The Students’ Union is an independent charity that exists to advance your education at the University of Portsmouth through a range of exciting services and activities. Our mission is to have a positive impact with every Portsmouth student: Students are heard, students are empowered, students thrive.

What's On

At UPSU's Advice Service, we offer confidential, impartial and non-judgemental support on a range of academic and university issues that may affect your experience. Our team of trained advisers are on hand all year round to offer help where it's needed. The independent service works closely with the University of Portsmouth to resolve issues and ensure students are treated fairly.

UPSU are here to represent every student at the University of Portsmouth. We have many ways you can express your student voice, including: our Course Rep system, Have Your Say, Student Council, StART, Hot Topic, Annual Survey, Focus Groups, and more! Click on the tabs to learn more about each platform regarding Representation! You can also see a summary of our research by clicking on the UPSU Research & Data page.

Student Groups are a great development opportunity and a great place to find new friends, build a community and have a sense of belonging whilst at University!

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Welcome to UPSU

Cost of Living

Here in the UK, we are seeing an increase in the cost of living and we know that you may very well be worrying about the rises to household bills, food and other living costs whilst studying at University. This page outlines what we are doing at The Union to try mitigate the challenges that come with the cost of living as well as providing relevant support and tips for making your money go further.

We are continuously updating this page with new campaigns, tips and advice for students, so be sure to check back on a regular basis or bookmark this page.

Throughout this academic year and so long as cost of living is causing concern for students, we will be continuing to work with and to lobby the University for support, as well as looking at the practical & tangible support we can offer to ease the impact of the crisis.

What we have already done for you!

You can now obtain free hot water from all catering outlets across campus!
In partnerships with University Catering, we have been able to secure cheaper hot food meals in Park building! A jacket potato or soup and a roll for just £1.50
With donations from the University. The SU has secured stationery, household essential products and some hygiene products, all of which you can pick up for free from our "help yourself" table located in the Union's foyer
In November we welcomed Student businesses to our Winter Market. They were able to have a stall to showcase their creations and boost their income during the festive period. More of this to come this year!
The SU has been able to bring back the microwaves! Located outside of the common room and usable during building opening times! You can bring your own food and reheat it right here on campus!

What is already on offer


We've made sure that cost of living is considered within the ECF process, so that no student is disadvantaged academically, if it's affected your ability to study	The U1 University Bus runs every 15 minutes in a circular route around Portsmouth during weekdays in term time. It’s free if you show your student ID card.

Use your student or staff ID card to collect five points for every £1 you spend. Each point will be worth 1p, which you can redeem against your future purchases at any catering venue across campus. Benefits include: 5% off every purchase Coffee stamps – get your 9th coffee free Seasonal bonus points and offers Track your purchases and points online or via an app Plus, get money off each time you use a reusable coffee cup!	The University Support Fund provides limited financial support to students in financial difficulty for things like: Rent Bills Food Medical costs, such as prescriptions of contact lenses Some study related travel costs - for example commuting between the Isle of Wight and Portsmouth Course related costs for part time students such as childcare

Things we are still working on

Creating useful blogs/articles with helpful guidance for you in relation to the cost of living
Exploring what "cozy campus" initiatives we can offer across campus and in the city
Exploring free access to creative cloud off campus for CCI students
In partnerships with University Catering, we are working to ensure you can access hot meals everywhere on campus, not just Park.
Developing an easy, budget friendly recipe book which you can access right here on this page! Tasty ideas incoming, watch this space!

Find Food Banks and Hot Meals on our City Map

Helpful Articles

Government Energy Rebate - where does that leave students?

What does this mean? How does this impact me?

Student Loan Impulse Spending - what can you do?

Check out this article all about impulse spending and how you can save those pennies!

Gone Phishing?

There are plenty of phish in the sea - and you'll want to avoid them!

The University also have their own pages about Cost of Living Support that references a lot of the resources that the University can provide for students.


For financial support to students facing financial difficulty	For information on available laptops and PCs on campus	For general financial advice and money saving tips	For finding part-time work alongside your studies


Helps you to see how inflation may impact you based on your spending	A range of tips, articles and resources specifically targetted for students

Helps you to see how much it costs to run common household appliances and compare them against each other.

Page created: Mon, 07 Nov 2022 12:39:43 GMT
Page updated: Mon, 26 Feb 2024 11:54:51 GMT

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Call: 023 9284 3628
Email: hello@upsu.net
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The University of Portsmouth Students’ Union has a vision of creating a positive impact with every Portsmouth student during their time at University.