Cost of living Support Package 2025-26

To help you keep more money in your pocket this September, the University will:

• Widen the eligibility of the Participation fund to help more students pay for membership and equipment for clubs, societies, sports teams and social activities, allowing you to get involved more easily
• Launch a new commuter kitchen space in the flagship Bank Plain building, to increase the range of cooking facilities available to students
• Introduce an exciting range of Finance and Funding related pop-up events throughout the academic year, with a focus on how to make the most of your money at university
• Increase offer of discounted bus travel to include Konectbus routes (including a £1 student shopper ticket) to cover a wider area of Norwich and the surrounding county

What we will continue from previous years

We are proud of the measures we introduced over the last few years and want to continue many of them in 2025/26 to ensure this support remains in place. Building on our progress, the University will continue to:

• No increase in weekly rents in University halls beyond the maintenance loan uplift
• Remove deposits from all accommodation
• Produce recipe cards for all residents
• Organise discounted Sports membership and club links
• Provide discounted bus tickets so you can get around the city and region more easily. We will offer higher subsidies to those living further away during term time
• Offer bespoke 1-2-1 money health checks and budgeting sessions to help you manage your finances
• Offer free bicycle repair with our friends at the social enterprise, Bicycle Links
• Provide free tea, coffee and bread daily during term time in the SU offices
• Provide free sanitary products across campus toilets
• Serve food at university-organised meetings that request student attendance
• Provide advice and guidance on how to reduce your energy bills at home
• Offer free graduation gown hire to students who meet the financial eligibility criteria

Ongoing commitments

We are continually looking at new ways we can reduce the financial impact on you while studying at Norwich. As such, there are a number of ongoing commitments that we believe are very important and will be continued moving forwards:

• We continue to set laser printing and copy costs at low, competitive rates
• We will continue to bulk-buy workshop supplies where possible to keep prices low. Although some prices change in line with supply, we will endeavour to transfer savings to you
• We are committed to ensuring inclusivity in the design and delivery of our programmes. As such, course leaders will ensure curricula are designed to allow all students to engage fully, including inclusive access to trips, equipment and other opportunities
• We understand that many of you need to work to help fund your studies. We therefore monitor our Student Regulations to ensure this is acknowledged and apply more leniency in our expectations around attendance and engagement to allow you to balance your commitments
• Related to the above, we will continue to review the delivery of our programmes and activities at Norwich in a way that is sensitive to the varied commitments and responsibilities of our student body
• We will work collaboratively between our business and employability team and our student finance team to support you to find paid opportunities to support your studies. This includes new, easier routes to pay students for creative commission work
• We put students first when thinking about commission-based work within the university or in the local community. For example, in 23/24 Student Support funded over a dozen students on commissions worth thousands of pounds

Did you know?

Here are some useful tips we think will help you save money while you are studying

• All students regardless of age can apply for a 16-25 rail card giving 1/3 discount
• All students can apply for a TOTUM student discount card