Finances: What outgoings to expect

Going to university is probably the first time you’ve been responsible for paying the bills and managing your money. This can seem like a daunting task and with the cost of living on the rise your outgoing expenses might come as a shock.

Luckily for you we’ve researched to see what the average living costs of UK students are so you can have a rough idea of what to expect.

Tuition fees

Although fees could be up to £9250 per year if you’re studying in the UK you don’t need to pay upfront and the bill will be paid directly by whichever financial body you get your student loan from.

Accommodation

According to our research students spend £4159 per year on accommodation. Obviously this figure could go up or down depending on whether you live in university halls, self-catered or catered, or if you live in private rented accommodation.

Food

If you live in catered accommodation then obviously you food bill is going to be very low as you’ll only be supplementing your main meals with snacks etc.

For those of you catering for yourself we think you’ll spend around £1140 per year on essential food and drinks.

House hold bills

The average student seems to spend £616 per year on utility bills and £376 per year on other house hold essentials including toiletries such as toilet roll and tooth paste.

Books/university equipment

To keep these costs down borrow as many books from the university library as you can and buy second hand. However, we still think you’ll spend £344 per year on books and other equipment.

Leisure and clothing

Having fun and socialising is all part of the university experience so it’s no surprise that students spend £1707 per year on partying and new clothes.

Travel

Walking to and from university will keep you fit but if you do need to pay for travel, including to go home, you could spend £483 per year.

Total outgoings per year

When you add all of this together you get a grand total of: £8825 per year