To help out those who do want to make some extra cash –  whether it’s saving for a big purchase or holiday, or simply to earn some extra spending money – we’ve thought up some great ways for under 18s to earn some cash.

• Set up a rental club
• Rent out almost anything!
• Do online surveys
• Make money from your fashion sense
• Busking
• Be a film/TV extra
• Start a cinema club
• Put on a concert
• Become a football referee
• Get a job
• Wash cars
• Get paid to iron
• Create your own phone app

Set up a rental club at school

You can make money out of things that you and your friends already own by starting up a rental club at school. Just like LOVEFiLM, you can rent out the DVDs or CDs that you and your friends already own for a much lower fee – so both you and the renters are winners. You will need to:

• Devise a membership scheme to record every member’s details, including the class they are in, in order to chase up rentals.
• Have a log book or spreadsheet to record exactly who has what and how long they’ve paid for it.
• Make a catalogue of all the titles you have – so people can choose what they want to rent without you having to carry the DVDs around all the time.
• Because you don’t want to have to transport the DVDs to and from school all the time, it’s probably a good idea to use a book-in-advance system where people request a certain title which you then bring for them the next day. They then return the DVD to you as arranged.
• Running a club like this in school guarantees that if a title is not returned on time you can track down the person who has got it quite easily.

A rental club can work well for loads of things. For boys, renting computer games that you have lying around at home is a good idea. For girls, if you’ve got some nice things in your wardrobe that you don’t mind lending out, you could rent items out at the weekend so that people can wear them to parties. In this case, some sort of guarantee system should be put in place in case the clothes get ripped or stained, however, with the DVDs their value isn’t so much that this should be necessary. If a DVD is mistreated you can simply deny the member who broke it any more rentals.

Bear in mind that although you can sell DVDs and CDs legally, renting out retail copies for profit (in the UK at least) is illegal. You can however buy ‘wholesale’ DVDs to rent for profit (‘wholesale’ DVDs tend to cost three or four times as much as ‘retail’ copies, but that still allows you to make a healthy profit with enough customers).

Rent out almost anything!

There are some really useful websites that allow you to rent out almost anything you own – and you needn’t pay a penny in advertising!

RentNotBuy allows you to list whatever you want to rent out for money (from games consoles to trampolines) to people are willing to pay to borrow such items.

For example one individual was earning £120 a week by renting out both his bicycle and his garden trampoline.

You set the price and away you go! (If you’re worried about lending your stuff to strangers, you can arrange a cash deposit through the site. And like eBay, you can see a person’s history and how other people have rated them – so you can see whether someone will take good care of your stuff or not).

There are alternatives to RentNotBuy, such as Zilok (which is again fee free) or Ecomodo which is currently run by volunteers. You can also search by area and find items for rent in your area making pick up and drop off much easier.

Do online surveys

Online surveys can be a great way to earn a bit of extra cash from the comfort of your computer. It’s possible to earn around £50 a month if you sign up to a few survey sites and have the time to regularly complete a few surveys (most take between 10-40 minutes to finish). The longer surveys typically pay more money.

Some good online survey sites to join are:

• Digital Trends
• Opinion Outpost
• Toluna
• Valued Opinions 
• MySurvey
• Paid Surveys UK
• GlobalTestMarket

Revamp your old clothes and jewellery

If you don’t fancy renting your clothes and jewellery out, then you could try revamping them to make new and saleable items. If you are a bit creative, try chopping up old clothes and re-piecing them together. You can also buy cheap offcuts of material, either at your local haberdashers or often at the market and combine these with your old items of clothing to create something new, funky and most of all, unique. You can get tips internet forums and sites. Take a look at these:

• Craftster clothing forum
• What the Craft?

The same goes for strands of beads that you might have lying around. If the beads don’t go well together or they are boring colours then just chop up the thread and pool all the beads you’ve got to try and find nicer combinations. You can also buy beads quite cheaply online and then make them up into necklaces yourself to sell either at a craft fair or a car-boot sale, or just to sell to your friends. If you’ve really got a flair for it you can easily make a necklace for less than £2 and then sell it for £4 making 100% profit. Have a look at these sites to get started:

• Beads Direct
• Beads Unlimited
• Beadaddict

Make money from your fashion sense

Have you got an eye for fashion? Are you always picking up bargains from charity shops and the like? You can use your fashion sense to make some cash on the side by selling vintage clothes online.

It’s really easy to get started – have a look at our guide on how to make money from vintage clothes.

Have a go at busking

Busking is a great way for under 18s to make money and have some fun. You’ve got to be gutsy and get out in front of lots of people and entertain – but if you give a good show, you can make a lot of money in a few hours.

You can busk all over the place, but it’s important to check out if you need a license or a permit before you do it. If you are caught busking where you shouldn’t be, you can get moved on (or if you’re really unlucky, you can even get fined or arrested). But once your location is sorted, all you’ve got to do is put out a hat or case to collect money in, and you’re good to go.

We’ve got all the information and tips to make more in our guide to busking.

Become a film or TV extra

You can make between £80-£120 a day as a film or TV extra. If you fancy seeing yourself on the silver screen (or maybe just in the background of Corrie) see our article on how to make money as an extra - it shows you how to get started and the best ways of finding work.

Start a cinema club

Another way to make use of all those DVDs (legal of course) you’ve got is to start a film club, at school, with your friends or anywhere else where you can host a good number of people and project a film. To start a film club you’ll need three main things:

• A projector

Most schools have projectors so having the film club at school is probably the most convenient place. However, the school is certainly going to be more willing to lend the use of the projector to those who are trying to raise money for charitable purposes rather than for personal gain. If you are trying to run a film club just for pocket money you’ll probably need to be able to get a projector from somewhere else.

• A film

Think about your audience, who you are aiming your marketing at and what films they would like to see. Pick something that is appropriate for the age group and that boys and girls will enjoy watching to maximise your chances of getting a good audience. Picking a new release will probably draw a bigger crowd.

• A venue

This is interlinked with the projector, but you still need a venue that can hold the amount of people you expect to come. It should also have a nice relaxed environment and lots of chairs for everyone to sit on.

Once you’ve sorted these three things out you can then think about making popcorn to sell to make a bit more money or other refreshments and when you are going to hold the screenings. This will obviously depend on the availability of the venue, but if your audience are other school students, it’s probably best not to hold them late on a school night.

Finally you need to decide how to charge people. You can either opt for a monthly membership payment which then allows people to go to screenings at a discounted price or just charge everyone the same on the door. Ultimately, you’ll probably make more from charging everyone on the door, but charging a membership fee would give you some initial funds to invest in a popcorn maker (you can get one at Amazon now for just over twenty quid) and any other refreshments as well as the films themselves and the cost of any marketing materials like posters and flyers, which in the long-run will help you make more money.

If you are interested in running a film club for personal profit, be aware that you must comply with copyright regulations. You need a licence to charge for public viewings of movies. You can arrange a licence through the Motion Picture Licensing Company; however, rates for commercial events are charged at the minimum guaranteed rate per title, or 35% of the box office, whichever is greater. For further information about prices, check out their website.

Put on a concert

If you’ve got lots of friends who are in bands or who are budding solo artists, you can make money out of organising a concert for them to play in (and give them a chance to get some gig experience). All you’ll need is a venue, an electricity supply and a computer to make some flyers and tickets.

Get started by asking around to see if your friends and other young people that you know would be interested in coming to a concert to see their friends play. Ask people how many bands they’d like to see, what kind of venue they’d like to see them at and how much they’d be willing to pay for a ticket. Once you’ve got a rough idea of what people want, start going about providing it.

The venue will be the most difficult thing to get. Most halls of any kind will charge you a lot to rent them and you’ll probably need an adult present to act as a guarantor. Ideally you’ll want to get a free venue for maximum profit.

• If you’ve got a garden you can host a concert there – this would limit the capacity, but only 25 people paying £2 each is still £50 in a night. Remember to inform your neighbours that you will be hosting a concert before the night and state clearly the start and finish times so that you don’t get angry neighbours banging on your door (or even worse, the police!)
• For charitable causes your school, religious centre or local social club might be willing to let you use a hall for free. It’s always worth asking and don’t forget to really sell yourself and the charity you’re raising money for.
• If you think you can get a lot of people to come then you can consider paying for a venue. Make sure that you sell tickets far in advance to maximise your sales. Set a target number of tickets to sell and then divide the cost of the venue across this number.  This will show you how much you need to charge for each ticket in order to cover your costs and make a profit. If this figure is unreasonable then you’ll have to find another venue.

Then you’ve got to persuade your friends to play for free. If you are holding the concert for a charitable cause then they’ll hopefully do it out of the goodness of their hearts! But if you’re trying to make money for yourself then you can offer them a share in the profits. This way they will help you sell the tickets and help you find other acts in order to get the most out of it.

Become a referee

There is a national shortage of qualified football referees. You have to be over 14 to do the training and you have to be fit and have good eyesight.

If you’re under 16 then it should cost you £49 for training, registration, child protection and a CRB check and £69 if you’re over 16.  The training process will take a few weeks during which time you will learn all the skills needed to be a referee, including the knowledge of the rules of football and how to put them into practice. The training includes both written and practical exams, but once you’ve passed you can make a surprising amount a week refereeing for your local teams.

For more information on training and pricing look at the Referees’ Association and you can find your local course and register your interest on the Football Association website.

Get a job

You may think that because you are under 18 you cannot get a job. Well think again – there are loads of jobs that younger people can do to make a tidy amount of money.

Deliver newspapers

Anyone can follow a list and deliver papers. You have to get up at around 5:45 am in the week and a bit later at weekends, plus it’s cold in the winter. However, with the bonus of Christmas tips and lovely summer mornings when no one else is awake it’s a good job that shouldn’t get in the way of your social or school life.

You can earn between £15 and £40 a week delivering every morning. Ask at your local newsagents if there is a route near where you live.

Work in a Cafe/Restaurant

Another opportunity for under 18s is to work in a cafe or a restaurant. Waiter or waitress roles are the norm for younger workers, but you could also get a job as a kitchen assistant.

Ask around at local eateries to see if they are hiring and keep an eye on jobs in the paper as well.

There are plenty of part-time and Saturday jobs available on Gumtree or you can use other search engines such as Trovit or Part Time Jobs.

Babysitting

Babysitting is a very lucrative business if you look at it in terms of effort. You’ve got to play with the children a bit, possibly make dinner and then just relax in someone else’s house whilst the children snore away in bed. Its very difficult not to do a good job.

Advertise your skills in the local area and by word of mouth. Stress the fact that you are responsible and trustworthy and whilst the children are awake, make an effort to have a really good time again, so they’ll ask to have you back. For more information see our article on how to make money by babysitting.

Fruit picking

If you live in a rural area you can probably get some part-time work on a farm as a picker. The work is hard and you will probably be paid according to the weight of how much you pick, so you’ll really have to work for your cash. To apply for picking jobs you often won’t need a CV, but if you have prior experience it’s a good idea to supply the name of a referee. You’ll need to tell your prospective employer a bit about yourself as well as your age and your nationality.

To do the job you’ll need old clothes, a hat and lots of sun cream so you don’t get burnt. Don’t be surprised if it takes you a few days to get up to a profitable speed of picking, you’ll get the hang of it eventually. Check out these sites for jobs:

• Picking Jobs
• Any work anywhere
• Fruitful Jobs

Be a pool attendant

If you are 16 or over you can make money being a lifeguard at your local swimming pool or beach.

To work at a pool you’ll need a National Pool Lifeguard Qualification (NPLQ) or The National Aquatic Rescue Standard (NaRS) qualification, and for the beach it’s the RLSS National Beach Lifeguard Qualification or the NaRS. You can get these qualifications by joining an RLSS lifeguard club or SLSA as a volunteer and training with them or with a commercial training organisation. Some pools will train their own staff whilst they work. You can get details on lifeguard training courses on the Learn Direct website.

Once you’ve trained all you’ve got to do is get a job. Have a look on:

• Leisurejobs
• Gapyear.com
• Gumtree

Or stop by your local swimming pool to see if there are any job vacancies. For more information see our article on becoming a lifeguard.

Walk people’s dogs

Lots of people have dogs that they can’t be bothered to walk. Take advantage of this and offer your services. You should be able to handle up to four dogs at a time, taking them all out at once and saving time. You’ll be expected to play with them, pick up after them and check they’ve got enough water when you drop them off.

What you charge depends on the area. In London you can charge up to £15 per dog per hour, but don’t overcharge as you won’t be recommended to anyone else and probably won’t be asked back. This is a great thing to do after school as you’ll be back before anyone who has a full-time job and it should only take you around an hour a day. You could also offer your services to feed people’s pets whilst they are away on holiday.

For more details on how to become a dog walker, check out our guide.

Work as a chambermaid

If there is a hotel near to where you live, you could make money cleaning rooms at the weekends. A chambermaid is responsible for changing sheets, picking up and delivering laundry to the linen room, cleaning the rooms and bathrooms and sometimes preparing and serving in-room breakfast. It’s not great money and the work can be hard, but it’s usually just a morning job leaving you the rest of the day free to make more money.

You can look for jobs on these sites:

• Recruitment & Employment Confederation
• Fish 4 Jobs
• Jobcentreplus

Work in a supermarket

Once you are 16 you can work in a supermarket. You will probably only earn minimum wage at first (£3.68 per hour), but you can do overtime and work on bank holidays to earn more. If you stick with one supermarket from when you are 16 to when you are 18 and you are a good worker, you can expect to advance up the employment ladder and not remain a shelf stacker forever.

Waitrose is one of the best supermarkets to work in as it is a partnership. This means that all the employees hold shares in the company and this is supposed to motivate them to work to help the company develop and help their shares increase in value. Whether it motivates you or not, you will get shares in the company which will then be yours to do with as you please. If you’re lucky, you could sell them for a nice profit. You know who the big players are, have a look on their careers websites for jobs and get applying:

• Sainsbury’s
• Tesco
• Waitrose
• Morrisons
• Asda

Wash people’s cars

If jobs are hard to come by, this is a great way of making some money on the side. Anyone can do it, and you can tout for business by knocking on doors and offering your services, or print your own flyers and post them through doors, leave them on windshields and local noticeboards.

You can get some business cards printed for free with Vistaprint. You might find it helps to put together a price list, so customers know exactly what they’re getting for their money (e.g. are you going to clean the car interior as well, and if so, how much more will that add to the price?)

If you do a good job and a customer is obviously pleased with your work, ask if you can put a recommendation from them on your flyers/adverts.

Run an ironing service

Know your way round an ironing board? You can make good money with a home ironing service. Plenty of people set up business on their own, or you can sign up with an agency. To get the full lowdown, check out our article on how to make money ironing.

Create your own phone app

Smartphones have quickly become the must-have accessory for teenagers, and a key part of their success is the presence of applications – or ‘apps’ for short.

An app can be anything from a fun game – see the hugely popular Angry Birds – to a more practical app – see Next Bus London – and people of all ages are now learning how to create apps. For anyone under 18 doubting this, read the story of Nick D’Aloisio. He is a 16-year-old schoolboy who ditched gaming to study app design in his spare time and is now working with multi-billionaires in the United States to develop his Summly app.

Nick started teaching himself computer programming and began with more simple apps to test the water – but if you think this might be too tricky, programmes like GameSalad for iPhone and App Inventor for Android exist to show you how to make an app. If you like, you can have a few friends working on the idea, with some geared towards design and others towards programming.

It’s not only interesting, it can be fun and rewarding too – with you turning your very own idea into a reality. Perhaps you want to create an app for you and your friends to store your school timetable, or maybe you want to create a fun game app centred on your school day? This is great for those with a burning idea, and if your idea is particularly great you can start to make money from it.

If you want to sell an iPhone app you can apply for approval to be put into the iTunes App Store, where, if your app is particularly good, you may even be featured on their front page. Android apps meanwhile go to the Android Market Store.

Apps do take a lot of hard work and thinking – but with programming set to become a core part of the IT curriculum in September 2012 you could be at the forefront of a new generation of app designers.

Useful links

• Jobcentreplus
• Leisurejobs
• Picking Jobs
• Referees Association

Want more ideas? Check out our make money section where we’ve got loads of money making ideas that are suitable for under 18s.

1. Join dating sites. For the biggest choice in online dating, join up to Match.com and Datingdirect. There are so many people on those sites that you’re bound to get enough dates to keep you very busy for the next few months. There are some excellent free dating sites out there, including FreeDating and Smooch, plus other online dating sites that have had good reviews such as eHarmony and Zoosk.
2. Be safe on dating sites. Never reveal your address before you’ve actually met up with someone, and on your first date make sure a friend or relative knows where you are.  There’s no need to be completely paranoid, but it pays to be cautious.
3. Smile a lot more. Really, not just at anyone particular. Just smile a lot more generally. Whoever you are, whatever you look like, smiling makes you look better. It also makes you look more attractive, approachable and friendly. So smile and you could be surprised!
4. Make sure you smell nice. This goes for men as well as women. Basic good hygiene makes all the difference between getting a date and not getting one. Regular washing, good deodorant and clean clothes are an essential for any civilised person. If you’re not sure whether you whiff too much, ask an honest friend.  Try Superdrug for a wide range of toiletries and fragrance.
5. Don’t smell too nice. In other words, don’t bathe yourself in perfume or aftershave, particularly if you go for the strong, musk-based stuff or cheap aftershave that makes Toilet Duck smell appealing. Better to have none at all, particularly if you’re going to be meeting in a confined space.
6. (for men) Nose hair – get rid of it. Seriously. Anything showing needs to be clipped off. Just do it.  Boots has a great range of men’s grooming products.
7. (also for men) Consider removing the beard. Survey after survey has found that the majority of women find beards a total turn-off. Many like them, of course, and some men’s faces look a lot better with coverage than without so check with friends (those with taste) first before you get the razor out. Oh, and also the beer belly….ditch that asap.
8. Try an original chat-up line. Seriously, a good, creative one can sometimes swing it with the object of your affection. However, lines like ‘Get your coat love, you’ve pulled’ or ‘cheer up, love, it may never happen’ will, deservedly get you ignored and shunned.  Amazon has loads of books filled with great chat-up lines for just a few pounds each – try those if you’re struggling.
9. Get your friends to get you a date. Sometimes your friends know people who would be good for you but they don’t think to put you together. Sometimes it’s as simple as letting people know you want to find love. Tell them to keep you in mind if they know of singletons that could match you up with.
10. Get a friend to put you on Mysinglefriend.com. Almost the same thing, but online. On Sarah Beeney’s dating site your friends describe you and say why you would make a great date. It’s a lot less cringy than writing your own blurb.
11. Get help changing your wardrobe. If you’re worried your clothes may be letting you down, get a stylish friend to go shopping with you. In fact, if you have the money get a professional stylist to help you in the high street. One or two sessions can create a whole new wardrobe and a whole new look for you.  For online bargains, Designer Discount is great for grabbing the most fashionable gear at reduced rates.
12. Don’t look desperate. Even when we’re grown up, sensible and (supposedly) mature, dating can bring out the desperate in us.  Hard to describe what that looks like but probably for women it’s going for the Katie Price, overdone lips and boobs look. For men, well it’s probably the Alex Reid look – in fact, study those two and do the opposite.
13. Don’t be desperate. Easy to say, I know, but we often give off signals that we’re not aware of that can either be attractive or off-putting. If you’re feeling desperate for a date it’s likely that you will put people off. Time to take a step back, evaluate what you’re feeling and, if necessary, get some help.
14. Set up your own singles parties. If you have lots of friends who are single, hold a party, either at your place or in a local pub or club, and get them to bring at least one single friend of the opposite sex. That way you should have an equal number of boys and girls to meet each other and you will meet them first as you greet them so you could nab them before anyone else does!
15. Go speed dating. These events are still happening all over the country. Just put ‘speed dating’ into Google and you’ll find a host of companies running events near you. Don’t expect too much – you’re not exactly going to find out much about a potential partner in a minute or so, but it could be the start of something good.
16. Set up your own speed-dating events (make money while you date). There’s nothing to stop you setting up your own speed-networking event. Find a venue (lots of restaurants are very keen to get bums on seats on week nights). Then it’s just a question of getting the word out – use your email networks and social networking sites. Even charging a small fee like just £5 a head could bring in a nice bit of cash every now and then.
17. Get into networking. Business networking events are a great way to meet interesting people. Good networking events are like the best parties – full of all the lively people. If you’re there for business primarily then meeting a potential date is an added bonus.
18. Use social networks as dating sites. Really, Facebook, Twitter and even LinkedIn are used as dating sites by lots of people. Start with friends of friends and get friendly. Don’t be a pest though. You can find yourself blocked if you’re too persistent.
19. Do evening classes. Evening classes are a great way to meet people who are interested in similar subjects to you. However, be clever about it. If you’re looking for a woman, go to cooking or sewing classes. If you’re looking for a man go to technical or DIY classes. Language classes and music are good for both sexes. Have a look at Hotcourses if you need inspiration.
20. Do some salsa classes. This is particularly good for men because salsa classes (and dance classes generally) tend to be over-subscribed with women. In a dance class you can get up close and personal entirely legally for a good hour or so.
21. Join a boxing or spin class at your gym. There are always cuties in those classes. They just attract them. Good eye candy even if you don’t find a date.
22. Go to book readings or join a book-reading club. There are always the smart ones there – so if you’re looking for someone with a brain, you’ve got a fighting chance of finding one there.  Visit Waterstones and get genned up on the classics before you go so you can impress with your knowledge.
23. Volunteer. The nice ones do that sort of thing. There are loads of ways of doing it. Try the ‘Do-it’ website which is run by the charity Youthnet. It has a good search facility for volunteering opportunities in your area and abroad. Also, Volunteering.org.uk has a range of projects for individuals and groups. Don’t forget GOV.UK has a good list of places to go to find the right volunteering opportunity for you.
24. Hang out at libraries. Even if you already go, hang out there more often. Again, the smart ones go there too.
25. Attend art gallery openings. Not only do they offer the opportunity of free food and drink but also cool, artsy, sophisticated people go there and there’s lots to talk about. It’s easy to get invited. Just wander into nice-looking galleries and ask to be put on their list for when new shows happen. Then wait for the invitations to come through the door.
26. Take in more live music at smaller venues. Same thing as art galleries – cool people go there too and you can always casually talk about the music.
27. Take up a cooking class or wine tasting class. The cooking classes are particularly good for men as there are usually a lot more women there. Also, you will be able to impress your date – and future dates – with your culinary skills. It’s always impressive when a man can cook.
28. Hang out at good old nightclubs or bars. One friend of mine says “I can’t believe how many people I know who have met their spouses there! It must be a combination of having a good time and not really searching.” Just make sure you pick nice bars to find the nice people.
29. Take an interest in other people and really listen to what they say. It’s amazing how few people do this and how attractive it is. Really work at asking others about themselves and listening to the answer before saying anything about yourself.
30. Check the ‘Events’ section of your local newspaper. Clip out the events that interest you and make yourself go. You can take a friend if you like, but just remember to meet at least one new person when you go. Keep in mind that you’re looking to meet a possible friend, not a date. Take the pressure off yourself so that you are able to be normal when you talk to people.
31. Get a dog. Walking a dog in the park or in local streets is a great way to meet other dog walkers and dog lovers. Studies have shown that people who walk a dog get friendly with others more quickly than those that walk alone.  Stock up on dog food from Pet Supermarket.
32. Accept invitations. Go to those weddings, reunions, and similar events that you’ve been invited to. Fight the urge to say “Ugh, no!” Go with an open mind and the aim of giving everyone else there a good time. Forget about yourself. Talk to people and see what happens.
33. Join your local club or a sports group you’re interested in. Team sports are best such as football or hockey (particularly if the club is mixed) but anything you’re interested in will work. And don’t rule out groups just because you’ve never done it before. If you’ve always wanted to learn how to fly, ski, sail or play volleyball then join a group and learn.
34. Get a hands-on job. Consider becoming a personal trainer, if that’s what you’re good at, or a masseur or hairdresser or any similar ‘hands-on’ profession that allows you to get up-close and personal with your clients. Many matches have been made that way.
35. Get into singles travel. There are various organisations such as Club Med, Sunsail, Skyros holidays and others that are particularly suited to singles who want to meet other singles. They have interesting activities and, if nothing else, you’re going to have a fun holiday.
36. (for women) Stop trying to be a ladette. It’s not big and it’s not clever. If you’ve got a mouth like a sailor, learn to hold it in until your love interest is out of earshot. Cut down the booze and certainly bin the fags. You don’t have to dress in Laura Ashley but the boys need girls to be strong enough to be a good influence and make them happy, not so weak that they need to copy the lads.
37. Learn some French. You don’t need to be fluent in the so-called language of love, but throwing in the odd phrase here and there should make you seem educated and cool. Get yourself a good-looking teacher and you can’t lose.
38. Be more realistic. If you’re finding it tough to get a date then aiming for Brad or Angelina lookalikes is probably a bit optimistic. We’re not saying you should start chatting up Scary Mary from work or Smelly Stan from the local, but go for character and tastes and interests like yours, rather than looks and you’ll get further.
39. Get smarter looking. There’s no point beating round the bush, good-looking people attract other good-looking people. Harsh but true. So slap on a face mask, invest in some spot cream and take a trip to the hairdressers. It could work wonders.  For all the top beauty brands, try Lookfantastic.com, which offers free delivery.
40. (for women) Buy the man a drink. Confidence is a turn-on and most men will appreciate a woman who takes the pressure off them and makes the first move.  Just make sure he’s buying the second round.  If you’re willing to be more direct, dating will eventually become much less nerve wracking.
41. Don’t get completely wasted. A few drinks may improve your social skills, but there’s nothing more unattractive than someone unable to stand upright or articulate complete sentences.
42. Don’t become a workaholic. The most important thing you can do is get yourself out there! If you take up residence in your office and sleep under the desks, how can you hope to meet that special someone on the tube/ bus on the way home?
43. Post “Missed connections” on Craigslist London. If you see a potential candidate on the tube, bus, or in the queue for a lunchtime sandwich – post an ad on here with your best description of the person. I know for a fact that these have worked for people. Be sure to check for someone seeking you too!
44. Go out of your way to be kind. Give up seats on the bus, hold doors for people and thank others as often as possible. Even if the person you help isn’t a potential match, you never know who could be spying from a safe distance!  Plus, you’ll feel great about yourself which is a real confidence booster.
45. Attempt to get into small-talk situations with strangers of the opposite sex. The easiest way is if you and another find yourself in a shared predicament – for example, you are both hoping to catch the same train, and it is delayed. Nothing brings Brits together better than mutual outrage at transport services. Just roll your eyes, sigh and look towards your neighbour for a reaction.
46. Stop looking so hard. It’s Sod’s law but just when you’re feeling happy and interested in life and you’re not looking for anyone special…whammo, that person turns up.
47. Find a date for an older single friend or relative. Put your own love life to one side for a few minutes – myLovelyParent lets you set up a profile for someone else, be it your mum, dad or anyone else. You write a glowing description and recommend potential matches then let nature take its course!

Remember to read our fab article Dating on a budget – it’s packed with romantic but recession-busting sites and offers to help you find love even when you’re strapped for cash.

Useful links

• Match.com
• DatingDirect
• FreeDating
• Superdrug
• Boots
• Designer Discount
• Lookfantastic.com

If you’ve tried any of our tips fill us in on your experiences on our Facebook and Twitter pages – whether you’ve found love on free dating sites or flirted at a salsa class, we’d love to hear about it!

• Bursaries, scholarships and sponsorship
• How to get your hands on the money
• Top tips for getting money in

Bursaries, scholarships and sponsorship

Britain doesn’t have such a well-established tradition of bursary and scholarship funding as the USA, but there’s still a fair pool of money available. Even better, the pool has got much bigger in recent years and is likely to carry on growing.

• Bursaries

A bursary is, basically, a gift of money to help you study. Universities that charge the maximum tuition fees have to provide bursaries for students who receive the full maintenance grant. The minimum bursary universities can offer students is £338 but in practice, many actually choose to make these bursaries bigger than they have to.

There are often also other bursaries available. In some cases they are open to anybody who feels like filling in the application form. Most, however, have specific criteria such as coming from a low-income background or a family with no tradition of higher education.

If you have any disabilities, children or other dependents or there are any other factors that might make it hard for you to study then you may well find that extra help is available. Bursaries for students wanting to study near home are also quite common.

Applying for bursaries can be a hit-and-miss process – their requirements can be quite specific or even downright bizarre, like if you play a brass instrument and live no less than three miles from a river! Just have a look around and try your luck.

• Scholarships

Scholarships are similar to bursaries in that they are also non-repayable grants of money. But whereas bursaries are normally made on account of your personal circumstances, scholarships are made for people with particular skills. For example, they are often available specifically for those who are good at sports or music, or awarded on the expectation of you maintaining a high grade average throughout the year. You could easily find some advertised by your faculty or department for those on a particular course as well.

• Sponsorship

Some employers will ‘sponsor’, i.e. help pay for, your studies. The offer is usually made on the condition that you work for them during and/or after university. There’s not a great deal out there but if you don’t ask, you’ll never know. As relatively few people approach companies for sponsorship you may find there’s less competition for any assistance a company can offer.  How likely you are to get the cash depends on the industry – specialised technical or scientific subjects, big businesses and the military are the best bets.

• Access to Learning fund

This is an extra pot of money designed to help those who find themselves in dire financial straits while studying. It’s an emergency fund rather than something to rely on when drawing up your budget. It doesn’t usually have to be repaid but is discretionary – your university decides whether you can apply and how much you are awarded. If you are an arts student and are expected to put on and fund an exhibition in your final year, it is well worth applying as it can really help you cover your costs.

Who is eligible?

• Mature students
• Students with children
• Students low-income backgrounds
• Final year students

You normally apply through the student services department at your university after you arrive – although the procedures are slightly different for each institution you’ll almost certainly be asked to provide a copy of your financial assessment from your local authority and a breakdown of your financial situation supported by bank statements, rent details etc. You’ll be expected to have applied for all of the loans, bursaries and grants you’re entitled to claim before you can apply to this fund.

How to get your hands on them

Start with your university/universities to which you are applying. Check their website for any additional source of funding. Be sure to check at university, faculty and department level as awards will often be quite  specific. Ask about any links they may have with employers or local industry (particularly if you’re doing a course that involves a work placement) – it might then be worth talking to those companies about the possibility of  sponsoring your studies.

Search the Educational Grants Advisory Service to see if they can help – if you meet their eligibility criteria you could get between £200 and £300 per year. The library can also be a great resource – ask for copies of  The Educational Grants Directory or The Directory of Grant Making Trusts, both of which are published by the Directory of Social Change.

Remember that you only get the maximum amount of financial support if your parents’ income is below a certain threshold. That’s because it’s (conveniently) assumed that your parents would like to give their student offspring extra money if they’re able to. In practice, many do, perhaps paying their rent, giving a monthly allowance or simply throwing extra pounds their way when things get tough. But there are no guarantees. Not all parents want – or can afford – to bail out their kids, no matter how the government has done its sums.

Top Tips

• Get to know your financial assessment from the local authority – see precisely what you have been awarded.

• Try to sort things out in advance. It’ll be easier for you to work out a budget if you know how much you’ll be getting from your parents – and when.

• Make sure you are with the best student bank account. (Don’t just be swayed by which account has the best freebies!)
• Ask your university, college and faculty for details of any financial support they can offer you.

• If you’re still struggling to make ends meet, then read more about getting a job, taking advantage of your overdraft and living as cheaply as possible.

Useful links

• DirectGov’s guide to bursaries, grants and scholarships includes a handy ‘How much could I get?’ tool
• Access to Learning Fund
• Directory of Social Change
• Educational Grants Programme

Banks love students. It’s proven that you’re likely to stick with the bank you choose for your student finances for life. The banks know this and they try to entice you to choose them with offers of freebies and huge overdrafts. We’ve waded through the various student accounts out there to help you find the best one for your needs.

• Want to look at all the rates and details for all the accounts? We’ve done a lovely table of them here
• Should I get one?
• Student accounts vs current accounts
• What you need to look out for
• Which one is best for you? Where to find the biggest overdrafts, best interest rate and top freebies!

Should I get one?

With mounting student debt, having a huge free overdraft if you don’t really need one can be seen as an unnecessary temptation. So a large free overdraft facility might not always be the best thing to go for.

But for those that need it to finance their time at university it can be a helping hand, as long as you don’t fritter it away.

If you don’t need it for rent or living expenses, you can take advantage of the bank’s generosity and invest the money to make a little profit off it.

Who can get one?

To get your hands on a student account you can’t just say you are a student. You’ll have to provide written proof that you’ve been accepted into full-time university education in the UK. Some banks will only issue student accounts to over-18s. However others will accept you from 17 and a half.

If you are a mature student you are still entitled to a student account. All you need is your proof of acceptance letter.

Student accounts vs current accounts

The main difference is the whopping interest-free overdrafts that you can get with a student account. Most banks offer some sort of overdraft facility at no or very low interest. Banks love to throw money at students but it’s really important to remember that you will eventually have to pay it back.

Another difference is that you are technically only allowed to have one student bank account at a time. Unfortunately this means you can’t just go around the banks opening up student accounts to get the freebies.

Generally student accounts only last for the time that you are a student, although some stay open for a few months after you finish your course. After this, you have to move to a graduate account or to a current account. Most banks will automatically transfer you from a student to a graduate account. However this will also often change the amount of your overdraft or even charge you per month. So make sure that your bank will give you a good graduate account before you graduate.

What am I looking for?

You need to decide exactly what you want out of a student bank account. It could be a branch on your campus, loads of freebies or a big overdraft. Here’s a rundown of what you need to be looking for:

1. Overdraft limits and charges

Unless as a student you know you will always be in credit (very rare these days!) getting a good overdraft limit should be your number one priority when selecting your student account.

An overdraft is the amount of money you can borrow from your bank without organising a formal loan. Student accounts offer interest-free overdrafts where you don’t have to pay any extra money for borrowing a certain amount. You must make sure you understand all the terms and conditions relating to overdrafts from your bank.

All accounts will have overdraft limits, and if you exceed that limit you will have to pay a charge. If at any point you need to extend your overdraft you often can by talking to your bank and arranging an authorised overdraft. But you’ll have to do this before you exceed your limit in order to avoid charges. Often if you exceed your maximum limit they will charge you at a normal or even higher rate of interest. You could end up paying charges per day, even if you go just a few quid over your limit. Avoid this happening by choosing a bank you can contact easily.

Find out what happens to your overdraft after graduation – look out for how the bank deals with reducing the free overdraft allowance. Some lenders take away the interest-free overdraft immediately, so if you are in your overdraft, you’ll find yourself paying a lot of interest. Others gradually wean you off your overdraft, giving you a chance to pay it back as you work.

2. The in-credit interest rate

The interest rate is the amount of extra money you can earn while your money is in the account. In order to make as much money as possible, you need to choose an account with the best (i.e. the highest) interest rate. However this only applies to you if you are going to be in credit for the majority of your time at university. If you are intending to live off your overdraft, it’s not worth worrying about. (Also, it’s just a fact of life that pretty much all student accounts have low in-credit interest rates – or pay no interest at all.)

3. Debit cards

We all know what debit cards can do. However, often what we don’t know is their limitations. Some debit cards are not widely accepted, in the UK or abroad. This can be a pain if you are planning to do lots of student travelling.

Some also have a very low withdrawal limit. This could be bad as it limits how much you can get out of your bank in a day. However, this could be advantageous as it will put a stop to any spending splurges on nights out!

Make sure that you get a good debit card that is widely accepted. Maestro works all over the UK and the world, as does Visa Debit. However, don’t get fobbed off with cards like Visa Electron that aren’t accepted as widely.

If you are planning to travel it’s best to find out how much it will cost you to use the debit card offered by the account abroad. You will have to pay charges, including conversion fees (for changing currency) and a withdrawal fee. Find the cheapest charges and you’ve found the card for you.

4. Credit cards

A student credit card is another way banks try to push more borrowing on students. Banks make loads of money from these products and so are keen to offer out as many as possible. It can be useful to have a credit card but it can also be very dangerous as it is another way you can spend money that you don’t have.

5. Location

You need to be able to have regular access to your bank – whether it’s just for paying in cheques, or if you ever have money problems. If you’re living in halls of residence and your university is not near the city centre, it may be worth asking if there is a branch open on your campus. Having a campus branch will save on travel costs and time. Also the bank will hopefully have advisors that are specially-trained to help students.

6. Internet banking

It’s also important to be able to manage your money as easily as possible. Most banks offer internet and telephone banking and if they don’t, they probably aren’t the best way to go. Banking online saves you heaps of time and puts you in control of your budgeting. Some banks also offer mobile banking, although the services included vary from bank to bank.

7. Free stuff

To reel you in, loads of banks have free gifts or special offers. The thing to remember with these is that although they are nice, they are the least important part of a bank account. The interest rate and overdraft facilities are much more important. Don’t let the freebie affect your judgement!

Saying that – if the accounts are pretty much the same, a freebie will help you make your decision.

Which one is best for you?

The best student account for you depends on how you will use it. If you are likely to need to spend more money than you have it is better to choose an account with a larger overdraft facility.

If you are an international student you should make sure you choose an account that doesn’t require you to have been a UK resident previously.

If it’s important to you that you can get to your bank easily then you should look at the larger banks. They have more branches and so will be more likely to have one near your university or on campus. (Though many students are happy to manage their account through online banking these days).

If you travel often, you may prefer an account that offers commission-free currency and travellers’ cheques. Commission free means you do not have to pay the bank to convert the currency to or from pounds for you.

We’ve sifted through all the offers, overdrafts and debit card facilities and here are our best buys:

Best for those who need to use their overdraft: Co-op’s Student Account

Co-op’s Student Account offers the highest guaranteed 0% overdraft (£1,400 in the first year, going up to £2,000 by the third year).

It allows you to keep the generous student overdraft for a year after graduating (although most will want to switch to a graduate account by then if they can, as they offer better rates of interest).

The Halifax account advertises an overdraft rate of ‘up to’ £3,000 – but this is not guaranteed (and may be considerably lower in practice).

Best if you can maintain a healthy balance: Santander

The Santander Student Account offers you a tempting 1% AER  interest on the money in your account up to the first £500. This doesn’t seem like much, but most student accounts offer you no interest at all. They will also give you £50 free if you apply before 30 November 2012.  HSBC advertise an AER of 2% above the Bank of England base rate, but be aware that this is for the first £1,000 in your first year at uni only.

Compare student accounts – rates, charges and freebies

Useful links

Halifax

HSBC

Natwest

Santander

This year there have been an average of 52 job applications for every graduate position and with applications to university rising by a whopping 11% on last year, it’s never been more competitive for graduates to secure that much sought after job.

If you’re one of many trying to get experience and a foot on the career ladder through an internship, we show you how to make the most of it, and manage your money at the same time.

• Get the most from your internship
• Reduce your expenses
• Increase your incomings

If you’re an intern, take heart. New figures show that 20% of 18 to 24-year-olds have undertaken an internship, compared with just 2% of people who were that age 30 to 40 years ago and 73% of young people today believe that internships are a vital first step for a career in the media, 63% think the same is true in politics, and 64% for fashion and finance. So you’re not the only one!

However, it’s tough trying to manage on that money, particularly if you’re living and working in a city. Here are our tips.

Get the most from your internship

Being an intern can be a tricky business. You want to seem keen, assertive and willing, but at the same time you don’t want the company to take you for a ride.

Try to pick up as many skills as you can, ask questions, get involved as much as possible, and be prepared to do extra work to display your enthusiasm.

In lots of cases internships are almost like an extended interview – a sort of trial run. If this is the case you need to be open to helping out with whatever aspects you are asked to contribute to, and be constantly coming up with ideas. If you get some of the less exciting jobs then fair enough – we all have to do a bit of that at some point in our lives.

What you need to watch out for is when you spend more time interacting with a photocopier than other members of staff. Being asked to make the tea once in a while is fine, but not being able to get stuck into anything of real substance just isn’t on. If the company just wants you as free (or very cheap) labour and has no intention of giving you a job then you have to consider is it really worth your time and effort?

There are certainly companies out to exploit young graduates, but equally, there are plenty of companies around who genuinely want to give you a good insight into your chosen career, and find graduates with real skills in their chosen field.

While no-one wants to work for free, there’s so much competition in many industries that you need to remember – if you’re not prepared to do something for nothing there will be someone else out there who will be – so sometimes you just need to grit your teeth and give it a go.

Remember that getting work placements and internships is so much about the contacts you have, so call in all your favours now! Ask friends and family about people they know who might be able to help you. Having that one line of contact into your desired industry really can make all the difference.

Want to know more about what an internship is really like? Read this blog post from one of Moneymagpie’s recent student interns.

What can you expect in terms of pay?

This can vary hugely and depends on what sort of internship you are doing. Usually those which lead on to graduate programs will pay you a proper wage – that’s usually in areas like business, finance and the civil service.

If your chosen career is slightly less mainstream and involves internships at smaller companies then the lines become a bit more blurred. Usually if the company is offering an unpaid internship you can expect it to be for a short time, say a couple of months at most, and most should offer to at least pay for your travel expenses.

A good thing to remember is that although a smaller firm won’t be able to offer you as much money for your hard work, you’ll get much more hands-on experience and responsibility which will be great for your CV.

If a company isn’t offering to pay any expenses and the advertised internship is for a period of six months for instance, you have every right to be a little concerned. There’s only so long someone can work for nothing.

If you’re concerned about your entitlements and rights as an intern, the Trade Union Congress has a great website - Rights for Interns – which may well have answers to your questions.  There’s loads of information  regarding your employment status and rights in the work place as an intern, so it’s a great place to go for advice.

Once you’ve secured your internship….

Reduce your expenses

Take a packed lunch with you – that should save you about £5 a day. There’s no need to be embarrassed about it either – we bet you’ll find that some of your paid colleagues do it too!

Of course it’s nice to socialise with your new workmates after hours, but remember that they are getting paid and you’re not, so watch your spending if you do go out with them.

If you’re not being paid travel expenses try to negotiate travelling into work slightly later (after peak time), so you can make full use of a railcard and get cheaper fares. If you’re driving, check out Petrolprices.com to find the cheapest place nearby to fill up.

Increase your incomings

Make a bit on the side

Being able to make some extra cash outside of work will really help to keep you going. Obviously you want to dedicate all your energy to the internship so we’re not suggesting you get weekend bar work or anything as energetic as that. Instead, we’ve got loads of ideas on easy ways to make money from the comfort of your own home.

• You can sell your old student books online with Sell Student Stuff.
• Why not teach what you’ve graduated in?  You may not have much work, if any, during the quieter summer holiday period but come September there will be students in need of your subject expertise. Read more about how to make up to £80 an hour as a private tutor here.
• Make money from doing the odd online survey with LightspeedPanel. The site is completely free to join (NEVER pay to join an online survey site) and as a new member you’ll automatically be entered into a £2000 prize draw.
• Sell all your uni junk online with eBid – it’s easy cash and they don’t charge a listings fee.
• Why not set up your own blog? You have the freedom to write about anything, even your internship, and you can make money from it. Find out how here.
• Check out our article on the best money making websites for even more ideas.

Understanding benefits

The sad fact is that graduates on internships are not entitled to any benefits. Job Seekers Allowance (JSA) is only applicable for those working less than 16 hours a week or not at all. To qualify for JSA you must be unemployed, be actively seeking work and be available to work. The latter means that with an internship, you are not available to work because you are unavailable during working hours.

Since January 2010, if you have graduated in 2009 you may be entitled to a training allowance but there are restrictions: you need to have been claiming JSA for six months or more and your internship needs to be advertised on Graduate Talent Pool.

You can attempt to make a claim to receive benefits by calling the Job Centre Plus on 0800 055 6688. Your details will be taken (including your National Insurance number, so have that ready too) and the Job Centre will make an appointment for you to make the actual claim at your local branch.

Useful links

• Rights for Interns
• Graduate Talent Pool
• LightspeedPanel

• The basics
• Where to get funding – NHS and Teacher Training courses
• Where to get funding – scholarships and trusts
• Where to get funding – loans and part-time study

The basics

There are two main types of postgraduate degree – taught and research based.

Tuition fees have to be paid: these vary depending on what you’re studying. Typically over two years you’re looking at paying between:

• £7,000-13,000 for a postgraduate taught degree;
• £7,300-12,900 for a postgraduate research degree;
• £11,400-27,400 for a clinical course and
• £8,500-20,400 for an MBA.

This is a good guide to what you’ll be expected to shell out, but check out individual university websites for exact costs.

You won’t (unless you’re doing a Postgraduate Certificate of Education) get a loan for either fees or for living costs. There are, however, a variety of bursaries you can apply for, which are more generous for postgraduates than for undergraduates.

There is government support for those enrolling onto certain healthcare, education or social care courses that lead to a professional qualification. However to qualify for any of the above you need a great academic track record and/or be studying something that’s valuable to a business or the country.

Application cycles for postgraduate courses are more flexible than at undergraduate level. However, the earlier you get in, the more likely you are to get money. Popular courses are very competitive to get on to, and getting funding equally so.

Where to get funding – NHS and Teacher Training courses

If you’re hoping to do a postgraduate course in teacher training, social work or certain NHS courses you’re in luck – there’s plenty of funding available for you.

• If you’re studying for a postgraduate teaching qualification like a PGCE or school centred initial teacher training (SCITT) you’re eligible for a tax-free bursary of between £4,000-9,000. Home and EU students might also benefit from a ‘golden hello’ of between £2,500 and 5,000 for taking up permanent teaching jobs in the subject you trained in. Find out more about teacher training here.
• For home students in England, there are also maintenance loans and grants available for full and part time students – click here for full details.
• If you’re doing a standard five or six year medical or dental course you’re eligible for an NHS bursary. If you started your course after September 1998 and are studying in the UK you’ll be funded the same way as other students for the first four years of your course. In the fifth and sixth years you’ll receive an NHS bursary based on your income, a non-income assessed maintenance loan (up to half of the normal maintenance loan rate), and the full amount of your tuition fees paid for by the NHS.
• Students on graduate-entry medical courses can receive NHS bursary support in their second, third and fourth years. This is the same entitlement as given to standard entry medical students in their fifth and sixth years.

You can find out more information from the DirectGov website, and on the student section of the NHS website.

Where to get funding – scholarships and trusts

Some courses come with funding attached – these are called studentships. They’re more common with science subjects, and for research rather than taught degrees. Funding usually comes from one of the seven Research Councils, but if your university is research intensive they might put money towards a studentship too. In most cases studentships are covered by the same application to your university or college as for your place on the course, so you don’t usually have to apply to the Research Council.

If you’re funding yourself you’ll need to indicate this and where the funding is coming from on your application form. To find funding you might try:

• one of the seven Research Councils. These are government funded agencies whose remit is to support research in different academic disciplines; this covers postgraduate funding. Stipends start from £13,290 with more money allocated to students in London. To apply you should hold at least an upper second class undergraduate degree, though ideally you’ll have a First. They’re worth applying to but be aware that competition is fierce and many who apply are disappointed.
• Other public funding bodies like the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) and the Department for Employment and Learning in Northern Ireland (DELNI) can make awards for students on postgraduate courses in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Usually you are asked to apply through your university. In England and Wales, Local Educational Authorities tend to reserve financial aid for people on PGCE courses.
• Charities, foundations and trusts usually also have funds allocated for postgraduate students. Applying to charities and trusts can be a bit hit-and-miss just because of the sheer number and diversity of charities around: a large organisation like the Wellcome Trust will have more opportunities than a smaller charity. Some have very specific eligibility criteria while others welcome a broad range of applicants. Additionally the size and use of the grant might be restrictive: in some cases the award may only be used for a specific purpose like fieldwork, or may only be sufficient to cover travel or fieldwork costs. They’re worth trying however because there might be an award available that suits you perfectly.
• Some learned societies like the British Academy and the Royal Society are willing to help fund postgraduate and postdoctoral research.
• Universities themselves might have a small amount of money set aside for postgraduate study. This is not a guarantee, nor should you rely exclusively on your university funding your degree. Money from your university or faculty might, however, come in handy if you encounter unforseen difficulties or need a last little bit of funding to make up the total amount you need.

Where to get funding – loans and part-time study

If you’re a persuasive type, you might be able to get your employer to sponsor postgraduate study. This of course depends on whether you can demonstrate that you’ll be able to do your job better if you’re academically retrained. You will probably need a proposal (like a business plan) to show your line manager and to more senior management staff. Employer sponsorship is ideal as you benefit from better training and career prospects, and your employer benefits from a skilled and more motivated worker.

You might also try approaching prospective employers for sponsorship on the understanding that you’ll stay with the company for a fixed time period after you finish studying.

Another thing to consider is part-time study. The course will take longer to finish but your costs will be greatly reduced if you can earn as you study. If you can find work in the sector you’re studying in – in a lab if you’re doing a scientific research degree for example – you’ll be building experience and contacts as well as working towards a qualification.

Many banks offer post-graduate loans at low rates of interest. That’s good compared to another type of commercial loan – just don’t expect it to be as good a deal as the interest-free student loan you had as an undergraduate. See our pages on student bank accounts for more details.

Those doing vocational courses may also be eligible for a career development loan. This allows you to borrow anything between £300 and £10,000 to help you fund up to two years of learning (or up to three years if the course includes one year of relevant practical work experience). The Learning and Skills Council will pay the interest on your loan while you’re learning and for one month after you’ve stopped training. You then repay the loan to the bank over an agreed period at a fixed rate of interest.

Useful links

• DirectGov
• NHS Student Bursaries
• Prospects has an excellent section on postgraduate funding, including news on the latest bursaries.
• Research Councils UK
• Teacher Training bursaries

See our pages on getting work as a student for more ideas.

Updated: 29/05/12

If you’re a cash-strapped student paying taxes probably feels like insult following injury. The good news is that you might be able to reduce your tax bill, get a tax refund or pay no tax at all! Read the Moneymagpie guide to student tax and see if you could start saving money!

• Income tax
• National Insurance
• Claiming a tax refund
• Council tax
• Benefits

Income tax

Holiday work

If you only work during the holidays you’re in luck – you might not have to pay tax at all.

To get paid tax-free you must:

• Be a student who is planning to carry on being a student until after April 5 next.
• Not have a total income from all sources in the tax year of more than £8,105. Student loans, scholarships and educational grants are exempt from this figure.

You also need to fill in an exemption form which you can find here.  The form is easy to complete: all you have to do is fill in your basic details (like your name and your university), give your National Insurance number and sign the declaration. Pass it to your employer to confirm how much you’ve earned and send it off. Simple!

Term time work

Sadly, if you work during term time as well as over the holidays, the same rules apply to you as to non-students. The good news is that if you earn below a certain amount you won’t have to pay tax – make sure you aren’t if you don’t have to. Everyone has a personal allowance of £8,105 per year – this means that you can earn up to £8,105 tax free each year. The lowest tax band kicks in after this, so if you earn more than the personal allowance amount you’ll be paying 20% tax on your income.

National Insurance

You pay National Insurance (NICs) contributions to build up your entitlement to benefits like the State Pension. Like tax payments, the amount of National Insurance you pay depends on how much you earn. Most students don’t pay NICs because their earning are too small, but if you earn over £146 a week or £632 a month you’ll pay NICs at 12%. Unfortunately, you can’t claim it back if you overpay in the same way you can with income tax.

The DirectGov website has a section on National Insurance contributions which you can check if you’re still unsure whether you have to pay.

Claiming a tax refund

If you’ve paid too much tax you really should claim it back! If money’s tight, as it usually is on a student budget, you absolutely should be claiming what’s yours. A tax refund could turn out to be a nice little windfall so it’s really worth getting on to the tax office and getting your money back.

In theory you shouldn’t have paid too much tax as your employer should make sure they’ve told the tax office the right rate you should be paying at. Mistakes can be made however. The most common circumstances for overpaying tax are:

• You didn’t fill out the Student Employees P38 Form for working only in the holidays
• You started a new job and were given an emergency tax code for a while
• Your employer gave you the wrong tax code
• You were only employed for part of the year

HM Revenue and Customs have a handy tax checker you can use to see how much of a refund you could get.

The way you claim back the extra tax depends on your circumstances:

• If you were working during the holidays but have returned to studying you should fill out a P50 form.
• If you’ve overpaid through wage deductions, which is more likely if you work during term rather than just in the holidays, you need to write to your tax office explaining that you think you’ve paid too much tax. If they don’t have the right information to check out your claim they’ll write to say what documents you need to send to them. Find the details for your local tax office here.

Council tax

Full-time students are exempt from paying council tax. Part-time students are not, though you can claim relief if your income is low enough. The situation can also get trickier if you live with a non-student – usually if you’re living with a non-student you’ll qualify for a council tax discount. To qualify for an exemption or discount you should contact your local council: find their details here.

Benefits

Students aren’t generally entitled to social security benefits, either in term time or holidays. There are a few exceptions. If you fall under any of the following categories you should check with your university, student union or the Department for Work and Pensions in case you’re entitled to extra cash:

• Single parents
• Student couples with children
• Disabled students
• Couples where one partner isn’t a full-time student
• Part-time students on a low income

Useful links

• DirectGov
• HM Revenue and Customs
• National Union of Students – advice on students and council tax

For more information about student finance check out our article on student grants and loans and bursaries, scholarships and sponsorship you could get.

• Maintenance loans
• Grants
• Applying for loans and grants
• Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland
  

There are actually some other sources of funding, aside from government loans and grants. However, you’ll have to be prepared to do some legwork to get them – check out our article on bursaries, scholarships and sponsorship to find out more.

In this article, however, we are going to be talking about the two basic forms of student support that you can get from the government: the student loan, and the grant. A loan has to be paid back, but a grant does not. We’ll start by looking at the student loan.

Maintenance loans

The first point is do not confuse the maintenance loan with the tutition fee loan. Tuition fee loans get paid straight to the university on your behalf, so you never actually see a penny of it. Read our article on tuition fees and the tuition fee loan here.

The maintenance loan is great because it gets paid straight to you. You can spend it on whatever you want – although obviously blowing it on a new car might not be a great idea! If you don’t need all of it for your rent, food and spending money, then you could think about investing it and earning some interets – find out all about student bank accounts and savings here.

To start with, everyone on their first degree can apply for a basic maintenance loan. That’s the simple bit. It gets complicated because the amount the basic maintenance loan covers depends on your circumstances.

Students from poorer families are also entitled to an extra, means-tested portion. However, how much of this they get also depends on whether they’ve been awarded a maintenance grant. If you are awarded a maintenance grant then you’ll probably not be allowed to take out the extra portion of the loan, whereas those who don’t get a grant probably will be allowed it. The basic idea is that students shouldn’t end up getting more money than they need, so the system works to vary the proportion of that money that will need to be paid back, depending on your/your families financial circumstances.

Basically,  what this means in practice means is that if you come from a rich family you’re likely to be able to get just the the non-means-tested portion of the loan. If you aren’t quite so well off you’re likely to qualify for both the basic loan and the extra means-tested portion. Lastly, the poorest families will probably be eligible for a full grant and the basic loan. The options aren’t quite so simple because the calculations are done on a sliding scale, but that is the basic idea.

Lastly, there are  a few other things to be aware of when it comes to calculating our entitlement. For example, because the cost of living is higher in the capital, students in London are entitled to a bigger maintenance loan. Also, students living with their parents won’t get as much money either. It is assumed that they will be paying very little or no rent, getting their Mum’s cooking for free and things like that and so their living costs are seen to be cheaper.

The maximum amount of maintenance loan you can recieve for the 2011/2012 year is:

• £3,838 if you’re living in your family home
• £4,950 if you’re living away from home and studying outside London
• £6,928 if you’re living away from home and studying in London

The government website DirectGov has a neatly summarised table of the different amounts you could get here.

Grants

The full grant is slightly lower than the maximum amount of tuition fees being charged in England and Northern Ireland. Grants have slightly different names and come in slightly different forms in Scotland and Wales – check here for local information.

Applying for grants and loans

The most important thing when it comes to applying for support is don’t delay! Look into student finance when you apply to university – there’s no need to wait until you have a confirmed place. In fact, getting your forms in late may mean you’re still waiting for money at the start of your first academic year! This is especially true as more people than ever are applying to university, which means the number of people sending in application forms is also on the rise.

The process for applying for student finance has now changed. Applications used to go through StudentFinanceDirect, however this has now been rebranded as StudentFinanceEngland. Registering and logging in to the service is now done via the DirectGov website. You can get all the info, including the latest deadlines, as well as download forms and guides or apply for support online through the site. Get in touch with your Local Education Authority (LEA) – whose details you can find here - for more specific queries.

Other good sources of information are the Student Loans company and aimhigher.

Wales and Scotland and Northern Ireland

As with tuition fees, student support arrangements are different for students in Scotland and Wales.

Wales

Eligible Welsh students studying in Wales get a Tuition fee grant for their tuition fees and an Assembly Learning Grant to help with their living costs. Loans are also available and a national bursary scheme for students going to university in Wales has now been introduced.

Click here for the Welsh Assembly’s comprehensive guide to student finance in Wales.  StudentFinanceWales is the government agency responsible for administering all aspects of student finance in Wales.

Scotland

Scottish students studying in Scotland get a means-tested loan towards living costs. Young students from poorer families get part of their living cost in the form of a non-repayable young students’ bursary (YSB). Other grants are available for mature students, student parents and disabled students. For more information, check out the Students Awards Agency for Scotland.

Northern Ireland

Students in Northern Ireland are also entitled to a range of loans and grants. For more information, click here.

• What are tuition fees?
• What you’ll pay
• When you’ll have to pay
• Should fees affect what I choose to study?
• Useful links

What are tuition fees?

Obviously it costs money to run university courses. It can cost hundreds of thousands of pounds in the case of some science courses. The government used to pay all these costs for UK students. It still pays the vast majority of them. However, students in most of the UK are now expected to pay a contribution towards the cost of their course. This is called a tuition fee.

What you’ll pay

The first thing to say is that fees shouldn’t put you off going to university.

The second thing is that you don’t actually have to pay a penny of the fees until after you graduate and are earning over £15,000.

The universities themselves decide how much they want to charge, which for 2011/12 can be anything up to £3,375. Don’t worry though – as a UK student you won’t be paying the full cost of the course. In fact, there are limits set by regional authorities around the UK, so the part of the country that you study in and the specific university you choose will both affect how much you will pay in tuition fees.

Here’s the damage in different parts of the UK for full-time undergraduate courses:

Over the last few years the maximum that universities are allowed to charge each student has only been allowed to increase by the rate of inflation – so although the amount charged has gone up slightly, the strain on the wallet has been the same in real terms.

^†Wales: If you started your studies during, or prior to, the 2009/2010 academic year (continuing) and normally live in Wales i.e. assessed for fee support by a Welsh Local Authority, you should be entitled to a tuition fee grant of £2,030.00.  This tuition fee grant is available regardless of family income, and is paid directly to the place of study.

*Scotland: Scottish students studying in Scotland don’t pay tuition fees. However, non-Scottish students studying in Scotland will have to pay £1,820 per annum for a first degree or equivilant. Medical courses are £2,895. You will be able to apply for a loan to cover these costs.

The increase in the maximum tuition fee rate to £9,000 in 2012/2013 only applies if you are entering university for the first time in September 2012 or later. If you are a returning student, your maximum tuition fee will be £3,465.

When you’ll have to pay

Firstly, if you are lucky enough to have the money and want to pay the fees straight away, year by year, then you should go ahead. It’ll save you money in the long run as you won’t need a tuition fee loan, meaning there’ll be no interest to pay.

However, if like most people you can’t afford to simply shell out and be done with it each year then you’ll want to take out a tuition-fee loan from the government.

The word loan is actually a bit confusing. You will never actually be given a penny of the money that you take out, but there is no reason to feel short-changed! Instead, the government will give it straight to the university on your behalf.

You will then have to pay the money back to the Government once you’ve graduated and your salary goes over £15,000. Even then you’ll be paying back small amounts each month automatically through wage deductions, so repayments are straightforward and manageable.

Should fees affect what you decide to study?

Tuition fees might have a bearing on what and where you study – but it shouldn’t be the deciding factor. Remember that you’re going to be living in your university town and studying your subject for at least three years, so you should be happy with what you choose.

Look at the cost of different courses and different universities. Most universities need to rake in as much cash as possible and charge the maximum possible fee. But like any marketplace, things are changing all the time. Some institutions may undercut their rivals or offer unpopular courses more cheaply.

That said, it’s not worth getting too caught up in tuition fee savings. For most people, going to university is going to mean getting into a lot of debt. It’s better to take on a slightly bigger debt in order to study what and where you want, rather than go into the red for what is, to you at least, a second-rate option.

Students from Wales and Scotland might still want to be aware that studying in another part of the UK will cost them a lot more than studying at home, as they won’t get as much help from their respective Governments.

Useful Links

• DirectGov- Student Finance
• Student Awards Agency for Scotland
• StudentFinanceWales
• Student Finance Northern Ireland

• Finding free food
• Know your rambling rights
• What free food is in season?
• Top summer foods for free
• Freegan foods
• Grow your own cheap food
• Restaurants that sell wild food 

Finding free food

There are loads of places you can go to pick up tasty free food. Try foraging in hedgerows, woods, and on the seashore. It is good to have an understanding of what you are looking for, and there are a number of books out there to help you identify everything from nuts and herbs to fruits and leafy vegetables to shellfish.

Richard Mabey’s book Food for Free, which has been around for 40 years, is a great source of information, but there are many others out there just as helpful, as well as a wide variety that include recipes. Have a look at Wild Man Wild Food and Naturali for more info and our food columnist Sarah Lockett, also has some useful recipes on her blog using free food. Celtnet also has an array of wild food recipes and a handy guide to edible wild foods.

There are thousands of different varieties of berries, mushrooms and flowers. However some varieties, especially fungi, can be poisonous. So despite what your guidebook says – if you’re not sure, don’t eat it. When picking have a look around the area to make sure it’s not an old industrial estate or road verge; the area may have been sprayed with pesticides or contaminated by oil or ash.

Although it’s OK to eat berries while you’re picking them from berry farms, out in the open is a different matter. Don’t eat unhealthy-looking fruit or plants and don’t let children pick or eat wild foods without supervision. Make sure you take your harvest home and wash it thoroughly. It goes without saying: always eat your harvest as fresh as possible.

It’s a good idea to take a small knife with you when you go foraging. You can use it to cut mushrooms off their stalks, thereby allowing new ones to grow in their place and to pry away anything else you can’t pull out with your bare hands. It’s also good to have a basket to collect your bounty in.

Know your rambling rights

The law gives people the right to roam on foot to access open country in England and Wales. This includes mountains, moors, heath, registered commons and land that has been opened up voluntarily by landowners. Legally, a person may take away foliage, fruit or parts of the plant without committing an offence, unless it is done with the intention of selling them or for any other reward.

What is in season?

• Foods on a ramble

In May you should look out for cherries, elderflowers, jersey royals, new potatoes, mint, parsley, samphire, sorrel, spring onions, rocket and watercress. In June and July hunt for cherries, elderflowers, gooseberries, redcurrants, strawberries, and tayberries.

• Supermarket foods

Eating seasonally means it’s likely your food hasn’t travelled as far. When food is out of season it is imported from far off countries, which increases the price, and decreases the quality due to travel time. In May the cheaper vegetables are asparagus, broccoli, broad beans, carrots, cauliflower, radishes, rhubarb, and spinach. In June and July you should go for asparagus, aubergines, broad beans, courgettes, lettuce, peas and peppers.

Top summer foods for free

• Blackberries

Blackberries grow on thorny bushes so it’s a great idea to tackle them with gloves. They tend to ripen in late summer, but don’t pick them after October – legend has it the Devil pees on the blackberries on 10 October and they become unfit to eat! Berries can make rich coloured sweet wine, pies and other desserts, but the easiest is jam.

• Mushrooms

Mushrooms grow above the ground and you can identify them by their smell and colour. But with 3,500 known species, it is vital that you know the difference between the edible and poisonous species. Horse mushrooms and parasols are readily available in fields in Dorset, and beech and open mixed woodlands are good locations for many edible species. Mushrooms can be eaten raw as crudités with dips, sautéed in butter with garlic and cream or as part of an English breakfast.

• Mussels

Wild mussels are found at the beach in blue, boat-shaped shells. Inside they are a nice saffron colour. If you put them in a sinkful of cold water, the bad ones will float. Also throw the ones that are already open. You should then remove any barnacles, sand or grit with the cold tap running, and the beard must also be removed. Rinse the wild mussels several times but do not let them sit in water, as freshwater will kill them.

Mussels can be added to seafood soups, stews or rice dishes and are simply delicious steamed in white wine, garlic and parsley. As long as they are cooked, they can also be added to salads, pasta dishes, stir fries, sauces, soups or stews.

• Seaweed

Devon and north Cornwall locals love their laver, the local name for seaweed. It needs to be thoroughly washed when you get it home, and then simmered in a pot without water for around ten hours. Most seaweed found in rock pools is called carrageen.

• Elderberries or flowers

Pick these flowers in June or July, in the early morning when fragrant and fresh. Cook them with fruit or infuse them into syrups and custards. The purple berries grow fruit in August and September. Raw elderberries are poisonous, they must be cooked. Elderberry cordial and jellies are tasty and sweet, and elderberry chutney is also a must to try.

• Watercress

A green weed with a peppery flavour, watercress can be added to salads, scrambled eggs, game bird dishes or made into a soup. Wild watercress can still be found growing in clumps among the rocks in clear-running streams and brooks. Watercress is usually very clean on purchase. Discard any wilted, yellow or bruised leaves or stems. Remove any string-like roots and use your fingers to pick the sprigs from any particularly large stems. Don’t remove the stems entirely – that’s where most of the flavour is.

Freegan foods

For the foods you cannot get in the woods or the sea, you can embrace anti-consumerism and try a bit of bin rummaging. It may sound odd, but every day supermarkets throw out enormous quantities of food that have gone past their sell-by dates (and so cannot be legally sold) but are still good to eat and often in top-notch condition. They throw them into the big bins behind the supermarket where they are fair game for foragers – or ‘Freegans’ as they are known.

Although you might be hesitant to take vegetables or fresh fish and meat, if they are in packaging and have clearly-marked use-by dates then after a good scrub they should be fine to eat. Freegans constantly find ready meals with the plastic packaging intact but no outer cardboard packaging. There are often also full jars and tinned items, and even ice-cream, all with sell-by dates far in the future, but the packaging is dented or tarnished in some way. Eggs are common finds for Freegans; if one egg in the box is broken, supermarkets will often find it easier to throw away the whole box rather than simply reduce the price and sell the other five. The best time for Freegan foraging is around closing time and it’s often best to go under cover of darkness just as a precaution. Take some cloth bags, fill them up quickly and move on.

Some quick tips for Freegans:

• Take gloves and a torch
• Don’t pass a ‘No Trespassing’ sign
• Use discretion when choosing what to eat. If in doubt, throw it out
• Always leave the bin as clean as you found it
• If the bag is ripped or any goods are exposed, just leave them behind
• Just because a bin is no good one day, doesn’t mean it will be like that every day
• In general small to medium shops are probably best. Larger chains have their bins locked away
• Wash all the items you find before consuming

For more information about freeganism have a look at Freegan Info and Fareshare.

Grow your own free food

Once you cover the set-up costs of owning a plot of land or growing in your own garden, there is great personal and monetary satisfaction in growing your own fruit and vegetables. With fruit trees you are growing for the future, years of a good harvest can save you hundreds, even thousands, of pounds. You can re-use the seeds from vegetables like potatoes and pumpkins, and harvest other seeds from friends’ patches. From a tomato plant on the balcony to a herb garden on your windowsill, savings can be immense.

For more information on growing your own, take a look at our article Fruit and veg – grow your own. It’s got tips on how to grow vegetables even if you’ve only got a windowsill, and tells you the kind of veg that is best for different spaces. It will also tell you exactly what tools and seeds you’ll need and some places to get great gardening bargains so you save even more. Click here to see the full article.

Freebies

Everybody loves a good freebie, so go no further than our pages for coupons and vouchers for restaurants and free samples of promotional foods – the latest coffee flavour, a sachet of curry sauce, Yorkshire tea. Find out more here.

Restaurants getting in on the act

A reformed pub in East Sussex has embraced the idea of gathering local goods to build their menu. Aptly named, The Foragers uses a team of…er, foragers, who search the countryside for wild chervil, wood sorrel, radish leaves, wild yarrow, watercress and puy lentils. The chefs also source local seafood, mushrooms and Sussex-reared beef.

The Foragers has a simple attitude to its food and presentation. The Independent’s Terry Durack has described it as a place that ‘has achieved the “Think global, act local” mantra’.

You can find The Foragers at 3 Stirling Place, Hove, East Sussex  or call them on 01273 733 134. They serve lunch daily, or dinner Monday-Saturday. Dinners cost around £70 for two people, including wine and service.

For more local wild feasts check out the following:

• Due South: 139 Kings Road Arches, Brighton Beach; 01273 821 218

• The Foxhunter: Nantyderry, Abergavenny, Monmouthshire; 01873 881 101

• The Railway Hotel Dining Room: Preston Street, Faversham, Kent;  01795 533 17

• Restaurant Sat Bains: Lenton Lane, Nottingham; 01159 866 566

Useful links

• Celtnet’s wild food recipes
• Wild Man Food
• Freegan Info
• Fareshare
• Naturali

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