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National Student Money Week 2025

Someone paying for a coffee using a card machine, and the National Student Money Week 2025 logo.

National Student Money Week runs from Monday 3 to Friday 7 March, and the theme this year is ‘survive and thrive: building financial resilience’.

We’ve rounded up a range of resources, offers and support services available to you as a student at Oxford Brookes, and we asked you to share your best financial tips and advice.

Your money-saving tips

The Student Communications team asked a range of Brookes students for tips on managing money at university. Here’s what you said:

Money and physical wellbeing

It’s important to stay on top of your physical wellbeing at university, but classic gym memberships can be expensive and eating healthy meals can take some extra thought on a student budget. Brookes provides a range of offers and opportunities to help you maintain an active and healthy lifestyle at a low cost, including:

  • Wellness Wednesdays - use our Headington and Harcourt Hill Brookes Sport gym facilities all day on Wednesdays, all year round, for free!
  • Brookes Sport memberships - Brookes Sport also offers flexible and affordable memberships for students, including Semester Memberships and Pay As You Go options. There are no joining fees and no minimum contract lengths.
  • Brookes Union societies - make the most of student societies that focus on physical activities to help get you moving and meet new people. You can sign up for affordable student memberships, pay a small fee for one-off classes, or take part in free individual activities.
  • Active routes - save money and get regular exercise by walking, jogging or cycling to campus instead of using public transport or other vehicles.
  • Catering offer - pick up a nutritional meal from the catering outlets on our Oxford campuses, which offer 50% off selected food one hour before closing time.
  • Olio - Food at Brookes has recently partnered with the Olio app to help reduce food waste and support the local community. Download the app to save money by collecting leftover food and other items that are no longer needed.
  • Student discounts and offers - take advantage of student discounts at retailers and restaurants with your student ID, UNiDAYS, and a TOTUM card.

Money and mental wellbeing

University can be an exciting, positive life experience, but it’s normal to feel stressed or lonely sometimes. The University offers a range of free, confidential support services and wellbeing activities to help you take care of your mental health, including:

  • Student support and wellbeing - from Mental Health and Wellbeing Support and Inclusive Support to your Student Support Coordinator, our teams and services can offer advice and resources to help you take care of your wellbeing at university.
  • Counselling - you may be able to access our solution-focused counselling service. This could support you to understand the issues that matter to you, develop skills to cope with challenges, or work through a distressing situation. Counselling sessions are available online and in-person and the wait time for this service is usually less than two weeks.
  • Multifaith Chaplaincy support and activities - the Multifaith Chaplaincy can provide pastoral or spiritual care in a safe place for you to talk about the things on your mind. You are also welcome to join regular community and mental wellbeing activities led by our chaplains, including Crafternoon Tea and Conversation Café, to explore religious and spiritual topics.
  • Togetherall - you can access this free online mental health platform at any time, year-round, when you sign up with your Brookes email address. Access useful resources, chat anonymously about what’s on your mind, and connect with a safe community.

Budgeting, planning and debt management

Getting into debt can impact on your mental and physical wellbeing. There is support available at Brookes to help you manage your money and feel more in control:

  • Living costs support - see our webpage for information and advice on your weekly spending, and how you can make your money go further by creating a budget and making the most of University, local and national student offers and discounts.
  • Student Minds’ Student Space - find free advice and support resources on this student-facing hub, including a money section with articles on budgeting and a video on creating a budget and managing social spending.
  • Student money advice - if you’re concerned about debts or managing your finances, the Brookes Student Money Advice team can offer personalised support and advice.