So how much will university really cost me?
Sometimes it feels a bit like you’re going into the unknown - unless you know other people at university you often have no idea exactly how much everything will cost. Costs also vary massively from uni to uni - for example rent in Manchester may cost £55 a week, where in London it is likely to be nearer £100. Living costs would also be higher in London so your food bill will also be higher.
Below are the general student costs you need to consider - these are based on prices at universities around the UK - excluding London as it’s higher than average:
· Food - depending on how extravagant your tastes are you need to allow approximately £25-£30 a week for food (excluding alcohol). You can treat yourself now and again with the ‘Finest’ ranges but generally you’ll be buying the basic ranges - try and stay away from brands and go for supermarket own-brand food. We’ve teamed up with Mysupermarket.co.uk to create a guide to cheaper food shopping which you can read in our Money Saving Tips section
· Hair products, shower gel, toothpaste etc - you’ll need to allow around £10 a month - this will obviously be more for girls due to make-up etc.
· Clothes - this is far too difficult to estimate but we think you’ll need to allow around £50-£100 per month.
· Student Energy Bills - Your bills should be covered during your first year if you’re in halls, but if you’re in private accommodation you’ll need to allow around £300 a year per person for gas and electricity.
· TV licence - You’ll need to get yourself a TV licence in halls if you don’t want to be hit with a fine. The licence will cost you £139.50 per year - when you live in private accommodation you can split this between the number of people living in the flat/house which brings the cost down dramatically.
· Student Council tax - As a student you are exempt from paying council tax - just make sure that you've told the local council that you're a student living in the accommodation
· Student possessions insurance - depending on how much stuff you have you’ll need to allow around £100 per year to insure all your stuff
So what’s the total per year
(some costings below are based on a 38 week year to allow for the time you’re not at uni during the holidays)
- Tuition fees: £3,100
- Student Accommodation: £3,000
- Food: £950 (based on 38 week year)
- Cosmetics: £95 (based on 38 week year)
- Clothes: £600+
- Insurance: £100
TOTAL: £7,845
With bills….
- TV licence: £140
- Energy: £300 Bill total: £440
TOTAL (with bills): £8,285
