Managing your student finances
Plan your spending carefully: the aim is simply to ensure less goes out than comes in. The ruination of many a budget is usually down to either an overestimation of income or an underestimation of outgoings. Money escapes constantly, even when you don't see it, so add in the phone bill and the gas and electricity direct debits or you'll end up spending money on the weekly shop that is already spoken for.
It is, of course, much easier to pray your debit/credit card doesn't get declined than to sit down with your receipts and some good intentions, and for most people the boredom of doing the money maths means most budgets assume a vague "typical week". But the problem is such a week doesn't exist; there is always something extra to take account of. Allow for unexpected costs because the tortuous times for a bank balance are those months when everyone leaves the hot water boiling, or the nights tequila gets involved. Leave a fiver spare each week for unforeseen splurges and emergencies.
With a weekly spend established and the concept that "it's-a-limit-not-a-target" understood, take out the money you'll need in cash and lock your card away. Watching your bank notes in a wallet get eaten up by receipts is an efficient way of stopping impulse spending – and ending those "little" purchases. You might feel smug by avoiding big buys but it's the couple of quid spent on travel or snacks or the cheeky extra drink that ultimately stings the most.
Bargain hunt like it's daytime TV, adjust your habits and all but refuse to ever pay full price: rather than pop to the supermarket as and when, head there after 9pm, when food is covered in discount stickers. Whether you're online or not, finding the cheapest prices is unquestionably a chore but there are lots of money-saving sites which do the dull part for you; follow on Facebook and the deals and freebies are pointed out to you, no effort required.
Budgets are easy to overspend in the rush of freshers' week and the early days of socialising but you will pay the consequences at the end of term, by which point you may find yourself stranded with a weekly shop and no way to pay for it… which is mortifying, believe me. So grab that notepad now and get going on that spreadsheet of outgoings.
David Ellis is editor of Student Money Saver
Financing your studies: don't be put off by scare stories
Headlines screaming about the £100,000 university degree make it easy to be wary of the cost of an undergraduate education. But it's important to see this in perspective.Although tuition fees can now be charged at a maximum of £9,000 a year, they are not paid up front – and you may not even have to pay back the full amount at all.
On top of this, there are bursaries and grants available that could help to cut the cost. So make sure you know the full finance details. Here's a quick summary to guide you through the basics
Tuition-fee loans
This year, the average university tuition fee is £8,500 a year, according to the government's Office for Fair Access. But you don't have to pay this up front because loans covering the entire cost of tuition fees for English or EU students are available from the government, and are paid directly to your college or university. The loan, plus interest, is repayable once you have graduated and are earning more than £21,000 a year. Each month you pay back 9% of any income above £21,000. There's a helpful cost calculator at gov.uk/student-finance-calculator. 
Maintenance loan or grant
Full-time students from England can also receive a maintenance loan (worth up to £7,675 for students living in London, away from home) to cover the cost of living. Almost two thirds of the loan is available to all, but the extra 35% is only available to those with lower household incomes. The loan is repayable, but there are also maintenance grants (worth up to £3,250 for 2013 freshers) available for students who come from a household with a total income of less than £42,611.
Other funding 
Disabled students may be eligible for the Disabled Students' Allowance (DSA), which pays up to £5,161 for specialist equipment and up to £20,520 a year for assistance for note-taking and other tasks. Most universities also offer scholarships and bursaries, the former based on merit and the latter via means-testing. Depending on the institution, the bursaries could take the form of reduced fees, discounted accommodation or cash payments. 
Lucy Tobin