Boost your income

As an undergraduate there are plenty of ways to boost your income. We’ve compiled some tips to help you do just that.

Part-time work, extra funding or selling unwanted goods may help you to supplement your student loan.

Grants and bursaries

Check you're receiving the correct funding for your course

The first step to getting on top of your finances is to make sure you are accessing all of the funding you are entitled to. Depending on your circumstances you could be eligible to apply for government grants or loans, NHS or teaching bursaries or University of Brighton bursaries or hardship funds which do not need to be repaid.

It is important to bear in mind that if you are a UK undergraduate student how much you can apply for depends on the year you started your course.

Find out about additional funding options

Getting a job

Finding employment

Part-time jobs are a great way to boost your income. Many students need a part-time job to get them through their studies, but the university recommends that full-time students work no more than 12–15 hours per week in paid employment. Most jobs will give you valuable work experience and you might get a job that relates to your study.

Start with the university's Vacancy Service. It is a database of opportunities. The vacancies are suitable for students who wish to work around their studies.

You can get advice from the Careers Service on finding a part-time job.

Paying the right tax

If you have a job you’ll be required to pay income tax and national insurance. The amount you pay depends on how much you earn and your tax status. Everyone can earn a certain amount of income each year which they do not have to pay tax on.

The Low Incomes Tax Reform Group has some very useful advice and information specifically directed at students.

You can find out more about tax and national insurance on HMRC's website.

Apply for funding

Scholarships

Scholarships are awarded for excellence in a particular field.

There are a number of scholarships available to students through the university.

You can also find other scholarships by using HotCourses’ scholarship search.

Grants

There are many grants provided by charitable trusts and foundations. These are often one-off payments awarded to individuals who fulfil very unique, specific criteria.

You can search for such grants using the Turn2us grants search and Family Action grants search.

Postgraduate studentships

If you are looking specifically for postgraduate funding opportunities, the PostgraduateStudentships.co.uk site has a range of funds at all postgraduate levels.

FindAMasters.com and FindAPhD.com may also be useful.