Almost a third of university students are being driven into extra debt because their loans are not enough to cover the rising cost of living, an official survey has found.
Figures published on Friday by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed that 30 per cent of students in England have taken on new debt in the past three months, with the majority saying it was because their student loan was “not enough to support their living costs”.
In total, six in 10 out of almost 2,000 students surveyed by the ONS earlier this month said their student loans were too meagre to keep pace with soaring inflation.
More than three quarters of students, including both undergraduates and postgraduates, said they were concerned that the rising cost of living might affect how well they do in their studies.
In total, 92 per cent of higher education students surveyed by the ONS reported that their cost of living had increased compared with last year.
A similar survey published by the ONS in November showed that students were skipping lectures to save money during the cost of living crisis, with large proportions considering pausing their studies for a year, changing to remote learning or moving back in with their parents to cut spending.
