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| Student maintenance loans almost entirely used up by rent, report warns | Student maintenance loans almost entirely used up by rent, report warns |
| (4 months later) | |
| Students are increasingly taking on paid work to cope with the cost of living while at university | Students are increasingly taking on paid work to cope with the cost of living while at university |
| Students are increasingly taking on paid work to cope with the cost of living while at university | |
| Accommodation costs take up almost all the average maintenance loan received by university students in England, says student housing charity Unipol. | Accommodation costs take up almost all the average maintenance loan received by university students in England, says student housing charity Unipol. |
| Students are illegally doubling up in rooms and working, said Unipol, which researched the issue with the Higher Education Policy Institute (Hepi). | Students are illegally doubling up in rooms and working, said Unipol, which researched the issue with the Higher Education Policy Institute (Hepi). |
| In the last two years, average student rent has gone up by 14.6%, while maintenance loans have risen by 5.2%. | In the last two years, average student rent has gone up by 14.6%, while maintenance loans have risen by 5.2%. |
| The Department for Education said concerned students should ask for help. | The Department for Education said concerned students should ask for help. |
| In a statement, it told the BBC: "Our student finance system ensures that the highest levels of support are targeted at students from the lowest-income families. | In a statement, it told the BBC: "Our student finance system ensures that the highest levels of support are targeted at students from the lowest-income families. |
| "If students are worried about their circumstances, we urge them to speak to their university." | "If students are worried about their circumstances, we urge them to speak to their university." |
| 'The system is broken' | 'The system is broken' |
| Average annual rent for students in England is £7,566, while the average maintenance loan received by students is expected to be £7,590 for the current academic year - leaving £24 a year to cover other essentials. | Average annual rent for students in England is £7,566, while the average maintenance loan received by students is expected to be £7,590 for the current academic year - leaving £24 a year to cover other essentials. |
| Students can borrow up to £9,978 a year for living costs (£13,022 in London), but only people with household earnings under £25,000 are eligible for the maximum amount. | Students can borrow up to £9,978 a year for living costs (£13,022 in London), but only people with household earnings under £25,000 are eligible for the maximum amount. |
| "The student maintenance system is broken," said Martin Blakey, Unipol's chief executive . | "The student maintenance system is broken," said Martin Blakey, Unipol's chief executive . |
| "Students and parents need urgent and practical solutions to delivering affordable accommodation." | "Students and parents need urgent and practical solutions to delivering affordable accommodation." |
| Nick Hillman, director of Hepi said: "Compared to years gone by, we are now at a crisis point. | Nick Hillman, director of Hepi said: "Compared to years gone by, we are now at a crisis point. |
| "Across most of the UK, the official levels of maintenance support simply do not cover anything like most students' actual living costs." | "Across most of the UK, the official levels of maintenance support simply do not cover anything like most students' actual living costs." |
| 'I skip uni lectures to do paid work instead' | 'I skip uni lectures to do paid work instead' |
| 'I skip uni lectures to do paid work instead' | |
| 'I close the bar at 1am - and I'm studying by 9' | 'I close the bar at 1am - and I'm studying by 9' |
| 'I close the bar at 1am - and I'm studying by 9' | |
| Everything you need to know about student loans | Everything you need to know about student loans |
| Everything you need to know about student loans | |
| How much does university cost and does it boost earnings? | How much does university cost and does it boost earnings? |
| How much does university cost and does it boost earnings? | |
| Hepi and Unipol are calling for the student finance system to be reformed, rebranding the maintenance loan as a "contribution to living costs", and emphasising the importance of parental contributions. | Hepi and Unipol are calling for the student finance system to be reformed, rebranding the maintenance loan as a "contribution to living costs", and emphasising the importance of parental contributions. |
| The National Union of Students (NUS) has also argued for maintenance loans to be brought into line with inflation, as a recent survey found most full-time students are working part-time while studying. | The National Union of Students (NUS) has also argued for maintenance loans to be brought into line with inflation, as a recent survey found most full-time students are working part-time while studying. |
| "Poorer students are forced, in effect, to attend university part-time," said Chloe Field of NUS UK. "They must juggle their studies with paid work in order to simply eat and put a roof over their heads. | "Poorer students are forced, in effect, to attend university part-time," said Chloe Field of NUS UK. "They must juggle their studies with paid work in order to simply eat and put a roof over their heads. |
| "We are now at the point where accommodation costs are pricing students out of certain universities, which will have disastrous consequences for students from poorer backgrounds being able to access education." | "We are now at the point where accommodation costs are pricing students out of certain universities, which will have disastrous consequences for students from poorer backgrounds being able to access education." |
| The rise in student accommodation costs comes as rental prices more generally increase across the country. | The rise in student accommodation costs comes as rental prices more generally increase across the country. |
| Research in September found that the average cost of renting a home rose by 12% in the year to August - more than the increase between 2015 and 2019. | Research in September found that the average cost of renting a home rose by 12% in the year to August - more than the increase between 2015 and 2019. |
| 'I just have one meal on the weekend' | 'I just have one meal on the weekend' |
| Julia Żelazo is a first-year student at the University of Manchester studying English literature and Chinese. | Julia Żelazo is a first-year student at the University of Manchester studying English literature and Chinese. |
| She receives £8,000 a year in maintenance support, which covers her accommodation in full and leaves her with an extra £1,000 a year to live off. | She receives £8,000 a year in maintenance support, which covers her accommodation in full and leaves her with an extra £1,000 a year to live off. |
| Julia says there is an "unacknowledged divide" between students with and without financial security | Julia says there is an "unacknowledged divide" between students with and without financial security |
| Julia says there is an "unacknowledged divide" between students with and without financial security | |
| "There's this expectation that university will be the greatest years of your life. | "There's this expectation that university will be the greatest years of your life. |
| "And then me and my friends just send each other pictures being like 'having sardines on toast today because they were 30p in Lidl!'." | "And then me and my friends just send each other pictures being like 'having sardines on toast today because they were 30p in Lidl!'." |
| Julia says she is not eligible for extra support because her household income is over £25,000, but is not receiving any extra money from her family either. | Julia says she is not eligible for extra support because her household income is over £25,000, but is not receiving any extra money from her family either. |
| "It just makes you feel like you're living on the poverty line and you have no support to reach out to, because you don't qualify for anything," she says. | "It just makes you feel like you're living on the poverty line and you have no support to reach out to, because you don't qualify for anything," she says. |
| Julia is looking for a job she can do while balancing her studies, but has not found anything yet, so is relying on "really strict budgeting" to manage her costs. | Julia is looking for a job she can do while balancing her studies, but has not found anything yet, so is relying on "really strict budgeting" to manage her costs. |
| "I can't lie, I usually have just one meal on the weekend," she says, "and whenever we hear there's an opportunity to get free food or free stuff, we run." | "I can't lie, I usually have just one meal on the weekend," she says, "and whenever we hear there's an opportunity to get free food or free stuff, we run." |
| Student union warns of Rental Reform bill 'chaos' | Student union warns of Rental Reform bill 'chaos' |
| Student union warns of Rental Reform bill 'chaos' | |
| Charities urge PM to speed up Renters Reform Bill | Charities urge PM to speed up Renters Reform Bill |
| Charities urge PM to speed up Renters Reform Bill | |
| To her, there is an emerging and "unacknowledged divide" between students who are living comfortably and those who are struggling. | To her, there is an emerging and "unacknowledged divide" between students who are living comfortably and those who are struggling. |
| "Whenever I hang out with my flatmates there is this sense that some of them are able to go out and do things the rest of us just cannot," she explains. | "Whenever I hang out with my flatmates there is this sense that some of them are able to go out and do things the rest of us just cannot," she explains. |
| This also extends to academic resources, as Julia cannot afford to buy her own copies of her course's required reading. | This also extends to academic resources, as Julia cannot afford to buy her own copies of her course's required reading. |
| "I can't even annotate my textbooks because they're not technically mine… it's just so clear who has the funds, whose parents can buy them textbooks or pay for trips." | "I can't even annotate my textbooks because they're not technically mine… it's just so clear who has the funds, whose parents can buy them textbooks or pay for trips." |
| 'We just have the basic quality of life' | 'We just have the basic quality of life' |
| Kayleigh Atkins is a mature student at the University of Sunderland in her final year studying criminology. | Kayleigh Atkins is a mature student at the University of Sunderland in her final year studying criminology. |
| The mother-of-three receives roughly £7,500 a year in maintenance loan, because her husband's salary reduces how much she can have. | The mother-of-three receives roughly £7,500 a year in maintenance loan, because her husband's salary reduces how much she can have. |
| Although she knew going to university would "be tricky financially", the reality has proved to be harder than expected. | Although she knew going to university would "be tricky financially", the reality has proved to be harder than expected. |
| "We've missed rent payments, because that's our biggest outgoing and the rent's actually gone up £140 a month in the last year," Kayleigh says. "We just have the basic quality of life. It's just constant anxiety, constant worrying." | "We've missed rent payments, because that's our biggest outgoing and the rent's actually gone up £140 a month in the last year," Kayleigh says. "We just have the basic quality of life. It's just constant anxiety, constant worrying." |
| But Kayleigh does not regret going to university, despite the financial strain. | But Kayleigh does not regret going to university, despite the financial strain. |
| "I absolutely love what I do… When I study, that's when I'm at my calmest," she says. | "I absolutely love what I do… When I study, that's when I'm at my calmest," she says. |
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| Related Topics | Related Topics |
| Universities | Universities |
| Renting | Renting |
| England | England |
| Cost of Living | Cost of Living |
| Students | Students |
| Higher education | Higher education |