Conference Session 1 Wednesday - Helping, Not Hindering: Rethinking How We Support Students Experiencing Homelessness

<p>In November 2025, the Students’ Union launched Essentials, a cost-of-living initiative to help students cover their basic needs. The services we offer are open to all UoM students. We launched our food & hygiene pantry and our financial wellbeing programme, with plans to launch more support later this year. In the session we’ll review our aim of being a proactive rather than a reactive service, which cohorts of students we have seen a high levels of engagement with our services, the challenges we faced and overcame, and our plans to build on the work we do going forward. We’ll also cover our collaborative work with the University’s financial support team to support students experiencing financial hardship and how we’ve made financial support more accessible. </p>

This workshop introduces the key principles of student funding across the UK’s four nations. It supports participants to understand how eligibility is determined, including the concept of ordinary residence, and how this influences the funding arrangements available to individual students.

Participants will gain a clear overview of the main undergraduate and postgraduate funding systems in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, highlighting both similarities and differences. The session also explains the range of student loan repayment plans in operation, helping build confidence in discussing repayment expectations with students.

Finally, the workshop signposts where to access reliable, up to date information and guidance from each funding authority, enabling participants to continue developing their knowledge and provide accurate advice.

We will explore this year’s theme, Advising, Achieving and Adapting, through the lens of today’s rapidly changing student support landscape. The session will examine how financial circumstances shape student participation, success and wellbeing, alongside the growing complexity of student funding systems and institutional pressures. Reflecting on key sector developments, including the Lifelong Learning Entitlement, the keynote will consider the challenges and opportunities facing student money advisers as they balance technical expertise with holistic support, advocacy and institutional influence in an increasingly demanding environment.

Drawing on commissioned research by The London Foundation for Banking & Finance (LFBF), as well as the wider literature, this session will give an overview of the research base around financial capability in the UK. Focusing on young people’s financial capability and also touching on the findings of a recent LFBF report around young people’s attitudes and behaviours towards cryptocurrencies, the session will try to explore the key and emerging questions around financial capability in the UK.

This session will cover undergraduate students studying in academic year 2026/27 covering information updates for both Student Finance England (SFE) and Student Finance Wales (SFW) and will be delivered by the Funding Information Services Team.

Detailed information covering areas relating to eligibility, entitlement and policy enhancements for the upcoming academic year 2026/27. In addition to 2026/27, we will look at the importance of right first-time applications and focus on targeted groups such as vulnerable students and DSA and the importance of practitioner engagement to these groups.

The session will open with an update from the DfE, who will recap the progress made on the LLE to date and how they will be supporting providers, advisors and influencers to engage learners over the coming months. Colleagues from the Student Loans Company (SLC) will then provide an overview of learner entitlement under the LLE, including a more detailed dive into additional entitlement using real world scenarios raised by NASMA members.

The session will also include a short preview of the new customer portal and an overview of data capture within the online application, demonstrating how this will support accurate assessments and ensure learners access the appropriate funding.

This sessions will provide a “back to basics” overview of the funding schemes administered by SAAS including residency and previous study.

This sessions will be suitable for staff across the organisation including new staff, or those who would like a refresher and will allow staff an opportunity to ask questions which will enhance your engagement with students.

During the session we will:

• explain the funding available from SAAS for students planning to undertake higher education courses (HNC/HND/Degree courses); and
• provide advice on our general residence eligibility and previous study arrangements; and
• answer any questions attendees have about assisting students with their application and the funding available;
• provide advice on how students can provide the necessary supporting evidence for their application.

AI is enriching professional services, and NASMA members have told us they want to explore its potential. Join this open discussion forum around AI in student money advice, facilitated by Matthew Townsend (Senior AI specialist at Jisc), to build on the inspiring AI session at last year’s conference and share practical ideas, challenges, and good practice. 

You don’t need to arrive with polished answers or technical knowledge. Curiosity is enough. Sharing an example, a concern, or even something that didn’t work is hugely valuable.

According to the House of Lords, a young person needs 30 hours of financial education to be financially literate. However, across many campuses, students are arriving at university with little or no prior financial education. One effective way to build their financial literacy is through dedicated financial capability workshops that equip them with the tools and skills they need to thrive financially.

Join Ellie Jacobson from University of Manchester Students' Union who has delivered financial wellbeing workshops across two institutions. Her workshops have covered budgeting, money management, and finances after university topics to ensure students feel confident with money after graduation.

In this webinar, we’ll cover how to structure a Finances After University workshop linking to the theme of NSMW26 and makes money conversations feel accessible and relevant to current students. We’ll also share examples of effective activities and resources, along with tips for encouraging attendance and sustaining student participation.

Demand for debt advice continues to increase due to a continued cost of living crisis, and many professionals working with struggling households will need to refer their clients to debt advice services. This session looks at the debt advice sector in 2026 - who provides and funds debt advice, how is it regulated, how do debt advisers approach a case, what solutions can debt advice provide, and what new challenges face the sector.

This session explores the link between debt and mental health. In particular it will focus on the use of the Debt and Mental Health Evidence Form when dealing with creditors as well as the possibility of requesting write-offs as an option for debtors who have been affected by their mental health.  

This workshop explores Buy now pay later debts (e.g. Klarna, Clearpay) and the new rules that are set to be introduced to regulate them next year. These new rules will grant greater protection for consumers, including those outlined under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act as well as the option to raise a complaint with the Financial Ombudsman.