► Student Accommodation

Going off to uni soon? Moving in with a group of people who you don’t know is a great way to make friends at uni – they may end up being your friends for life! If you’ve been accepted onto a course, the earlier you start looking for accommodation the better. Universities often have halls of residences you can apply for or you may choose to rent from a private landlord. Before you can think about studying you'll need a roof over your head. It isn't surprising that many who 'drop out' mention accommodation as a contributory factor.

In other words don't underestimate the importance of good quality accommodation when making your decision about where to study. Your whole experience of university life will be influenced and affected by where you live.

► What types of accommodation are there?
► How do I know what is available?
► Things to watch out for when arranging accommodation
► Issues for students with disabilities

More help4u:
www.accommodationforstudents.com - For advice on student housing
www.student-accom.com - For advice on student housing
www.StudentPad.co.uk - For advice on student housing
www.housingnet.co.uk - For advice on student housing
National Union of Students (NUS) website - For advice on student housing

► Student Finances

When you start thinking about Higher Education, money is one of the main issues to consider. This article will give you some things to think about and some ideas for where to get more information: Going to university can be expensive and does put some people off. Try and see it as an investment in your future. For some jobs you need to go to university to train.

If you decide to go to university you will have to pay for:

► Tuition fees (what the university charge for you to do the course)
► Living costs (accommodation, food, travel, social life)

To pay for these costs you can apply for loans (which you have to pay back) and grants (which you don't pay back).

You don't have to pay your loans back until you leave university and get a job earning over £15,000 a year.

Before you apply: A bit of research before you start applying could save you some money. There are some questions to ask before you fill in the UCAS form.

More help4u:
Hot Courses Student Money/Scholarship Search - Website to help you search for a scholarship
National Union of Students (NUS)
Sk-i-n-t Student Support - Website with latest discounts and savings on
Student Calculator - Calculate what you will need to budget for
Student Finance England - Financial Support for HE
Student Gems - Jobs and temporary work for students
Student Tax Advice - Government website for student advice
The Students' Charity - Help with student finance
You Go Further - Advice on going to Uni