Cost of Living

Cost of Living

 

Your SU is committed to fighting for the issues that matter to you, which is why our elected President of Education, Alex, has been campaigning tirelessly to ensure that as the cost of living crisis escalates, more is being done to help students. We are delighted to share with you that following discussions between your elected President of Education, Alex, and the Vice-Chancellor, we are now working in collaboration with the University of Suffolk on a joint project to help students during the Cost of Living Crisis. 

We are committed to supporting students’ wellbeing with the cost of living, and through the funding from the University, your Students’ Union is now able to give more direct support to students from the 1st of November through the following measures:  

 

The SU and University SLT, working with our service partner Ipserv, have agreed to suspend car parking charges from 1st November 2022 to 31st March 2023.  This will apply to all UOS car park permit holders for the University car parks throughout these winter months.

This includes parking stays at The University car park, The Wharf car park and Athena Hall car park (Monday to Friday only).  All other terms and conditions will still apply during this period and can be found on signage in and around the car parks or by visiting the Ipserv website

UPDATE!
Your SU are thrilled to announce that following a collaborative effort between your President of Education, Alex Gooch, and the University Senior Leadership Team & Executive, we are able to extend the free campus car parking initiative until the end of the academic year! This fantastic initiative was introduced last November as part of the University and Student Union's response to the ever-increasing cost of living. Holders of University of Suffolk car park permits can continue to enjoy free parking until August 31st, 2023. This means you can park at the University car park, Athena Hall car park (Monday to Friday), and The Wharf car park with a valid permit, at no extra cost. However, it's essential to remember that all other terms and conditions to park will remain in place. Don't forget, parking changes will come into effect again from September 1st. Therefore, it's vital to apply for a new annual permit before then. The new permit will begin on August 23rd and will run through to the end of July 2024. So, make sure you apply for your new permit on time to avoid any parking troubles in the future.

If you have any queries, please contact FM Helpdesk.

Please visit here for more information on how to apply for a permit.

We have wellbeing meal clubs running for the next 16 weeks in the SU Social Space, with breakfast commencing once weekly on alternating mornings from 8:30am-9:30am from the 31st October, and dinner commencing on Tuesday evenings at 6pm from the 8th of November. 

Tickets are free but must be booked in advance here so that we can accommodate numbers. Please book here.

Tuesday Night Dinner has now ended, but free breakfast will continue up until the end of term.

To help support wellbeing during rising food prices, we are offering students emergency food parcels from our food bank if you need assistance during this time. Please contact a member of SU Advice at su.advice@uos.ac.uk for a referral. 

There will also be lunch bags available to access in the SU, which students can help themselves to if needed with no questions asked.  

We are welcoming donations for the food bank, so if you have any dry or tinned goods that you can contribute, please drop off your donations to either the SU front desk or the Student Centre.

 

To help support with spending, we will be offering free tea and coffee from the SU Social Space kitchen, available to all students during SU office hours (9am until 5pm).

Period products will be available for students to use when needed for no cost, and these will be placed in all SU bathrooms.

We are increasing our facilities for on-site food preparation for students to help with meal costs, and we are pleased to announce there is now an additional microwave for use in the kitchen, alongside a boiler tap to reduce waiting times during busy periods.

As part of your former President of Activities and Wellbeing, Meg Wright's manifesto, all social sport is free for current students. Come to whatever you fancy, whenever you fancy and as many times as you fancy, all for free! We also offer free transport to Inspire Suffolk sessions if booked in advance here. 
 


Regular exercise is an important part of maintaining your physical and mental wellbeing, which is why your SU are ensuring staying active is affordable for students, especially during the Cost of Living crisis.

 

 

Additional support

In addition these measures, we are also working with the University to review accessibility into existing University funds that are available to students to support them, such as the Financial Support Fund, which is there to assist students who may be experiencing financial difficulty.

 

You can also access support through the Student Life team, who are there to support students with financial advice and guidance. Please visit the Student Centre or email StudentLife@uos.ac.uk to speak to someone further about your situation.