Cost of studying: a web based tool for student budgeting

Jisc are initiating a small development project to provide the sector with a web-based tool that will aid students in understanding and budgeting their finances whilst studying.

This post represents initial consultation to begin the scoping work. Following comments and other feedback we will begin a more structured consultation before designing a tool and testing it with users.

The project will develop a web-based ‘calculator’ that can be deployed on institutional websites and allow each institution to ‘plug-in’ their own data. It is envisaged that the tool will be aligned to the holistic student experience, helping them understand all of the actual costs of study, but linking it to things such as books, printing, cost of living etc. It may for example, tie into an institution’s retention and student experience strategy.

The project is inspired by work undertaken by Swansea University http://www.swansea.ac.uk/undergraduate/fees-and-funding/cost-of-living/ and Cardiff University http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/for/prospective/campus-life/living-costs.html

For this initial consultation we are seeking broad input for what the tool may need to have included, what would be considered essential in its functionality and ideas for extending it. We will collate these and then begin a more structured conversation with stakeholders before initial development and user testing. To contribute your input please comment below:

One comment

  1. I believe it should have the ability to add income and expenditure of the students finances. This could then be calculated to either a weekly or monthly allowance. It could also give advice as the student goes through the process, eg money saving tips.

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