How Students heading back to Uni after Christmas can make some extra cash

Students face unprecedented cost-of-living along with other hard off Brits. 

As students head back to Uni, we look at how the cost-of-living crisis affects younger consumers. 

If you were born before the 80s, then you’d have been part of a generation that could happily just pick a Uni course you somewhat fancied. And, if it wasn’t to your liking, then you could always choose another course next year, with no real harm done. That was, however, before the government began the policy of charging for previously free higher education. It started at an original £1000 per year. However, the rate now is up to £9250 per year, which tuition alone can now cost. 

Even if you don’t take out student loans to cover your daily living expenses, you can still leave Uni with a debt of around £30,000. 

Of course, many middle-class families traditionally will go the extra mile to help. That might mean squirrelling away money for the whole of their children’s lives to afford them that further boost in life. 

However, with the cost-of-living crisis, even parents who felt they had saved enough may now realise they cannot now afford to pay for another mouth under another roof to feed. 

At home, parents are dealing with a potential increase in their mortgage with increasing interest rates and, at the same time, a massive jump in energy bills as well as prices at petrol pumps and the supermarket checkout. 

One change students may have to deal with immediately is an advance payment of bills. In the past, many student landlords were typically like most others in that bills were paid after receiving them. However, they were always concerned that a group of young people with struggling finances would happily ruin an otherwise perfectly good friendship to run out on a joint bill of a few hundred pounds. Now that energy bills are likely to double, many landlords will be looking to have energy bills covered in advance with any extra being placed in the tenant’s account to avoid being left high and dry with unpaid bills.

And just like others, prices at the till will make it hard for a student loan to stretch.

So how can students get on and get a degree while making ends meet during their time at Uni? 

Of course, budgeting is important. I’ve yet to meet a student that hasn’t splurged a little after their student loan has cleared, but knowing what you have to spend each week and sticking to it, is essential unless you enjoy the bread and water diet for your last month of term!

There are literally thousands of discounts available at shops, cafes, pubs and restaurants across the UK. My unidays is a website that every student can benefit from. 

But the best way to make ends meet is to increase your incomings. The great news is that unless you are on a medical course such as being a doctor, dentist or vet, you are unlikely to have lectures and tutorials from 9 to 5 pm and coursework that takes up much of the weekend. You’ll, therefore, have plenty of time to start yourself a side hustle. 

We think security work is a great option, and just a shift or two a week could significantly change your income. If you are currently living on a few pounds a day, then imagine if you suddenly have an extra £100 per week. That’s several nights out and several takeaways and maybe even £20 to chip into the energy bills?

Security makes an excellent option for students as it’s often an environment that students love, such as pubs, clubs, festivals and student events. You could get to hear your favourite bands play while getting paid at the same time!

When you work in security, you will usually be paid at least the minimum wage for 21-year-olds which is currently £8.91 but generally more. This is helpful if you’re aged 18-20 as a job in hospitality or retail would usually get you just £6.56 per hour.

However, if you are good at your job in security and learn fast, you could soon be managing a team or planning or overseeing the security for a business or event. Security is not just an exciting side hustle that fits in well with your studies; it can be a lucrative career. Many students enjoy their side hustle more than they imagined and more so than the degree they chose. In fact, in this vlog, a bodyguard explains why he turned his back on his Law degree. 

Either way, it’s a nice little money earner that could see you working your way through your degree comfortably instead of painfully frugally. And it’s pretty straightforward to get started. 

If you are interested, check out the nearest six-day door supervisor course. Courses start from £209.99, and the licence will cost you £184. It will only take four to six weeks for your licence to be awarded after applying. You’ll be able to cover your costs after a few shifts, and the great news is the licence will be valid for a full three years, often the full length of a Uni course. 

So what are you waiting for? Getting licensed for security work could be your ticket to a brighter future and a way to stay on track financially throughout your student days. Best of luck!