The average respondent to a new survey of Russell Group students is living below the poverty line – and is just £2 per week away from the level of destitution in the UK.
1 in 4 are regularly going without food and other necessities because they cannot afford it, and students are reporting studying in freezing accommodation, unable to turn the heating on, and unable to afford travel to campus in search of warmer spaces.
Over half report that their academic performance has suffered, and 1 in 5 have considered dropping out because they cannot afford university.
Our survey of over 8,800 university students is the largest study on financial pressures facing students to date.
