We are pleased to announce that 700 of our Welsh students, currently facing financial hardship, will be offered free TOTUM cards (lasting three years).
The pilot scheme is a partnership between the OU Students Association and The Open University in Wales, and it is part of the Association’s ongoing commitment to helping students facing financial difficulties.
The initiative follows the announcement in January 2023 from the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales of an extra £2.3 million to support cost-of-living initiatives for Welsh university students.
TOTUM cards allow students to benefit from a range of discounts, including food, essentials, technology and goods. Our TOTUM page provides more details about these cards.
The 700 students who qualify for the free scheme have been chosen based on previously-identified eligibility for support (for example, applying for the University’s Student Hardship Fund). They will be contacted via email over the next couple of months.
Gareth Jones, Deputy President of the OU Students Association, said:
“The extra funding from the Welsh Government is a welcome boost in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis. We have been delighted to work collaboratively with the OU in Wales on ideas to help support students in Wales. In particular, we were keen for this to have a longer-term benefit, and are delighted that 700 students will be able to save money over a number of years, assisting with the burden of the cost-of-living crisis!”