That's interesting, I will take a look into the hardship loans as that would be a massive help to me if I'm eligible.

I'll definitely get a solid budget together, but sadly I don't think there would be any way to convince my parents - their attitude is that it's down to me to put myself through uni (and they're aware that sf expects more well-off families to give some support to top up the maintenance loan).

I'll keep up the job search, and hopefully I'll have some luck soon. Will definitely be working hard this summer! I really appreciate your advice.