1 in 4 students regularly go without food and other necessities because they cannot afford them, rising to over 3 in 10 for students from the most socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds (measured by household income and parental education levels), new research has found. The survey of 8,800 university students carried out by Russell Group Students’ Unions is the largest study on financial pressures currently facing students to date.
The survey found that students are living on average just £2 per week over the destitution line in the UK. Students report the increasing burden of having to increase part-time employment hours to cover basic costs with 17% of respondents in paid employment working more than 30 hours a week alongside their studies, as well as difficulties concentrating due to poor nourishment and financial stress. Others are skipping on-campus lectures because they cannot afford travel costs.
The findings show that financial pressures are affecting students' studies, with over half (54%) of students reporting their academic performance has suffered because of the crisis and 18% considering dropping out due to financial reasons, in contrast to traditionally very high continuation rates at our universities. The burden of the cost-of-living crisis is felt most strongly by students from marginalised and disadvantaged backgrounds, with students who are estranged or care experienced, those with caring responsibilities, disabled students and part-time students the most likely to report that they have considered leaving university.
