SESSION OVERVIEW
With cost of living continuing to shape the student experience, student organisations are increasingly being asked to respond — but knowing where to start, what to prioritise and what will actually make a difference isn’t always straightforward.
This session shares Arc @ UNSW’s approach to building a broader cost of living support strategy, from immediate relief through to longer-term capability building. You’ll explore how they decide where to focus, the role different types of support can play, and how their approach has evolved as they’ve learned more about what students need.
Using practical examples from Arc’s food security, financial wellbeing and cost of living programs, the session will unpack what we’ve tried, what has worked, and the impact we’ve seen, as well as where we think cost of living support needs to go next.
Session Outcomes:
- A broader understanding of different ways student orgs can approach cost of living support.
- Real examples of cost of living initiatives, including what Arc has learned through implementing and scaling them.
- Practical ideas they can take back and adapt to strengthen cost of living support for students at their own campus.
PRESENTER
Steph is the Director of Student Programs & Wellbeing at Arc @ UNSW, overseeing wellbeing, volunteering, cost of living, and orientation programs. She’s worked in and around student engagement at Arc for over eight years and is particularly interested in finding tangible ways to help students thrive as people. She’s known for saying yes to just about anything, asking a lot of questions, and figuring out how to make good ideas actually work.