Blogging Heros
There’s nothing cheap about student accommodations. Add what you’re expected to pay to your other college expenses and the numbers may come as a shock. As an area that attracts thousands of students annually, it’s only expected for housing to be costly in Bournemouth. But this shouldn’t hinder your dreams of attending your campus of choice! So how can you afford student accommodation in Bournemouth? Here are some great tips:
- Look for additional funding
Additional funding is a great way to alleviate your expenses. Bursaries, scholarships, charities, trusts and other special interest groups are known to chip into student expenses on a yearly basis, offering you a great way to afford student accommodation. The best part about additional funding is that they aren’t just given to top scoring students.
Those who fund it consider students who may have a keen interest in sports and arts, those with disability and non-UK international students who are traveling abroad. The beauty is that you won’t have to pay this funding back. All you need to do is look for what’s available and send an application. Then who knows, your student accommodation expenses may be fully taken care of!
- Choose your housing carefully
Once you’ve decided on your campus of choice, it’s time to delve into the housing options available to you. Accommodation will be your biggest living expense, and there’s a variety of ways you can save some cash here:
- Go for a basic room and forget about brand new halls that are more expensive in the housing spectrum. Make the room fully yours but putting up some personal mementos and pictures so it can have a personal touch.
- Choosing student living halls that have a common bathroom as an en-suite hall will significantly push the price up.
- Not unless you need things like cinema lounges and game rooms, ignore fancy extras you won’t use to cut down costs. It’s less expensive when you share communal living spaces with people.
- Consider whether renting a house or flat in a nearby location will be cheaper.
- In second and third year, apply to be a residence assistant for free or discounted accommodation.
- Take a year and save up
This is a path that many campus students take when the numbers are not working in their favor. There’s nothing better than putting away enough cash for a more comfortable stay in school. Taking a year off when your friends are heading to university may make you feel like you’re missing out. But if it means that money is less of a stress then it’s a decision worth making. A year flies by quickly and you’ll be in school before you know it!
The Bottomline
If you’re already enrolled in school and are worried about finances then you can also get a part time job at the university, work through the holidays, take part in paid research on campus and enquire about hardship funds that you are eligible for. Any of these things will allow you to put a significant amount towards your student accommodation account.
