Hello, we’re the Unite Foundation and we offer a University Scholarship, specifically for care leavers/care experienced people (if you go to university in Scotland) or young people estranged from their family. We’ve included some definitions at the bottom of this blog to help explain what we mean!

​Moving into new student accommodation is an exciting time, but it also comes with a crash course in financial management. Although not as exciting as sourcing a new duvet cover or breakfast bowl set, dealing with bills is an unavoidable part of day-to-day life. But while it may feel a little overwhelming to get your head around them, providing you keep on top of payments and stay communicative with your suppliers, it’s normally straightforward.

If you’re a university student, you’re probably stressed about the rising cost of living. Even before the pandemic, 84% of students reported that they were worried about finances and that these worries had a detrimental effect on their mental health.
 
Inflation continues to rise, but resources to support student mental health haven’t yet caught up. Only 23% of students are happy with the mental health support services their university offers, and one in five students is diagnosed with some form of anxiety mid-way through their course.
 
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by financial factors out of your control. However, gaining financial literacy and exploring all the options available to you can lighten the burden and help you manage financial stress during your student years. 

Building a steadfast credit history throughout your student years can lead to greater financial freedom in the years to come. A longer credit history positively impacts your credit score. So let's dive right into it: What is credit score and why is it important?

Inspirational posters. 

You know the type I mean; an ultra-high definition picture of some mist-wreathed mountain peaks, or suspiciously attractive people laughing on a golden beach that’s just out of focus. The text is overlaid in a nice soft font; something like “Happiness comes from within.” 

It’s easy to look at such a poster, dismiss it as cliched nonsense, and go about your day. 

But often there’s some truth in these bland sayings. 
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Happiness, or better - satisfaction and contentment - does come from within, and we’re in danger of forgetting that. 

It is a fact that one of the aspects of choosing to go to university is unfortunately acquiring some student loan debt. 

So, being a student it is useful to come up with short-term financial goals that you need to look after. If you know the basics of personal finance management, then you would also know that there are some other financial goals that you should focus on while studying!
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But how to set goals when Covid-19 is still hanging around? Does this have any effect on your financial goals? Let’s find out in the discussion.

Due to the COVID - 19 pandemic the year 2020 has come to a sudden pause. Due to the lockdown, both normal lives and the world economy faced a massive blow. Unemployment has shot up due to the pandemic effect. Unfortunately, among them, some students also lost their part-time jobs. A recent NUS report also stated that 80% of UK students are still struggling with their finances due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Right about now, you should be thinking about your student finance for next year. So if you haven’t completed your application, do it very soon. Although right now there is, of course, some changes to the process in light of the Covid-19 situation. ​

These are the most important changes to know if you're applying for Student Finance in the middle of a pandemic.

With schools and universities all currently closed, and a return date uncertain (at the time of writing), the question of how we are going to return is starting to come up. While we’re waiting for government advice on how this might come about, universities have started considering the possibility of starting next academic years' terms entirely online.

An issue however is that universities aren’t considering any sort of reduction in tuition fees because of this, as the BBC has discovered. Understandably students aren’t happy about this and there’s good reason not to be.

Being off campus doesn’t just mean you’re missing your lectures and seminars, it also means you’re not able to utilise all of the facilities that you’re paying for with your tuition fees.​

So what are you actually paying for with your fees?

​The government is proposing to create an Ofsted-style system that ranks universities on the amount their graduates earn according to the Guardian.

There has been some resistance to this idea from the education industry and rightly so. It creates a number of problems that could cause damage to particular courses (Arts and Humanities especially) that are in areas outside of London.

So what are the issues of this and in fact, would an earnings ranking actually be that helpful for students looking to go to university?

If you’ve finished with college and are out navigating the world by yourself for the first time, whether that’s moving away to uni or taking on an apprenticeship scheme or a full-time job, we know that cash flow issues can always be a bit of a downer.
 
Depending on your circumstances, we’ve got loads of tips on making the most of your cash, and any financial support available to you.

​​Here at Push, we’re always the advocate for earning while learning - the idea of, if it’s right for you and your circumstances, you get ahead of the game with a part-time job.
 
This can be anything from office work to bartending to shelf stacking to running your own side hustle online empire.
 
Even if you’re not particularly tight for cash (though it’s quite the student stereotype, and who would turn down a rainy day fund?) it’s a great personal investment, in terms of gaining experience and having that X Factor to put on your CV or personal statement.
 
Not sure what we mean?

Easter’s way behind us, which means only one thing – Summer’s on the horizon. The pressure’s not off yet, but end of exams, coursework, revision, studying is nigh.

If you fancy a break from all the work, work, work, have a think about what you’re going to do with all that sweet free time once you’re finished. Whether you’re planning on taking a year out or just having one hell of a Summer, travelling on a budget is high up the student priority list.
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But it ain’t all sunshine and rainbows, trust us. Making a few hundred quid stretch you for three months in the Bahama’s is easier said than done. But not impossible, with a bit of planning. 

Everyone – and I mean everyone – has the ability to build wealth. It’s just a matter of developing the right strategy and mindset.
 
You are just one tactic away from having all you ever wanted. We live in a world where there is a magnitude of success coaches, transformation gurus, personal development specialists – promoting a huge menu of courses, conferences, motivational workshops, mastermind groups, and 1-to-1 coaching sessions – all aimed at increasing your wealth.

Now, with this huge variety of choices available, you will derive great value from many of the experts and you will undoubtedly learn, grow, and move towards becoming rich as a result of what you learn from them and apply to your life. However, there is a huge caveat. These courses, teachings, and transformational interventions don’t come cheap. To afford them, you often have to be well on your way to wealth, or already be pretty rich! There is no denying that a one-day course with Tony Robbins is life-changing and will provide you with tools and a shift of mindset to develop a new you. But it comes with a huge price tag that isn’t realistic for most people.

If you’ve been raised on high quality cooking from the Michelin-star kitchen of mum and dad, the idea of going out into the world (and supermarket) on your own might be a scary one. With a little bit of planning and some help from your pals at Push, it really doesn’t have to be.​

The diet of a student or young person living away from home doesn't need to be all about takeaways and meal deals. For one, that’s pretty damn expensive on the regular, even with student discount and Two for Tuesdays. It’s also not too kind on your insides.

There are some great healthy living life hacks to stay fit and well-fed on a student budget, and it doesn’t involve getting the train home every weekend for a roast and a week’s worth of frozen meals.

Money never seems to stick around for long, as a student and there's so many myths about student finance it's hard to know what to believe.
 
Whether it’s bills, books, burgers or booze, there’s always something you’ll be whacking out your contactless card for, and avoiding checking your bank statement because of.
 
That’s why we’re here to help with a few tips and tricks to make your cash last just a little bit longer. 

​New Year, same beautiful old you. But if you haven’t been working in the past, 2019 could be the year you make your way into the world of work and bag a part-time job.
 
Obvious perk? Cash. You earned it, no one can tell you what you can/can’t/should/shouldn’t spend it on. Want to blow a week’s earnings on a massive Dominos order? Do it. Those chicken strippers will never taste better.
 
(Not that we recommend you make it a regular decision, but if you’re going down this route, remember you get a pretty nice 35% student discount < https://www.dominos.co.uk/blog/students/>)
 
Besides the financial independence though—because what could be nicer than having a few spare pennies to rub together—are all the extra benefits.
 
Like… 

So you’ve just started uni and the student loan is rolling in. Maybe you just got a part-time job and are finally making some hard earned cash. Maybe you’ve landed an apprenticeship and are now in control of your own money for the first time.
 
Becoming financially independent is a pretty incredible feeling, but it also comes with some downsides. Namely, there are some pretty nasty people out there looking to take your cash from you.
 
In the digital world we live in, email scams have become commonplace and they’re not always as easy to spot as you might think. 

​Studying abroad in Rome, taking a year out to backpack Asia, working a placement in New York - the chance for young people to get out and see the world is just as popular as ever.
 
And why wouldn’t it be? Now’s the perfect time. No obligations, no career commitments, no pesky mortgages to pay.
 
Once you’re free from the grips of school, the world really is your oyster.
 
But there’s something that anyone hoping to trot the globe has to worry about, and that’s how to fund it.