Financial Support

Background

With domestic tuition fees set to rise and both English maintenance loans and the Cambridge Bursary failing to keep pace with real inflation, an increasing number of students are struggling to afford necessities like food. Additionally, the cost of meals across colleges varies significantly, leaving many students unable to access their college’s food provisions due to growing affordability issues.

What have we done?

In Michaelmas 2024, Katie and Sarah successfully passed an action motion at Student Council to establish a scheme aimed at supporting student nutrition and sustenance in response to rising living costs and reduced financial support. To kickstart the initiative, £500 from the Council’s free budget was allocated to fund the scheme’s creation and its initial trial period. The trial is set to launch at the beginning of Lent Term 2025.

What do we want to achieve?

Our goal is to ensure that all students have affordable access to nutritious food and a stable standard of living that promotes their well-being and academic success - achieved through the introduction of a free grocery scheme designed to support those facing financial hardship.

Background

The funding opportunities available to students are currently not clearly defined, leading to confusion and misdirected applications. Last academic year, one of the top three reasons for funding rejections was inappropriate applications—students either applied for funds that didn’t cover their expenses or overlooked the correct funding routes available to them. Such rejections waste precious time and effort during moments of need. Additionally, recent changes in funding policies, such as the Crane Fund no longer covering ADHD diagnoses, have created misunderstandings among students. Many now incorrectly believe that no funding is available for ADHD diagnoses, even though alternative routes exist. Addressing these gaps in communication will ensure students are well-informed and empowered to access the support they need.

What have we done?

• Initiated discussions with the University’s Financial Assistance Team, who are aware of the situation and plan to revamp the funding information on their website.
• Connected the Financial Assistance Team with the SU Advice Staff to ensure our advisors have the latest and most accurate information.
• Conducted a discussion with sabbatical officers, many of whom are enthusiastic about the initiative and committed to engaging actively.

What do we want to achieve?

• Create a centralized, interim resource—such as a blog or regular updates from the SU—that provides clear and accurate information on funding options and their purposes.
• Empower students to make informed decisions about their applications, reducing confusion and inappropriate submissions.

Background

Each year J/MCR reps enter into negotiations with their college Bursars to establish the level of rent increase for the next academic year. It is often one of the first things they do when they take up the role and it can be very intimidating to stand up for the best thing for students.

What have we done?

I plan to organise rent negotiation workshops in Lent - watch this space!

What do we want to achieve?

I want J/MCR reps to feel confident in getting the best deal they can for their students as they enter those conversations. I want to give them a toolkit of approaches and tactics to do this.

Background

One of the barriers that exist to applying for university, many are financial. The Labour government has recently announced that they will be increasing tuition fees from the next financial year. The bursary support offered by the university has not kept pace with inflation, and college financial support varies significantly.

What have we done?

We passed a policy at SU council to give us a clear direction for future campaigning. We have also signed an open letter organised by York SU and emailed local MPs (Cambridge, South Cambs, St Neots and Mid Cambs).

What do we want to achieve?

We want the Cambridge bursary to increase in line in inflation. We want the Government to commit to increases maintenance loans in line with inflation and to reintroduce maintenance grants for those from low-income backgrounds. We want all students to feel able to apply to study at Cambridge, without being concerned about the financial implications.

Update coming soon.

Background

Publicly available research data show that disabled students face higher upkeep costs as a direct result of their disabilities. This reality has not been captured by the indicative cost of living data produced for the Collegiate University and the Colleges by the Admissions office. As well, despite commendable mitigating efforts by the Accessibility, Disability and Resource Centre, disabled international students are caught in a no-man’s-land of welfare support because they are barred from applying for welfare benefits from the public purse in their own countries and the UK whilst studying in the UK.

What have we done?

In Lent term, Chalo met the University’s Director of Recruitment, Admissions and Participation to discuss the need to produce and provide a differentiated assessment of the indicative cost of living that students face during their lifecycle, in particular capturing data that gives scholarship funders and University and College hardship fund managers a more accurate picture of the additional living costs that disabled students face. The University agreed to start implementing a more granular cost of living survey in early 2026. The Director also promised that future hardship applications to the Collegiate University would be considered with these differences in mind. Chalo also presented to Student Council a policy motion that would mandate the Student Union to lobby various stakeholders to fundraise for and endow a fund that would support the University’s roughly 1,500 disabled international students when they fall on hard times.

What do we want to achieve?

We are determined to see that tuition and maintenance funding bodies and the Collegiate University’s and Colleges’ own hardship funding application panels recognise that disabled students face higher living costs and in many instances need added support. Many students in Cambridge come from well-off families and not all will need additional financial support. But the welfare of the few should concern the many. We are working to see that a practical and inclusive approach to maintenance support is normalised, including the creation of an endowed fund to support disabled international students, resourced with alumni and donor support.