Welcome to Kent! We’ve compiled some information for you around where you can buy food once you arrive, including supermarkets and places to eat out.

Canterbury

Supermarkets

On campus we have two small Co-op supermarkets run by Kent Students’ Union – one in the plaza on central campus and one in Park Wood. January opening times:

Plaza Co-op

• Friday 3 January: 07:00-20:00
• Saturday 4 January: 07:00-20:00
• Sunday 5 January: 12:00-18:00
• Monday 6- Saturday 11 January: 7:00-22:00

Park Wood Co-op

• Thursday 2 January – Saturday 4 January: 09:00-17:00
• Sunday 5 – Friday 10 January: 08:00-20:00.
• Saturday 11 – Sunday 12 January: 09:00-Midnight

From Monday 13 January, both Co-op shops will be open as normal for the start of term.

For larger supermarkets, you might want to catch the bus into town to Sainsbury’s, Asda and Lidl.

See this Canterbury google maps showing supermarkets, international food stores and other useful shops.

Places to eat on or near campus

Check out the catering outlets winter break timetable to see where and when you can purchase food on our Canterbury campus.

Kent Students’ Union also have the Library Café and Woody’s which sells food and drinks. See their winter break opening times.

Once term begins on 13 January, all our outlets will be open during their usual opening times. See catering webpage to learn more.

In Canterbury city centre, there are loads of places to eat. Look out for student discounts at some cafes and restaurants.

Medway

Supermarkets

Next to Pier Quays accommodation there is a small Tesco Express supermarket which is open 24/7. Across the road, less than 5 minutes walk away, there is also a large Asda supermarket.

See this Medway google maps showing supermarkets, international food stores and other useful shops.

Places to eat on or near campus

There is a Subway and Domino’s very close to Pier Quays accommodation. There is also a range of restaurants and cafes at the Dockside Outlet Centre which is a 10-minute walk down the road.

Once term begins on 13 January, you can also check out some places to eat at the Medway campus including The Deep End which is part of the Hub, the Archibald Hay Mess in the Drill Hall Library and the Venue Cafe in Pilkington.

Over the summer we let you know that we were making some changes to our Academic Management Structure and we can now confirm what the 10 academic Schools at Kent will be called from January 2025: 

What does this mean for me? 

Most of the changes will be behind the scenes so you may not see anything obvious as staff work hard to minimise disruption to your studies.  

You may start to hear staff using these new school names however Divisional email addresses will still work until the end of this academic year. If you’re unsure who to contact, ask Nexus to be linked up with the right service or team. 

I am on a course being phased out. Where do I go for support? 

If you are on a course being phased out, please be reassured that we will continue to support you while you’re at Kent. Heads of School and support staff from your assigned school, as well as central teams, are on hand to support you.

If you’re unsure who to contact, ask Nexus to be linked up with the right service or team.

Courses being phased out will be aligned to one of the new schools (see table below).  

If you have any questions or feedback in the meantime about the new Academic Management Structure, please email kent2030student@kent.ac.uk

In November 2024 the Government announced that for the academic year 2025/26 tuition fees for home students are set to increase by 3.1% to £9,535 for undergraduate degrees in England. We’ve put together a short summary of what this will mean for Kent students.  

Subject to final ratification in parliament, this tuition fee rise will apply for all undergraduate home students studying at the University of Kent for the 2025-26 academic year – both new and returning students. 

If you have a student loan, the fee rise will not result in any new upfront cost for students, and how you repay your student loan remains the same. The loan repayments you make each month when you have a job in the future are based on how much you earn rather than how much you have to repay. 

The Government also announced an increase in maintenance loan support to help students manage the cost of going to university. We have several cost-of-living measures at Kent alongside this to help you make the most of your time with us. 

FAQs 

What does this mean for international and postgraduate students? 

Tuition fees for international and taught postgraduate students are decided through a different process and are unaffected by this Government announcement. You can view the 2025-26 tuition fees for international and postgraduate students on the Kent website.  

When will fees rise and does it impact current students? 

Tuition fees may rise annually, but for UK undergraduates are capped by the Government. See Kent’s Tuition Fee Increase Policy for more information. Both the tuition fee and maintenance loans for UK undergraduate students will rise in the 2025-26 academic year.   

What will the 2025-26 tuition fees be? 

Tuition fees will rise in line with inflation for the first time since 2017, this means current fees will increase from £9,250 a year to £9,535 (full-time). 

How much is the maintenance support increasing by? 

Maintenance loans have increased each year however the increases haven’t kept up with inflation. The Government announced that maintenance loans will also increase in line with inflation from September 2025. This means the students who rely on maintenance loans will have more money in their pockets from the next academic year. If you are currently facing financial hardship, please see cost of living support at Kent. 

Does this change my student loan repayments? 

If you apply for a tuition fee loan, this money is paid directly to the university to cover the cost of your course. If you apply for a maintenance loan, it is paid directly to your bank account to help with the costs of going to university. 

You will not need to repay tuition fee or maintenance loans until you have completed your degree or have left the university. Even though the amount you borrow will be different, the student loan repayment process remains the same.  

Cost of Living Support at Kent 

If you are struggling with the rising cost of living, here’s some of the support available at Kent: 

• Emergency funding – we have funds and emergency short term loans for students facing financial hardship. 

• Finance support contacts – here are some useful contacts to help you with your finance questions and offer advice. 

• Supplemental food support – KSU’s Campus Pantry at Canterbury is open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 12:00-16:00. There are no questions asked the first time you use the service. 

• Rutherford Meal Deal – head over to Rutherford (Canterbury) for the £3.50 Meal Deal. Open for lunch and dinner, you can choose between 2 hot meals (one plant-based) with 2 sides. 

• £3 sub and drink meal deal and other offers at The Deep End (Medway). 

• Pick up free sanitary products from KSU’s Mandela Student Centre and the laundry facilities on the Canterbury campus, and from the Deep End at Medway. 

• Campus lounges have microwaves and hot taps so you can reheat leftovers or make yourself a hot drink. See warm spaces map. 

• Borrow a laptop for up to 12 hours for use in the Templeman Library and across our Canterbury campus. In Medway you can use LapSafe in Drill Hall Library (same day or 7-day loans available). 

See all the above support and more on our cost-of-living webpages.  

It’s the last week of the Autumn term! Find out what’s on this week including lots of events to get you in the festive mood.

Need some extra study support? The Skills for Academic Success team are running 15 minute drop-in appointments all week at Canterbury campus and on Tuesday and Wednesday at Medway campus.   

Monday 9 December: Carols at the Cathedral and festive karaoke 

Did you manage to get a ticket for the sold-out Carols at the Cathedral service? If you were lucky enough to get one, go along for traditional carols and performances from University’s Minerva Voices and the award-winning Kent Gospel Choir! 

Or for a different festive vibe, sing your heart out to Christmas tunes at K Bar’s Christmas karaoke night! 

Tuesday 10 December: Mindfulness colouring with counselling team and create your own foraged wreath 

On Tuesday afternoon, members of the counselling team will be available to answer any queries you may have about therapy and mindfulness in Nexus. There will also be mindful colouring to help you to de-stress and unwind.  

Create your own festive foraged wreath using greenery collected from campus. Enjoy the experience of foraging and crafting your own wreath, along with festive food and drink.  

Wednesday 11 December: Covid and Flu Vaccine Clinic, Coco the therapy dog, cookie decorating (Medway) and GRC Winter Showcase 

Get your covid and flu vaccines from our Covid and Flu Vaccine Clinic at Senate, Canterbury campus, on Wednesday (10:00-15:00).  

Take a break from the holiday rush and spend some quality time with Coco the therapy dog at this special Christmas-themed event in Nexus.  

At The Hub in Medway, you can enjoy some festive cookie decorating. Get creative and decorate your cookie with icing and sprinkles.  

On Wednesday afternoon it’s the Graduate and Researcher College’s Winter Showcase 2024. Open to all postgrads, you can attend research talks, explore research posters and present your own work. It’s the perfect platform to connect, learn, and share your research with peers. 

Thursday 12 December: Christmas paper crafts (Medway) and Carols around the Tree 

Enjoy some Christmas paper crafts at The Hub on Thursday afternoon. Create festive decorations, ornaments and Christmas cards. 

Students, staff, alumni and members of the local community are warmly invited to join us on the Registry Lawn for Carols Around the Tree on Thursday at 16:30. This much-loved annual event offers an opportunity for us to come together to celebrate the season.  

Friday 13 December: End of Autumn term and gardening 

Friday marks the end of the undergraduate Autumn term!  

You can volunteer at the Kent Community Oasis Garden, our students, staff and community members are working to create a sustainability hub centred around growing food.  

See all student events.  

Opportunities  

• Will you be returning from overseas after the winter break? You can use our airport transfer service for your return to campus on 9 January 2025. 

• Staying on campus over the winter break? Let us know by Wednesday 11 December! 

• Students staying on campus can also pick up a free craft kit from Mandela Student Centre until Wednesday 18 December.   

See all student opportunities.