How many students can we support together?

From our global community to the Campus Larder

Last year, thanks to the generosity of alumni, families and friends, students facing financial hardship received the help they needed to cover the staples many of us take for granted.

But once again, energy bills are rising, as are food and housing costs, resulting in difficult choices for students who should be able to focus on their studies and research without the worry of where the next meal will come from.

The Campus Larder was launched in October 2023 to provide vital groceries and targeted vouchers for the students who need it most, including those with special dietary needs. The demand has been so great that we have started a fortnightly satellite Larder at David Russell Apartments.

We need your help to keep this initiative running, and to expand it to meet the ever-increasing need.

We want to develop meal kits based on cultural holidays to help our international students to feel closer to the festivals that remind them of home, and we want to introduce breakfast packs for exam season, so that no student goes into an exam hungry.

Food has a way of bringing people together, and initiatives like the Campus Larder show our students that we are here for them when they need help most.

Expanding support for Employability Bursaries

It’s not just groceries that some students struggle with. Demand for employability support is also growing year on year. In 2024-2025, 193 applications were received for Employability Bursary support at St Andrews. Students from all years applied for assistance, including 54 postgraduates. Of those students, 44 % came from cohorts facing additional challenges, including care-experienced students, Sanctuary Scholars, disabled students, and widening participation students.

Thanks to donations from our global St Andrews community, we were able to support them into internships and work experience placements in 18 countries, and through job interviews, events, conferences, courses, qualifications, transport, and childcare requirements. For some, the funding enabled them to cover the cost of professional clothing.

Had additional funding been available, a further 90 applications would have been approved.

You can read about the experiences of those who have benefited from Employability Bursary support on the Careers Centre’s blog.

Did you know...

• £15 provides a bag of staple groceries and a breakfast pack for a student
• £45 funds a day’s childcare so a parent student can gain work experience
• £150 helps to cover travel and accommodation for a student internship
• £1,200 fully restocks the Campus Larder and satellite larder for one week.

Your gift today will help to sustain existing student support and expand our initiatives to support more students. Every gift – of any size – helps another student to navigate these challenging times.

Thank you for all that you to do for St Andrews students, and for any support you can give today.

If you would like to offer your support through your skills, experience or networks please join our Saint Connect platform. 

Please visit the dedicated web page for more information on the University’s Cost of Living initiatives. 

For more information about the Cost of Living Appeal please contact Magdalena Croy at collectivegiving@st-andrews.ac.uk.