University Students in England Must Work Over 20 Hours a Week to Make Ends Meet

University students in England are often forced to work over 20 hours a week to maintain a basic standard of living, a report by the Higher Education Policy Institute (Hepi) has found. The survey suggests that the pressures of part-time work are "squeezing out" other essential aspects of university life, such as studying, sports, and socializing. Students are calling for increased maintenance support to ensure they can reach a "minimum socially acceptable standard of living."

Key Takeaways:

• The report by Hepi, TechnologyOne, and the Centre for Research in Social Policy (CRSP) at Loughborough University estimates that students need around £61,000 over the course of a three-year degree, or £77,000 in London, to reach a minimum socially acceptable standard of living, excluding tuition fees.
• The maximum annual maintenance loan for students in England covers only half the costs faced by first-year students, according to the report.
• Even with the highest levels of maintenance support, students in England must work more than 20 hours per week to meet a basic standard of living.
• Bridget Phillipson, the Education Secretary, has acknowledged the need to support students, particularly those from less well-off backgrounds, to take up internships and other work experience opportunities.
• The report suggests that students may still need to undertake part-time work, such as 10 hours a week, but that maintenance support should cover the remainder of their living costs.
• The report calls for maintenance support to be "pegged to inflation" and for household income thresholds to be increased so parents do not need to contribute to their child's living costs until they have enough money to meet a basic standard of living for themselves.

Statistics:

• £61,000: the estimated amount students need over the course of a three-year degree to reach a minimum socially acceptable standard of living, excluding tuition fees.
• £77,000: the estimated amount students need over the course of a three-year degree to reach a minimum socially acceptable standard of living in London, excluding tuition fees.
• £9,250: the frozen tuition fees in England since 2017, which will rise to £9,535 for the 2025-26 academic year.
• 20 hours: the number of hours per week that students in England must work to meet a basic standard of living, even with the highest levels of maintenance support.
• 10 hours: the suggested number of hours a week that students may still need to undertake part-time work.

Sources:

• Hepi
• Telegraph reporters
• Hepi, TechnologyOne, and CRSP report
• Bridget Phillipson, Education Secretary
• Nick Hillman, director of Hepi
• Josh Freeman, author of the report