Going to university can be daunting for many reasons, but one of the main worries we’re hearing about at the moment is money. Whether you’re a commuter student, have childcare responsibilities or are just concerned about making ends meet, Birmingham City University (BCU) is here to support you with your finances. Read on to learn what financial support is available while you’re studying at BCU.
Find additional funding
BCU have a partnership with Open 4 Learning, which is an online platform to search for extra funding like bursaries, grants, and scholarships. These are all kinds of funding which you don’t have to pay back, unlike your tuition and maintenance loans, and can help cover specific costs while you’re at university. You can register for Open 4 Learning for free with your BCU email address.
Money and Childcare Advice
Our Money and Childcare Advice Team are on hand to help you with any worries you might have about finances. They can help you with everything from Student Finance to accessing welfare benefits and offer tiered levels of support based on your individual needs. If you’re having money trouble the first thing to do is get in touch with the Money and Childcare Advice Team and they’ll work out how best to help.
We offer three levels of support:
- Student pantry: a discrete service where you can access food through a private meeting with the Team.
- Emergency fund: emergency payments to help cover immediate hardship and essential needs like travel or energy. Accessed through a private meeting with the Student Support team and a short application.
- Financial assistance fund: for serious financial difficulties, can be accessed by completing an online application and providing supporting evidence.
The Money and Childcare Advice Team also offer specialist advice for students with childcaring responsibilities and care leavers. If you’re a current BCU student you can find more details on financial support and how to apply on iCity.
Money can be one of the biggest concerns about going to university, but we are here to support you and give you the tools you need to manage your finances successfully. Whether you’re looking for practical advice about budgeting or need emergency support to plug a shortfall in funding, we are here to help.
