“I’m working 34-hour weeks on top of studying just to survive” – a stark warning from students as new research reveals a growing divide at the heart of university life, with 47% relying on family support to cover accommodation while 43% depend on part-time work.
The findings highlight how students without a financial safety net are being pushed into a markedly different university experience – cutting back on food, working long hours and struggling academically as maintenance loans fail to keep pace with rising costs, with more than half now reconsidering whether higher education is even a realistic option.
PfP Students – a leading property manager for student accommodation – has today launched the second phase of its Room to Belong campaign, this time highlighting how the rising cost of living is shaping students’ experiences and, for many, deterring them from higher education altogether.
New research polling 800 current and 800 prospective students ahead of the current academic year paints a stark picture of the financial pressure students are under and the consequences this has for their studies, wellbeing, and sense of belonging at university.
Government data shows the average student maintenance loan in England for 2024/25 was approximately £7,410 per year (£617 per month), £8,330 in Scotland (£694 per month), and £8,150 in Wales (£679 per month).
However, PfP Students’ research highlights a growing gap between the cost of accommodation and the maintenance loans students rely on to live. In over half of cases, the average maintenance loans given do not even cover accommodation. According to PfP Students’ data, half of students spend more than £700 a month on accommodation, with a third paying as much as £1,000 and one in ten up to £,1500.
Of all students who reported they were finding accommodation unaffordable (34 per cent), nearly three-quarters (71%) say they are also cutting back on essentials such as food and travel. Over half (51%) say they have limited their social activities, and almost one in two (48%) have borrowed money or taken on additional loans simply to cope.
The data also shows that 47% of students are reliant on family support to cover accommodation, while 43% use money earned from part-time work.
The effects are not limited to those already at university. Prospective students are increasingly questioning whether higher education is financially viable at all. Over half (52%) say they have considered not going to university due to accommodation costs, while 58% have looked into alternatives such as apprenticeships or online courses. More than half (56%) say they are likely to choose a university close to home so they can commute, rather than move away.
Two students have spoken about the impact cost of living pressures are having and both highlighted that they are self-sufficient and cannot rely on family for financial support – making studying a much more difficult path for them.
Leo Magid (21), a third-year Psychology student at Anglia Ruskin University, is working two jobs – totalling 34 hours a week – alongside full-time study just to afford basic living costs. One job is at a mini-market on weekday evenings and the other is at a restaurant/nightclub at weekends where he finishes at 3am.
Leo said: “I’m working 34 hours a week alongside studying and that’s just to survive. The maintenance loan doesn’t even cover my accommodation – and I get the maximum loan. I’ve lost weight because I’ve missed meals trying to balance work and study.
“I don’t get enough sleep, sometimes three hours a night, which makes studying much harder. I’m exhausted and sometimes it feels like I can’t keep up. When I do sit down and focus my brain feels tired, I’m reading for half an hour, 45 minutes and my brain just feels like it can’t do it – I’m falling asleep on my desk.
“I was certain I was not going to university. Coming from a place where I don’t have support, it’s a scary feeling for a teenager. My friends get to live a much more relaxed lifestyle, while others like me are working long hours just to get by. It creates completely different university experiences, and it can feel really isolating when you’re missing out socially too.”
Marcus Fraser, a 21-year-old student at the University of Glasgow, says financial stress shapes almost every aspect of university life.
Marcus said: “Food is probably my biggest challenge week to week. There are times I realise I haven’t eaten lunch and just wait until dinner because it’s cheaper. I know it’s not healthy, but there’s always financial anxiety in the back of my mind.
“Frozen or cheaper food options are usually less nutritionally dense, but they’re often all I can afford. Sometimes I’ll buy very calorie-dense food just because I know it will fill me up for longer, even though I know it’s not good for me nutritionally. I have lost weight, and I know I’m not the only student who’s experienced that since coming to university.
“I work 16 hours a week as a tour guide alongside studying, but even then it doesn’t always feel like a net gain because I’m still spending money on transport and food just to get to work.”
He added: “My social life looks very different to the student stereotype. I can’t afford to go out regularly, so I mostly stick to free activities. There’s definitely a gap between students who have financial support and those who have to be completely self-sufficient.
“I do think people are being costed out of university, and that it’s becoming more accessible to just students from wealthier backgrounds. If affordability doesn’t change, fewer people will see it as something they can realistically do.”
PfP Students supports students through practical, community-led initiatives that help ease everyday financial pressures. Across its halls, site teams provide free essentials such as fruit, tea, coffee and treats, helping to cut daily costs. PfP Students has also partnered with the charity Hey Girls to supply free, sustainable female hygiene products at multiple locations nationwide, with plans to expand next year. It also works across its sites to promote or provide access to discounts to help students reduce their everyday spending.
Many sites run donation and reuse schemes so students can pass on good-quality items. Other initiatives include shared textbook schemes, plus bedding packs and essential kits to reduce moving-in costs.
Now, through its Room to Belong campaign, PfP Students says experiences shared by students show the urgent need for stronger, more joined-up cost-of-living support, so that no student feels university is out of reach because of where they come from or the support they have.
Students behind the campaign stress that accommodation plays a vital role in helping students feel safe, settled, and part of a university community – but only if it is paired with adequate financial support.
Eamonn Tierney, Managing Director of PfP Students, said:
“Students are telling us loud and clear that this is no longer just about budgeting or cutting back – it’s about whether university is even a realistic option. When students are skipping meals and working unsustainable hours, their education and wellbeing inevitably suffer. It’s why at PfP Students we offer a range of support to help reduce any costs we can.
“Purpose-built student housing plays a vital role in helping students feel safe, settled, and part of a community. But without adequate maintenance or cost-of-living support alongside it, too many students are being pushed to breaking point or put off higher education altogether.
“If we want a higher education system that genuinely works for everyone, we need maintenance support that reflects real living costs and recognises the very different circumstances students come from. No student should feel they have to choose between paying rent and focusing on their studies – or decide that university simply isn’t for people like them.”
The second phase of Room to Belong calls on policymakers, institutions, and stakeholders to work together to strengthen maintenance support and ensure students can focus on learning, wellbeing, and belonging – rather than survival. Read more on PfP Students’ website.
