Updated on 8 March 2023 to:
- confirm that all eligible students have now been contacted.
- add an FAQ about the award not yet showing on the Student System for eligible students.
On Tuesday 7 March we announced a second cost of living payment to 10,000 students.
Who will receive the second cost of living payment?
All eligible students have now been contacted. Eligibility criteria is outlined below:
- Students who received a contextual offer from the University, for example because:
- They lived in an area of disadvantage or low progression into higher education
- The school of college where they took their GCSEs, A-levels or equivalent performed below the national average over multiple years
- Students who declared during University registration that they were care experienced, estranged, have caring responsibilities or dependents.
- Students who are seeking asylum in the UK
- Recipients of the following scholarships and bursaries:
The only exceptions are a very small number of professional level post-graduate courses.
Eligible full time students will receive £230 and eligible part time students will receive £115.
The funding for this payment comes from the £9million cost of living package that was announced in November 2022. We used that money to make an initial payment to all students, and it was always our intention to make this second, targeted payment to those most in need using the remaining funds. Eligibility criteria has been determined with the elected Students’ Union officer team.
How will the payment be made?
This payment will be made via transfer to a UK bank account, using our own Student System (rather than through NatWest PayIt as was the case for the first cost of living payment).
I’m eligible for the payment. What do I need to do?
To receive the payment, if you have not done so already, you need to add your UK bank details to My Manchester. Here are the steps to follow:
- Log in to My Manchester.
- Click on the ‘Student System’ tile.
- In the top right-hand corner, click on the compass pointer and select ‘Menu’ in the toolbars, followed by ‘Self Service’, and then ‘Campus Finances’.
- Select ‘View Financial Aid’, which will display your awards for the current academic year.
- Click the ‘Bank Details’ button, enter your UK bank details, and save them. If you’ve already entered and saved your bank details, the button will not be visible.
The bank details button isn’t visible – what should I do?
If you’ve already entered and saved your bank details, the button will not be visible. If you’re having trouble accessing the Student System on My Manchester, please contact IT Support on 0161 306 5544.
When I reach the ‘Financial Aid’ section, it says that I have ‘no awards for 2023’ – what should I do?
Don’t worry! You don’t need to do anything. We’re still in the process of adding awards to student records. As long as you add your bank details, you’ll receive the payment.
When will I receive the payment?
If you have previously added your bank details online, or do so by Friday 10 March, then you can expect to receive payment on Thursday 16 March. If you add your details after Friday 10 March payment will be made to your account within ten working days.
I’m not eligible for the payment, is there other support available?
If you’re struggling, get in touch with us. Our Cost of Living support doesn’t stop with these payments to students. We also have a support fund that can award, depending on an assessment of your circumstances, non-repayable grants up to £2,000; trained advisors on hand to help with a range of money matters; an emergency loan scheme; and mental health and wellbeing support.
What else are you doing to support students through the rising cost of living?
We’re proud of the cost of living support package we’ve developed with your Students’ Union, but we recognise that there are still significant challenges facing the student community. We’re committed to advocating on your behalf and speaking to local and national government officials to improve the situation. For example:
- We agree that that the 2.8% increase in the student maintenance loans provided by the UK Government is insufficient. We’re actively working with other universities to encourage a review of this and our President and Vice Chancellor, Professor Nancy Rothwell, has been lobbying government ministers on this issue.
- Your Students’ Union is making sure that your concerns are heard by Mayor Andy Burnham through the Greater Manchester Student Assembly and is collaborating with other students’ unions to lobby central government.
- We’re advocating for affordable rents and when Manchester City Council ask us to comment on planning applications, we won’t support any new student accommodation unless it offers good value for money.
I have another question. Who can I contact?
Any questions not answered in the FAQs can be directed to costoflivingpayment@manchester.ac.uk. Please include your student ID number in your email.
If you’re contacting us as you haven’t received an email about the second cost of living payment, this means you are not eligible – but if you’re in financial difficulty we’d encourage you to apply for the Cost of Living Support Fund. If you’ve received notification of your entitlement for the second payment and have a query then we’ll respond within five working days.