Self-Funded Students: The silent strivers of university life
After a recent survey on students who work, we saw a lot of key themes from the data. One of them being on Students who self-fund their university education. With the data showing us that 25.9% of responders self-funded.
Self-funding is rarely a light decision. It demands meticulous planning, emotional endurance, and financial savvy. Yet, university systems often overlook their unique needs, assuming the traditional student loan route applies to all.
“It’s not a matter of choice, but necessity for some students.”
“There’s a dangerous assumption that self-funded students are automatically wealthy. That’s just not true.”
Beyond financial strain, self-funded students face a lack of tailored guidance, limited transparency around costs, and an undercurrent of misunderstanding or even judgement from peers.
“What is he doing with his life? There’s a mindset some people have where taking the loan is just the normal route and anything outside that seems confusing or even irresponsible.”
Reasons for Self-Funding
Institutions must begin to recognize and support this growing group. Whether driven by personal, financial, or religious reasons, self-funded students are rewriting what it means to purse higher education often without adequate support. The majority of responded with the following in regarding self-funding, and not taking out the student loan:
“Avoided it out of religious convictions”
“Seeing university loans as interest-bearing loans is impermissible for me. Additionally, I didn't want a large debt lingering over me for years.”
Voices from the Self-Funded Community
These students shared powerful and often difficult experiences, painting a picture of what life is like when your self-fund your studies:
“There wasn’t much support out there in regard to this (self-funding) and it sometimes felt stressful.”
“Lots of minor errors with the Payment Plan system and the online payment that negatively impacted the experience.”
“I Worked full time—50 to 60 hours a week—before starting.”
“I was working 12 hours a day some days.”
“Yes, particularly academically during exam season. If you don’t have savings or external support, your studies can suffer.”
Despite this, many persisted—quietly carrying the weight of their decision.
“I wish I had known it was going to be easier than people made it out to be. Before I started, there was a lot of fear mongering from people, telling me ‘You won’t end up going to university’, ‘You won’t make £27,000’.”
“The narrative should shift to make not taking a loan feel like a valid, supported choice—not something strange or burdensome.”
Let’s Change the Narrative
Self-funded students deserve more visibility, more respect, and more resources. Their paths may be different but they are just as valid, and often more courageous.
They’re funding their own future and that’s something worth supporting.
A Balancing Act: Work, Study, Repeat
Many self-funders manage their own kind of “dual degree” one in academics, the other in working life.
“I worked part-time during the term and full time in the summer.”
“I worked on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. This allowed me to catch up on university work during the weekend and use Tuesday and Thursday completely to focus on covering the content I need to.”
This balancing act required discipline, planning, and community support.
“You have support from friends, you can manage well. There’s enough time in uni if you stick to a disciplined routine.”
How They Made It Work: Strategies, Tools & Mindsets
While the struggle is real, so is the success. Many students developed creative and effective systems for surviving and thriving through their university years.
Smart Financial Planning
“I was able to self-fund my studies through taking a gap year and working throughout that gap year/also throughout uni on the weekends and even working at uni to save as much as I could.”
“Had a business, private tuition, worked various jobs including construction, Sitel, NHS Track and Trace and TFL.”
“I created a detailed spreadsheet that tracked how much I was earning each month and included projections to show where I’d be financially by specific dates.”
Tools and Apps
- Kestrl & Algbra – Budgeting and financial planning
- Calendar app – Scheduling, time-blocking for academics
- Spreadsheets – Forecasting income and managing expenses
“The process has made me much more grateful and appreciative of money and far more disciplined.”
“I also realised that money in the UK is not hard to come by—there are many ways to make money once you research.”
Hidden Gems: Payment Plans, Bursaries & Support
Many students only learned about key support options after starting their degree.
Payment Plans
“When I first started, I was unaware of the payment plans, so I was paying for the first years upfront.”
“I think they can give out more resources in regard to this, just to clarify the process.”
Find out more about Payment plans with the links below:
Instalment plans
Instalment plans FAQ's
Bursaries
Means-tested financial support—up to £5,100.
“University provides a means-based bursary—I was able to get £5,100 during my time!”
“Explore bursaries as the uni provides many that can help alleviate the financial burden.”
Check the different bursaries and Scholarships eligibility below:
Scholarships
Bursaries
Advice and Wellbeing Support
The journey has its ups and downs, so check what this student had to say that helped them along the way:
“If someone is struggling to self-fund, universities offer support such as wellbeing services, job vacancies, and delayed payment options. Taking a gap year during university can also help maintain self-funding.”
Final Advice from Self-Funders
“Calculate all costs way before coming and keep it on a spreadsheet, create a realistic buffer in case of emergencies, apply for bursaries, and look for scholarships or grants.”
“Always ask those around you if you are unsure what to do.”
“The key to managing it all was planning. I made it a habit to look at my academic calendar, note any important deadlines, and adjust my work schedule around them.”
“I was able to inspire other students to do the same. I also felt a strong sense of accomplishment due to the doubts people had regarding my ability to fulfil my plan.”
We hope that this piece of work has been of benefit to all those readings, we want you to remember you can always come back to this piece of work whenever you need the motivation, and as you can see from the voices of your fellow students, you aren’t alone!