Managing money well is an important life skill — and one that many students develop during their time at university. The right information, tools, and support can help you to stay on top of your finances and feel more in control.

Most students have a limited budget and will need good money management skills in order to pay bills and budget effectively for food and leisure. The key to managing money effectively is budgeting and living within your income limits. Your university may offer programmes to help develop money management skills. If you find yourself in difficulty with debt, you could see our help with debt website page, or contact us for debt advice.

This page gives information about:

• Bills and budgeting
• Student loans, bursaries, and scholarships
• Pharmacist Support bursary and grants for students
• Improving your financial wellbeing

Bills and budgeting

Living away from home means that you are responsible for paying your own bills. Below are some of the costs you will need to factor into your budget.

Council tax

Full-time students are exempt from paying council tax if they live in a student hall of residence, or in a house where everyone is exempt, for example, where all the residents are students. For further information about council tax eligibility see the government website.

TV licence

Anybody who watches or records live television using any kind of device, including laptops or mobile phones, is required to have a television licence.  Students living in halls of residence are covered for televisions in communal areas but would normally require a licence for a television in their own room. Students who live in shared accommodation with a joint tenancy agreement may only need one licence. Students whose accommodation is self-contained may still need a licence for their own TV. Students who move out of their term-time address over the summer can apply to TV Licensing for a refund. For further information on whether you need a licence and how to get one see the TV Licencing website.

Student travel

One of the biggest costs to any student can be travel.  However, many travel companies offer discounts to students or young people which can save them a lot of money.  Some will require you to buy a card or pass upfront, like the 16-25 railcard for discount on rail travel or the Young Persons Coach card for National Express journeys. For further details, contact the relevant public transport provider.

Money Helper

Money Helper offer free and independent advice on managing money. The website has a section on student and graduate money management, and offers useful tools such as a budget planner to help you identify where you might cut back on spending or ways to make your money go further. For further information, see the Money Helper website.

Student loans, bursaries, and scholarships

There are a number of different of ways in which students can get financial support to fund university courses and living expenses. Students may be entitled to a student loan and/or a grant depending on their individual circumstances. For further information, see the Student Loans Company website. Most universities have a hardship fund; however funds are limited and are only available to those in most need. Check with your student support services for information about any bursaries, scholarships and fee waivers that your university may offer. You can also take a look at the Student Loans Company website.

For further information on student funding providers, including those specific to pharmacy students, see our Finding funding guidance.

Mature students

Mature students are defined as any student aged 21 or over at the start of their studies. UCAS have a useful guide for mature students containing information about funding your studies, help with your UCAS application and the practicalities of preparing to study. Depending on individual circumstances, mature students may be eligible for additional financial assistance. For further information, see the government website.

Students with children 

Students with children may be able claim a childcare grant. Additional financial help in the way of a grant or benefits and/or tax credits may also be available. For further information on possible entitlement, see the government website.

Students with dependent adults

Students with dependent adults may be able to claim the adult dependents’ grant. An adult dependent can be:-

• your husband/wife or civil partner
• a partner you live with as a couple if you are aged 25 or over
• another adult who depends on you financially.

For further information, see the government website.

Disabled students’ allowance (DSA)

DSA is available for students with a disability, long-term health condition, mental health condition or a specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia. Funding is awarded according to disability, not income. For further information, please see the government website.

International students

International students will need to show that they have enough money to support themselves whilst studying as part of the visa application. Many universities now ask international students for payment in advance for tuition fees and accommodation costs. For further information on fees, funding and support, see the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) website.

Pharmacy as a second degree

Students who are doing pharmacy as a second degree may not be eligible for student finance. For further information on what financial help might be available see the UCAS website.

Pharmacist Support bursary and grants for students

Grants for students 

Being a student often means living on a limited budget while developing essential life skills like money management. However, we understand that unexpected events beyond your control can sometimes affect your ability to manage essential expenses.

MPharm students and OSPAP students can apply for a grant of up to £1,500 per academic year. To be eligible, you’ll need to demonstrate that you’re experiencing unexpected financial difficulty during the academic year, through no fault of your own. Unfortunately, the charity is unable to help with tuition fees, legal fees or visa costs, and we’re not able to consider financial support with retrospective financial difficulty.

To apply for financial help, you can submit an application using our online application portal.

Please note: we can only consider applications once students are enrolled for the academic year and up to the end of the second semester. We’re not able to provide financial support during the summer break.

Find out more about our grants for Students

Pharmacist Support’s Student Bursary Scheme

We’re pleased to offer our national bursary scheme once a year, supporting students at all fully accredited pharmacy schools across Great Britain.

3rd year (or 4th year if undertaking a 5 year sandwich degree) MPharm students facing unexpected financial difficulty can apply and successful applicants can receive a bursary of either £3,000 or £5,000.

To apply:

• You must have experienced an unexpected significant challenge(s)/event(s) that has impacted you personally and affected you financially
• You can demonstrate that the bursary would support you to complete your final year of study.

Find out more about our bursary scheme

Improving your financial wellbeing

We understand how financial pressures can take a real toll on your mental health, relationships, and overall wellbeing.

Taking control of your finances at any stage of life can have a powerful impact on your wellbeing and future security. But the earlier you start practising good financial habits, the sooner you can build the freedom, confidence, and peace of mind you deserve—now and in retirement.

This is why, in addition to our financial assistance services, we now offer free, practical financial wellbeing resources.

This includes free financial education in partnership Rebel Finance School available on our Wellbeing Learning Platform. These resources are designed to help you build confidence and navigate common financial worries and concerns.

Find out more about Rebel Finance for pharmacists 

This webpage was last reviewed in August 2025.