The cost-of-living crisis IS impacting students just as much as anyone else!
We want you to know that we're continuously working on a strategy to try and support you as much as we can. So far, we’ve written letters and met with local MPs to ask for a tailored student cost of living package. We're also working with the University to make life on campus cheaper, with easier access to Hardship Funds, Money Mondays where you can get quick financial advice, and a one-stop Financial Toolkit.
This campaign is being worked on by Students' Union Executive. If you have any suggestions for this that could help alleviate the cost of living for you, let us know!
You can fill in the Here to Hear form to make a submission.
Free Breakfast
Following a successful trial, we are now offering FREE BREAKFAST to students every day during term-time. Between Monday-Friday, head down to the SU Common Room (-1 floor), between 08:30 am- 09:30 am for free breakfast.
Community Kitchen
The Community Kitchen located on floor -1, is a student volunteer led project where we have food available for students to consume which can no longer be sold in outlets, but is still safe to have. The Kitchen has a fridge, food heating facilities, hot water dispensers and a washing space. This is also the space where students can have free breakfasts during term time from 8-10am!
Accomodation Prices
Your Students' Union have also negotaited with the University to ensure that University accomodation rental provision does not increase it's rent prices for the affordable end of their range, to help with increasing living costs for students.
Free Period Products
Your Students' Union campaigned for students to have access to period products and working in collaboration with the University, we have been able to secure this and have dispensers containing tampons, sanitary pads and menstural cups in toilets.
Social Seating
During peak times, areas used for social seating during term time, cannot be booked for other activites unless it is of direct benefit to students. This is to ensure students have heated seating space areas available to study and have some down time between lectures.
Showering Facilities
Located near the Mature Students' Space on floor -1 of the SU building, there is availability of shower cubicles, which are open to all students.
SU Advice Service
SU Advice Service offers free, confidential advice separate to the University and can provide specific information about housing support too.
Email: advice@le.ac.uk Phone number: +44 (0)116 223 1132
Financial Toolkit
Current students can access the Financial Toolkit (one-stop information point for all cost of living support) via Sharepoint by searching "financial toolkit" when you are logged in. You can also contact the Wellbeing team below:
Email: wellbeing@le.ac.uk | Phone number: +44 (0)116 223 1780
Cost of Living Guide: College of Social Sciences, Art & Humanities
We've put together a guide to help you save whilst you're a student- have a look at it here.
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Update 25-10-22
Read the letter sent to MPs this morning below.
Dear MP,
As elected Sabbatical Officers from the De Montfort and Leicester Students’ Union, we are getting in touch to ask you to support us in addressing the cost of living crisis.
The cost of living crisis is affecting people, families and communities up and down the country. This crisis is acutely affecting students, who often live away from home and rely on funding from Student Finance England and/or part-time jobs to get them by.
Here in Leicester, we have a significant student population and rely on students to fuel the economy of our city. However, right now, students are feeling disenfranchised and are unable to participate in community life.
At Leicester, we have approximately 19,000 on-campus students who sit within Leicester constituency lines. At DMU we have approximately 24,000 of which 28% of students live with their parents and 59% of students live in rented accommodation.
Prior to the latest inflationary increases and risen energy price cap, students were already needing £395 extra a month to confidently complete their studies (Blackbullion, 2022). With the maximum maintenance loan payment also having lost £2,025 value since 2019 due to inflationary increases, it is clear that the government support currently on offer is simply not enough.
In spite of a Cost of Living package being released by the government, students are eligible for almost none of it and so we are asking for a tailored cost of living support package for students, as well as an increased maintenance loan threshold.
We are requesting a meeting to discuss how the government will support students through this precarious time, and how we can work together to lobby for an assurance that students will be appropriately supported by the government as they work to obtain their qualifications that will go on to benefit the national economy. As elected officials who represent these students, we are hopeful that you will share their frustrations about the predicament they’ve been left in.
This letter is being sent to yourself as well as other MPs who represent Leicester and we hope you can all recognise the importance of uniting to solve this crisis. We look forward to hearing from you and working together to face this issue head-on.
Warm regards,
Rhiannon Jenkins
Amir Iqbal
Aliya Khan
Hoor Pathan