Student Living Plus

Not quite – and here’s why.

We know you need a flexible set of options to fit round your busy life. You might prefer to have breakfast at your place. Sometimes you might want to cook your favourite meal from home. At the weekend, you may want to get off campus and explore the city.

Your weekly Student Living Plus budget aims to give you two good meals a day, for any five days a week. You’ll have the same kitchen facilities as in self-catered accommodation, so you can cook for yourself whenever you like. And, at the weekend you can use your budget – or head out to enjoy some of Birmingham’s great dining options.

Any money you haven’t spent will roll over to the next week. That means if you eat out or cook for yourself a lot one week, you won’t miss out. Just make sure to spend all your Student Living Plus balance before the end of the 42nd week of your accommodation contract, as this won’t be refunded. You’ll receive your last credit top-up on the Friday of the last week of term.

You can start spending your Student Living Plus from Friday 20^th September.

Student Living Plus covers 34 weeks of your 42-week accommodation contract. Outside term time, our food and drink outlets offer a reduced service, however, you’ll still be able to spend your balance on campus at open outlets. That means if you’re staying here during the holidays, you can use Student Living Plus across the whole 42 weeks of your contract.

The University caters for wide range of diets, including vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and halal.

Unfortunately, we’re unable to cater for high-allergen diets (e.g., nut-free) at present. All food is prepared in kitchens where these allergens are in use, so we cannot guarantee food is 100% allergen-free.

If you have one or more allergies, the University will offer support, advice, and any accommodation adaptations you need. You can also find some top tips for navigating student life with an allergy on our website.

There are plans underway to arrange this service. However, unfortunately, this is not available yet.

If your budget runs out before the end of the week, you can still buy food at campus outlets with card, just like students who aren’t on Student Living Plus. However, you won’t get the 10% discount.

As it’s part of your accommodation contract, you’re unfortunately unable to opt out of Student Living Plus.

Yes, you can add Student Living Plus to your accommodation at any point in the academic year. To do this, please get in touch with us through the Student Living Online Helpdesk. Once your upgrade has been confirmed, you’ll be able to spend your balance on the Friday of that week.

Don’t worry – you can still spend your Student Living Plus credit. You just need to download the UoB Cashless app first! Through the app, you can check your balance and use your digital wallet to buy food and drink on campus.

If you lose your ID card, you’ll need to let the team at the Aston Webb Student Hub know as soon as possible. They can then cancel your lost card so nobody else can use it and order you a new one. Replacement cards cost £10. As soon as you receive this, you’ll be able to start spending your Student Living Plus credit right away.  

If you have financial or money concerns at any time during the year, please don’t struggle alone. There are plenty of services available to help you, including:

• Student Services
• Guild Advice
• Student Mentors

Did you know you can get part-time, flexible work here on campus? Worklink, the University’s very own recruitment agency, has lots of casual, student-friendly vacancies to help you earn while you learn. 

Stress-free budgeting

The last thing you want to be doing as a student is constantly checking your bank balance. Student Living Plus enables you to spend less time budgeting and more time enjoying uni life by giving you a weekly allowance to spend on food and drink. Your student wallet will be pre-loaded with credit every week, so you always know you have money set aside for food.

 Variety is the spice of life

You can spend your balance at any of our food and drink outlet, which means there’s always something new on the menu. From takeaway pizzas and burgers to fresh deli salads and hearty dishes that will remind you of home, you can make every mealtime exciting by tasting your way around the world without leaving campus.

 You can eat well for less

Not only does Student Living Plus help you keep on top of your budget, but it also saves you money. You’ll get a 10% discount on all campus food and drink, all year-round (excluding alcohol), making it easier for you to fuel your days and nights without costing the earth. Plus, our popular Vale Infusion restaurant has special meal prices specifically for Student Living Plus students.

 Everything’s in one place

There’s no need to travel far to enjoy quality food. Whether you’re hungry for a burrito or a steaming bowl of noodles, our outlets are based centrally on campus, many of them within a five-minute walk of Old Joe. If you’re living at The Vale Village, the deal’s even better, as you can roll out of bed and enjoy brunch at Vale Infusion within minutes!

 Flexibility at its finest

No day’s the same when you’re a student. Some days you might want to grab lunch on the go before a lecture or catch up with friends over a pizza and drinks. Sometimes you might prefer to cook for yourself in your halls. Whatever you’re hungry for, we’ve got you covered. With Student Living Plus, you can spend your budget whenever and on whatever you want. Plus, any balance you don’t spend will roll over, so you won’t miss out if you decided to eat at home or in the city.