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ULSTER BANK TAKES ACCOUNT OF STUDENT NEEDS

8th Jul 2009

Identical twins Laura (left) and Lynn Rice, who are going to study at the University of Ulster, are among the first to sign up to Ulster Bank's student account for the year ahead. Karen Dixon, the branch manager at the university, told them that students who take out an Ulster Bank student account before October 9 have the change to win one of the six prizes as part of a package worth over 8,000.

Ulster Bank is offering students across Northern Ireland a full modern banking service, with support from dedicated student officers and the chance to secure some of their university costs for a year, through a new package launched today.

Ulster Bank's student package offers a debit and credit card and access to specially trained student officers, whose role is to provide guidance to students on the best way of managing their finances. It also offers free internet, telephone and mobile phone banking, an interest free overdraft of up to 2,000 and a range of money-off offers*.

Students who take out an Ulster Bank student account before October 9 also have the chance to win one of six prizes as part of a package worth over 8,000, to include free tuition fees, rent, food, travel and entertainment.

Ulster Bank student banking expert, Emma Quinn, says that the account is a modern banking service created to best support students through the realities of university life.

The account has been designed to support students as fully as we can. Free internet, telephone and mobile phone banking provides students with the ability to keep good control of their finances by being able to check what money they have wherever they are, she says.

The interest free overdraft and interest free period on our credit card gives students the financial flexibility required in student life for instance while they wait for loans and grants to arrive into their account. We also think that debit and credit cards are an essential part of modern life, particularly whenever so much is now purchased over the internet.

Our student officers have been specially trained to understand students and their lifestyles and to be able to provide them with guidance to best manage their finances. We take our obligations to our customers very seriously and are strongly committed to supporting students in Northern Ireland, Ms Quinn adds.

The six prizes new student customers have the chance to win are:

  • 3,225 to cover tuition fees for a year (fee for full-time undergraduate course in 2009)
  • 2,800 to cover rent for a year (based on Ulster Bank research into average monthly rent for a student in Belfast)
  • 1,056 to cover food for a year (based on Ulster Bank research into average monthly food bill for a student in Belfast)
  • 480 to cover travel costs (based on Ulster Bank research into average monthly travel costs for a student in Belfast)
  • Two entertainment packages (worth 240 each)

More information about Ulster Bank's student package is available at: www.ulsterbank.co.uk/students

Picture: Identical twins Laura (left) and Lynn Rice, who are going to study at the University of Ulster, are among the first to sign up to Ulster Bank's student account for the year ahead. Karen Dixon, the branch manager at the university, told them that students who take out an Ulster Bank student account before October 9 have the change to win one of the six prizes as part of a package worth over 8,000.