Money saving tips

Have fun. Save a ton.

From free, cosy study spots to all-inclusive bills in our accommodation. There are some fantastic benefits to studying with us which will save you lots of money during your time at university. 

1. Warm, comfortable spaces on campus

When it’s cold outside you’ll always find warm spaces and a warm welcome on campus. We have lots of comfortable spaces on campus where you can relax, study or socialise. From our fantastic Library building (open 24/7 during term-time) to our brand new Student Centre. Inside you can enjoy Wi-Fi access, refreshments and even warm showers. Access a computer or study space, and save money by bringing in your own food and using our microwaves, hot water, water fountains and showers across campus.

There are lots of other social spaces, coffee shops and computer suites across our campuses for you to use.

• Most buildings on campus are open Monday to Friday from 7.30am - 9pm
• The Preston Campus library is open 24 hours, seven days a week in term time. Opening hours vary during other periods.
• The Student Centre is open 8am – 9pm (Monday to Friday), 10am – 6pm (Saturday and Sunday).

2. Affordable meals 

There are various cafes and restaurants across the campus offering great value for money, including attractive ‘meal deals’ every day. Take advantage of our loyalty cards to bag yourself free coffees and other perks. 

3. Fantastic library resources 

Our library contains thousands of books and journals, as well as giving you access to thousands of e-resources on or off campus. You’ll almost certainly find the reading materials you need for your course here, so there’s often no need for you to go out and buy textbooks. Borrow them for free instead. 

Working late at the Library? If you request, we can use our CCTV cameras to follow you back to your on-campus accommodation. That way you know we’re looking out for you.

4. Free access to software and specialist equipment 

Don’t pay for expensive computer software. Our students get free access to the Microsoft 365 suite on or off campus. This includes essential software like Word, PowerPoint and Excel. You can also get access to the Adobe Creative Suite, which includes industry-standard software like InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop.

We also have lots of specialist tech equipment which you can borrow for your course, like cameras and microphones. This will save you the cost of buying your own.

If you need to buy essential equipment you’ll normally be able to find it at a super affordable price through our UCLan Achieve portal. You can purchase everything from stationery to books to air fryers and audio equipment via the portal.

5. Free fun with the Students’ Union 

The Students’ Union offers lots of free opportunities to have fun, meet new people and try new things. They also run regular ‘Give It a Go’ activities so you can try something new for free. You can also join more than 70 societies and sports clubs at an affordable price. Visit their website to discover what’s coming up. 

6. Cheap eye clinic appointments 

We offer students the chance to have an examination at our on-campus Eye Clinic for just £5. During your appointment you’ll get examined by students on one of our optometry courses, who will be working under expert supervision. 

7. Learn a language for free

At our Worldwise Learning Centre you can access a wealth of free resources to help you learn another language, including the popular Rosetta Stone software. Various languages are available to learn through self-study – from Arabic to Chinese (Mandarin), French to Korean – take your pick from 24 languages.

8. Better study skills, better grades 

We can help you improve your study skills, get the most out of your courses and achieve better marks. Enhance your research skills, deliver impressive presentations, get your head around stats, and learn how to write assignments. We offer regular study skills workshops, one-to-one tutorials, drop-in sessions and online resources all year round. 

9. Develop your digital skills 

Our Digital Skills development pages on the Student Hub contain training materials and skills development resources that will help you get to grips with the technologies and software packages you’ll need to use, to excel at your course. Through free access to LinkedIn Learning, you can also access to a wealth of training resources. 

10. Help to set up your own business 

Got a great idea for a business? We’ve helped lots of our students set up and run their own companies. Our Propeller Team can give you expert advice and opportunities to network with the business community. We even have business incubation space on campus in our Propeller Hub.