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A third (33%) of students from working class families say
they have skipped meals to save on food costs.
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Nearly two-thirds (63%) of students are spending less on
food and essentials as a result of the rising cost of
living.
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43% of students said they are using less electricity or gas
in their homes.
New research by the Sutton Trust, published today, highlights the
serious impacts of rising living costs on students, with a
quarter (24%) of students saying they are less likely to finish
their degree as a result of the cost of living crisis. Today’s
survey of 1,050 students across the UK, carried out by Savanta,
reveals that students are facing considerable financial
pressures.
Since the start of the autumn term in September 2022, nearly
two-thirds (63%) of students report having spent less on food and
essentials, with over a quarter (28%) saying they have skipped
meals to save on food costs. Students from lower socioeconomic
backgrounds were more likely to report skipping meals (33% for
students from working class families compared to 24% of middle
class students).
43% of students overall said they have used less fuel (such as
electricity or gas) in their homes and 47% had stopped or reduced
going out with friends. 6% reported moving back in with their
family to save money on rent or bills, with working class
students more likely to report this than middle class students
(10% vs 4%). 16% travelled to campus less to save on transport
and other costs, while 14% travelled to campus more to use free
energy like heating. 18% have avoided buying university supplies
they needed for their course (e.g. laptops/textbooks).
The survey also explores what kind of support students are
accessing. It reveals that many students are turning to parents
(45%) for additional financial support. However, this is often
not an option for students from lower socio-economic backgrounds,
with lower proportions of working class students receiving
additional support from their parents (38%, vs 48% of their
better off peers). 27% of students overall have gotten a job or
taken on more hours to make ends meet, 11% have received support
such as hardship funds from their university, 4% have taken out
additional private loans and 2% have used a food bank or other
charity support.
The energy support scheme has been one of the government’s key
elements of support for households during the cost of living
crisis. The scheme has given every household in England, Wales
and Scotland £400 to help with energy costs. If someone’s
landlord received this payment from their energy company they
should have passed this £400 onto the individual – including for
students. However, 40% of students living in private rental
accommodation said they have not received this payment from
either their landlord or their energy company.
In terms of other government support, in England, the government
has recently announced maintenance loans will only increase by
2.8% this year, despite high levels of inflation. In Wales they
will increase by 9.4%. The government in England has recently
made an additional £15 million available for hardship funds –
alongside an existing £261 million that universities are able to
use for hardship funds – however,£41 million of
that is reserved for the disabled students’ pupil premium. The
rest is ‘to support successful student outcomes’ and includes
funding for widening participation and outreach activities – so
much of this is unlikely to be used for hardship funds. Analysis
by the Sutton Trust finds that if the new £15 million was split
between undergraduate students in England from the most deprived
areas, it equates to only £67 per student.
Sir Peter Lampl, founder and Chairman of the Sutton Trust
and Chairman of the Education Endowment Foundation,
said:
“Today’s polling shows the serious impact of the cost-of-living
crisis on students. It is scandalous that students are skipping
meals and having to cut back on essentials, and that a staggering
quarter of students say they are now less likely to finish their
degree as a result of the crisis.
“To make sure that students can afford to fully take part in
their course and wider university life, the Sutton Trust is
calling for the government to urgently review the amount of
funding and support available to
students. “
NOTES TO EDITORS
- The Sutton Trust was founded by
Sir Peter Lampl in 1997 to improve social mobility in
Britain. The Trust has influenced government policy on more
than 30 occasions; its programmes have to date
given 50,000 young people the opportunity to change
their lives; and it has published over 250 pieces of
agenda-setting research.
- Savanta surveyed 1,050 current undergraduate students via
their student omnibus, with polling taking place between 13th and
17th of January 2023. The student omnibus is weighted to be
representative by Gender, Course Year and University Group
(Russell Group, Post 1992 and Pre 1992 + Specialist
institutions). Differences are only shown here where
statistically significant.
