Cost of Living


We're here to support you

We know the past few months may have been challenging financially, and it continues to be a struggle for many students. It is a top priority for us as a Students’ Union to support and help you by offering monetary advice and make sure you look out for your wellbeing. Student finance has always been difficult and the current situation has impacted that even more. It is important everyone takes care of themself and gets any support they need.

This page is here to give you advice, let you know how we can help you, what current Students’ Union deals are on offer and share where you can access support. We will be updating you on projects we are working on which focus on the Cost of Living crisis and this page will be updated regularly.

We’re here to make debt sound a little less scary!

With the cost of living rising and many students having full cont... Read more

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Balancing your postgraduate research with the cost of living

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Home Away From Home

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Energy Essentials: A Student's Guide to Handling Bills

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Deals & offers at your Students' Union

There are no current news articles.

Union and University support

QMSU Student Participation Fund

The Student Participation Support Fund is your gateway to making the most of your time at Queen Mary. This Queen Mary Students’ Union initiative is designed to reduce some of the barriers to engaging with our student group activities for societies and student media outlets.

Individual students can bid for up to £50 each term, which can help cover membership fees, event tickets, or equipment for your chosen activities. The Fund is available to all London-based individual students at Queen Mary to boost your university experience (not applicable to sport clubs or gym memberships). Find out more here

Students' Union Welfare Loan

Did you know you can apply for an interest free welfare loan of up to £100 to help you with any unexpected shortfalls with your income. Read more

Club Sport Hardship Fund

The Club Sport Hardship Fund has been set up specifically to help students at Queen Mary or Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry access sport, and can go towards subsidising membership, travel and equipment. Guidance | Application

Money Advice

Find money tips, news articles and general money advice provided by the Queen Mary Advice and Counselling Service. Read more

University Advice and Counselling Service

If you’re experiencing difficulties, you can talk to one of the universities welfare advisors who provide a range of confidential, specialist services for students. Read more

Bursaries, Grants & Scholarships

Find out more about the range of financial support Queen Mary is able to offer, and step-by-step guidance for each process. Read more

Financial Assistance Fund

The Financial Assistance Fund (FAF) is provided by the University, and offers non-repayable support that can help you if you are having financial difficulties during your degree. Read more

External resources

Budget Meals and Recipes
  • 100 Student Recipes

    Going to uni and never cooked before? BBC Good Food's student recipes are a great way to get started with easy, cheap and filling dishes that are packed with flavour.

    BBC Good Food
  • Easy Student Meals

    Need some cooking tips? From easy dishes and tasty snacks, to storecupboard essentials – here's everything you need to eat well away from home.

    Tesco Real Food
  • Mob's Easy & Cheap Student Recipes

    Want to know what to cook as a broke student? Get stuck into these easy student recipes designed for simplicity and health.

    MOB
  • Vegetarian Student Recipes

    Looking for easy uni meals? Whether you're just starting or heading back to uni for another year, Quorn have got the perfect cheap student recipes to save money.

    Quorn
  • Vegetarian and Vegan Recipes

    To celebrate Green Week we have put together some yummy vegan and vegetarian recipe ideas for you to try out.

    QMSU
Deals and Discounts
  • Student Discounts

    TOTUM is your access to a world of big-brand savings! A TOTUM membership empowers you to SAVE-BIG on your everyday shopping, eat & drink out for less, get discounted travel, make savings at 100s of locations all over the world - and much, much more!

    TOTUM
  • Student Discounts

    UNiDAYS is a fast, free digital platform that provides exclusive student offers and benefits to our verified audience of 29m+. If you're a current student or recent graduate, joining UNiDAYS lets you save, learn and earn through our network of trusted partners.

    UNiDAYS
  • Student Discounts

    Student Beans are here to take the sting out of everyday life, and help you save money on what you need, what you want and what you love, so you can focus on you and spend big on your future.

    Student Beans
  • Cheap Food - Reducing Food Waste

    Too Good To Go is a social impact company on a mission to inspire and empower everyone to fight food waste together.

    Too Good To Go
  • Latest Deals and Discounts

    This is a regularly-updated list of discount vouchers, codes and deals for students at a wide range of major retailers.

    Money Saving Expert
  • Discounted Travel for Students

    London is a great city to be a student. If you've just started studying, TFL have got tips to help you get around, travel safely and save money on your fares.

    TFL
  • Discounted Travel for 16-25 Year Olds

    The 16-25 Railcard costs about the same as a takeaway for 2. Mature students in full-time study can get in on these savings too, but you’ll need to check that you tick all the boxes first.

    16-25 Railcard
  • Discounts and Deals

    A community-based platform where great discounts and deals are shared

    UK Hot Deals
  • Advice, discounts and Deals

    Save the Student provides free, impartial advice to students on how to make their money go further.

    Save the Student
Free Things
  • 101 Free Things to do in London

    Save money with the top places to visit in London for free. From top free attractions to cost-free concerts, London has plenty of things to do for free.

    Visit London
  • 200 Fantastic Free Things to do in London

    From sniffing out noses in Soho, to nosying inside some of London’s most exclusive buildings – you won't even have to spend a penny with Secret London's roundup of free things to do in London.

    Secret London
  • The Best Free Things to do in London

    The best things in life are free. Honestly. Here’s TimeOut's guide to enjoying London without bashing your bankcard.

    TimeOut
  • Free Stuff

    LoveJunk are on a mission to make rubbish clearance cheaper, safer and greener for everyone.

    LoveJunk
Other Helpful Links
  • Insight: How will the tuition fee changes and the Autumn Budget impact students?

    The recently elected Labour Government have announced their first budget, as well as increases to tuition fees and maintenance loans. What are the most important changes and how will they affect students?

    Greenwich SU

Free activities & events

QMSU Career Collabs: PwC
19th October 11am - 3pm
Graduate Square, London
Join us at our latest QMSU graduate employer collab.
QMSU Career Collabs: PwC Skills Session: Navigating the selection process with confidence
19th October 3pm - 4pm
Blomeley Rooms, Mile End Campus, London
Global Language Café
26th October 4pm - 6pm
The Lounge, Mile End Campus, London
Servus! Let's get talking.
QMSU x Tofoo
27th October 11:30am - 2:30pm
Library Square, London
Monster Energy: Game On
27th October 5pm - 10pm
Drapers, Mile End Campus, London
Big games. Bigger energy.
All Student Meeting
9th November 6pm - 8pm
digital-event
QMSU Liberation x LGBT+ Society: Pride Screening
11th November 2pm - 5pm
Hitchcock Cinema, Arts Two
Global Language Café
17th November 4pm - 6pm
The Lounge, Mile End Campus, London
All Languages. All Abilities. All Welcome.
All Student Meeting
7th December 6pm - 8pm
digital-event
January Welcome Fair 2027
28th January noon - 5pm
see all events