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Support Our Student Cost-of-Living Campaign

Transforming Lives

The cost-of-living crisis is affecting people across the UK and university students and their families are feeling these same financial pressures.

The University of Lincoln provides a range of bursaries, scholarships, and support funds to ensure students do not miss out on the life-changing benefits degree-level study can bring due to their family background or financial circumstances.

Successive below-inflation increases in Maintenance Loan amounts have reduced real-terms financial support from government to students from the poorest backgrounds in recent years. Analysis by organisations including the Institute for Fiscal Studies, the Sutton Trust and the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) suggest universities and families are increasingly filling this gap and many more students now balance part-time work alongside their studies to cover living costs while at university.

More than half of undergraduates (55%) now work part-time jobs, compared to around a third (35%) a decade ago, according to HEPI's Student Academic Experience Survey 2023. A survey by the Sutton Trust (Cost of Living 2023) found that more than a quarter (27.8%) of students reported skipping a meal to save on food costs in the last academic year. 

The so-called ‘cost of learning crisis’ risks rolling back years of progress on widening participation for young people from communities around the UK, dividing ‘haves’ from ‘have-nots’ both in access to higher education and the experience of it.

At Lincoln, where more 97% of our new undergraduate students are from state schools and around one in five are from low participation neighbourhoods, we are determined to keep meeting the needs and aspirations of those wanting to excel in higher education. We believe students from all backgrounds should have the same opportunities to succeed in their studies and enjoy the benefits of university life – from the campus social scene to the extracurricular activities valued by employers.

A gift to our cost-of-living campaign will help us to offer further financial support to those who need it most via our University of Lincoln Financial Assistance Fund (ULFAF) and other initiatives designed to support students with the costs of going to university. From travel bursaries to emergency hardship funds, a donation can make a real difference to real people aspiring to improve their life chances through higher education.

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Current Pressures on Our Student Population

Group of students studying

Balancing Work and Study

A record number of students are now balancing their studies with paid work to help cover living costs while at universities in the UK. This means some students from poorer backgrounds may have less time to work on academic assignments or connect with extra-curricular activities than those from more affluent backgrounds.

Students in a society

Extracurricular Activities

Extracurricular activities are part of the fabric of campus which knits together friendship groups and equips students with experiences and soft skills highly sought after by employers. The demands of part-time work, as well as other factors like membership fees and travel costs, can limit access to these opportunities for students.

Shopping trolley

Rising Food Bills

Families everywhere are seeing food bills rise and the same is true for students. The effects of going hungry in the classroom are profound- it can impact a young person’s capacity to focus and recall information, as well as impacting health and wellbeing. Our Financial Assistance Funds are there to ensure students can cover essential living costs.

Students socialising

Social Life

Students under financial hardship can find it harder to get involved in the many social aspects of campus life for a variety of reasons. This could be due to working part-time jobs, the costs of getting involved in some social activities, or living away from campus and commuting into class restricting options.

How We Are Supporting Our Students

Our Campus Job Shop helps students find quality, flexible part-time work they can fit around their studies, but extra financial assistance can reduce pressure to take on excessive paid hours.

At the University of Lincoln, we offer free breakfast sessions and discounted meals, so students always have access to quality, affordable meals.

We want all students to have the chance to be part of our ‘One Community’ – including the many social and sporting opportunities available – without finances being a significant barrier.

Our Hardship Funds can help students from disadvantaged backgrounds cover living costs, including meeting up with friends for fun.


How It Helps

Financial Assistance Fund (ULFAF) Recipient

"It was hugely helpful. Coming to the end of the course, it was like a weight had lifted. At a time where the pressure was building and my dissertation date was looming, it was one less thing I had to worry about. I cannot thank you enough."

Group of students studying

How Your Gift Can Help A Student

£10 can buy a care package of 3 days' food for a student

£50 can ensure a student can hire their graduation gown

£125 can cover society membership costs

£300 can provide hygiene products for up to 200 students

£500 can stock our food bank for one semester

Student studying

Support We Offer

Our fantastic Student Support and Advice Team are on hand to listen, guide and advise. We also offer a range of bursaries and financial support for students facing rising living costs.

Wellbeing Centre Advisor

Cost of Living Support

The university has a dedicated page where all support related to the cost of living is explained. This includes financial support, where to seek advice and discounts, and information about services on campus such as warm spaces, work opportunities and health, and wellbeing support.

Find Support

Students' Union Spotlight

Students' Union Support

The University of Lincoln Students' Union page offers advice on budgeting, care packages, and information on food and stationery banks that students can access. They also run an Advice Centre which signposts any financial aid that the university can provide to students.

Find Advice

Students chatting outside St Marks accommodation

University of Lincoln Financial Assistance Fund

The University of Lincoln also offers a Financial Assistance Fund (ULFAF) to students who are experiencing financial difficulty. A gift to our cost-of-living campaign will help us to offer further financial support to those who need it most via this fund and other initiatives designed to support students with the costs of going to university.

See Financial Support

We extend our gratitude to the donors who have generously contributed to the campaign which has significantly enhanced our food bank and related services, allowing us to assist even more students facing financial challenges. Last year alone, the Students' Union Advice Centre assisted 4,450 students, highlighting the urgent need for accessible support. Your donations make a vital difference and ensure that no student faces these challenges alone.

Amelia Hinton

Student Support & Development Officer

University of Lincoln logo on building

We are registered with the Fundraising Regulator

Our Fundraising Promise

The University of Lincoln is an exempt charity, and our charity number is XR0664. We are committed to the Fundraising Regulator Code of Practice meaning that our fundraising activity will be legal, open, honest, and respectful. The University upholds the standards set out in the Fundraising Regulator’s Fundraising Promise.

Read the Promise

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Contact The Development Team

University of Lincoln
Brayford Pool Campus
Lincoln
LN6 7TS

development@lincoln.ac.uk

01522 835835