Budget News, Grants Scrapped, Dog Graduates, New TV License Laws?…
Budget News: Maintenance grants to be scrapped
So, unless you’ve been living under a rock, chances are you’ve heard about Osbourne’s 2015 Budget, detailing how the Government will save money.
One of the major stories is that maintenance grants are to be completely scrapped for students starting uni in September 2016. Instead, the maintenance loan will be increased to a maximum £8200.
Our take: Well, the good news is that the maintenance loan is going up, so that is great news for all students. Our National Student Money Survey showed that students are struggling financially so potentially this could help a lot of students feel more secure. The removal of the grant may put off some students, but it really shouldn’t as it is only paid back when you earn over £21k. More info on student finance is here, and remember that some students are eligible for other grants and bursaries. However – is it fair that the poorer students leave uni with more debt than their richer counterparts?
Tesco home delivery charge to increase
Tesco will be increasing their minimum spend for grocery deliveries on the 23rd July. Previously, customers had to spend £25 for delivery, or a £4 surcharge was applied.
Now, customers will have to spend £40 or have to pay an extra £4. This will exclude the delivery charge. Customers with a ‘Delivery Saver’ or who use click and collect to get their noms will also be affected.
Our take: Grocery shopping online is a great way to save money as you only buy what you need, you can’t just sneak in a choccie bar in to your trolley. This will affect customers who don’t spend a lot on groceries a week (e.g. students) but maybe you could double up with a friend to meet the minimum spend. Want more tips to save money on food? Of course you do! Check out our guide and other tips for handy hints.
TV licence rules could change
The BBC will soon have to cover the cost of free TV licenses for over 75s, meaning they will have to find a way to recoup the costs.
This could include raising the cost of a TV license, scrapping free licenses and making people who watch BBC iPlayer pay for a license. Boo!
Our take: Erghhh. The TV licence is ridiculously expensive enough as it is and the thought of the price increasing sends shivers down the spine. If you don’t watch live TV, only catch up or streaming sites, you don’t need a licence and can save yourself a fair bit of dosh. We’ve compared the best sites here. If you do need a licence at uni and not there for the summer, you can apply for a partial refund (but do you tell your housemates…? Up to you. We won’t judge.)
New Co Op frozen meal deal
Yeah! A new Co Op meal deal is available! For those of you who don’t know, every month Co Op do a frozen deal with loads of awesome food for a fiver. They usually retail a lot more.
Our take: MUCH. FOOD. Share with your friends (maybe not the ice cream) or scoff by yourself. Even if you’re not keen on all of it, the ice cream alone is worth £5 – you could give the rest away.
Dog graduates from uni
If a dog can graduate – anyone can!
Okay, strictly speaking, the dog did not graduate. Six year old cocker spaniel Fudge joined his owner on his graduation day complete with matching robe. His owner, Jack Proctor, said he could not have done the work without his tail-wagging mate, who was featured in some of his uni work, and therefore it was only fair that Fudge shared the credit.
Our take: It was awesome of Edinburgh Napier uni to let Fudge join in on the fun. I wonder if my uni would let me graduate with my cat…
