment times for the Financial Welfare Officer are below.
The University’s social media channels and student support website for the Reach Out campaign provide information on how to access a range of support at Cambridge, including what to do if you’re struggling with money. See here for the range of support available.
Bank accounts
The University's Finance Division has provided a short guide to some of the banks available.
The message from Student Finance and Girton College is 'think before you click.'
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- We’ll never contact students through social media channels such as WhatsApp or Instagram.
- Please review the spelling and grammar of the message as poor punctuation and misspelling are often signs of smishing.
- Keep an eye out for any suspicious emails, calls or texts around the time of an expected payment.
- Urgent messages are usually not genuine, for example ‘'failure to respond in 24 hours will result in your account being closed’.
- Think before you click by hovering over a link first and if in doubt do not risk selecting it.
- Always use official phone numbers, the online account and official communication channels to verify the contact received is genuine.
- Be mindful of information you share about yourselves online, to help guard against identity theft.
- SLC, Student Finance England (SFE), Student Finance Wales (SFW) or Student Finance Northern Ireland (SFNI) send a text message to students if a change has been made to their bank details. If you haven’t changed your bank details and receive a message, you should contact us immediately.
You can find guidance on identifying a scam on GOV.UK.
Always take your university card with you and ask for a discount, many shops will accept this. For others, you might need one of these apps/cards:
Free Apps (sign-up with your crsid email address '@cam.ac.uk')
Discount cards:
TOTUM
- Recommended by the National Union of Students (NUS), this is a student discount, proof of age ID and campus life card and platform .
- The one-year membership @£24.99 includes the ISIC membership - see below.
International Student Identity Card (ISIC)
- The ISIC card allows students the world over to prove their official student status and make the most of thousands of targeted student benefits and discounts in over 130 countries/territories.
- Virtual cards from £12.00 per annum.
Links:
Student Budgets
A student's budget balances income and expenses, managing essentials like rent and food. Refer to the information below for guidance.
- Budget options for the U bus and other Cambridge buses: Cambridge City - Whippet - Tickets available from myTrip.
- Discounted groceries etc are available each day on the Too good to go app.
- This national charity provides a directory of grants: Turn2us Grants Search.
- Checklist for Freshers- Which
- Student and graduate money - MoneyHelper
- Student discounts STS
- Student bank accounts - Which?
- Supermarket prices: which is the cheapest supermarket in 2024? - Which?
- 11 tips to save on the cost of your subscriptions - Which? News
- managing student finance - MoneyHelper
- cost of living guidance- MoneyHelper
- Student budgeting: make your money go further as cost of living crisis bites - Student finance | The Guardian
There are apps and other budgeting tools available online. Alternatively, see below for a personal budget spreadsheet for Undergraduates to help you review your finances.
Resources:
Further Support
If you have any other queries, please get in touch by email with the Financial Welfare Officer, or book an appointment below.
If you need additional Financial Welfare support, make an in-person appointment ( in term-time) on:
- Mondays 2.30 - 4.30 pm (online only)
- Tuesdays 4.00 - 5.00 pm (face to face )
- Wednesdays 10:30 - 11:30 am (face to face)
If you would like an appointment during the holiday, please email the Financial Welfare Officer.
Regular times are available on Monday afternoon in term time - other times available on request: fwo@girton.cam.ac.uk
Please book face to face or online appointments here
Zoom details:
Meeting ID: 819 8904 1138 Passcode: 6Zp18k