Our Student Money Champions are making it easier for their fellow students to talk about, and find support with, their financial wellbeing.
Money management is a huge part of student life. From funding tuition fees and budgeting, to seeking part-time work and applying for financial support, there are lots of challenges to navigate while studying – but often, conversations around finances can be difficult to navigate.
Here at Southampton, we’re trying to make things a little easier with our peer-led initiative called the Student Money Champions – a group of students from diverse backgrounds who help to run events, create resources and spark conversations with their fellow students.
For students, by students
The Student Money Champions work alongside the Financial Support Team at the University to provide peer-led initiatives for fellow students about money matters. They offer guidance on seeking support, run events and drop-in sessions, write regular newsletters, collaborate on workshops, and create valuable resources.
Alongside this, the Champions meet every week to discuss priorities and set agendas for upcoming events and projects, centering student needs and ensuring the information they provide is informed by experience and student priorities.
Having students talking to students about money makes the support much more accessible, approachable and authentic.
The project has already seen a huge amount of success, despite only being in its second year; the first cohort of Champions won a Student Experience Award for Wellbeing and Inclusivity with the Students’ Union after just one semester of work.
Mariam’s experience as a Student Money Champion
Second-year LLB Law student Mariam has been a Student Money Champion for two years, and is extremely passionate about her experience on the team.
“Being a Student Money Champion has been one of the most rewarding parts of my time at the University. It’s given me the chance to grow both personally and professionally, especially through the leadership opportunities that have come with the role,” she says.
Being a Champion has really deepened my understanding of financial wellbeing, and has made me feel more confident, more connected to the University community, and proud to be part of something that’s genuinely helping others.
Mariam, Student Money Champion, LLB Law
The project empowers students to take the lead with ideas and events, delivering what their peers really need.
“One of my personal stand-out moments has been obtaining full creative freedom to come up with various concepts to encompass our events for this years’ National Student Money Week, plan and organise the activities, alongside executing this independently from start to finish. Having had full creative freedom to come up with ideas and bring them to life was both exciting and empowering,” Mariam explains.
Beyond the bursary
Creating equality within education isn’t just about providing funding opportunities – it's also about empowering students to feel more confident about managing, and talking about, their money.
With the seven Champions this year representing a range of underrepresented backgrounds, subjects of study and lived experiences – including low-income households, Foundation Years, studying abroad and Widening Participation courses – they can offer valuable, first-hand, personal perspectives which may not be available from formal support routes.
The project plays a huge role in the work going on across the University to improve accessibility to higher education and equalise access to the opportunities available to students during their time here.
Final-year International Relations student Abigel has helped to create specific financial support resources for students who choose to Study Abroad.
“The highlight of being a Student Money Champion has been our collaboration with the Study Abroad team, putting together the first in-person information session for students planning to go on an exchange year or semester abroad,” she says.
“This work aimed to support students on the critical issue of financing studying abroad, which can be a stressful topic, and one that can deter students from going abroad.
It is important for me to be a part of the project and to voice my opinion about how the University can become even better at supporting students in their financial struggles.
Abigel, Student Money Champion, BSc International Relations
Breaking down the stigma
The work the Student Money Champions do is also normalising the conversation about finances and supporting student wellbeing.
“One of the key things that we try to do is reduce that stigma around talking about finances – not only from a point of hardship, but also in terms of being a student, navigating those conversations for the first time and working out bills and outgoings,” explains Alex Davis, Financial Support Coordinator, who manages the project with his colleague, Vicki Finch.
“We’re really passionate about engaging students in those conversations and making them aware that it's all right to have that chat.”
Thanks to the Student Money Champions, students can hear from people they can identify with, which will make raising concerns and approaching the topic of money less intimidating.
“It’s incredibly uplifting to be surrounded by people who are equally committed to supporting students with something as personal and often challenging as money” says Mariam.
“There’s something really powerful in knowing that we’re all working towards the same goal of helping other students feel more informed, empowered, and secure in their financial decisions.
“Even something as simple as a one-to-one conversation can have such a positive impact, and seeing that firsthand has been genuinely moving.”
