Read: Students are the often unseen victims of the cost of living crisis

Food, heating, hot water, decent housing - basic needs that are now at risk as the cost of living crisis undermines the things many of us took for granted. Students are probably some of its least visible casualties.  But out of reach of most of the government help to alleviate its pressures - generally targeted at those on means-tested benefits, pensioners and families - they are undoubtedly hurting.

Figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) published just before Christmas highlighted how much students feel impacted by the crisis. Ninety one per cent were worried about the rising cost of living, with 49% saying they were very worried. More than three quarters were concerned it would affect how well they do in their studies and 45% reported that their mental health and wellbeing had worsened since the start of the 2022 autumn term. Twenty five per cent had taken on new debt and 29% had stopped going to mandatory lectures and tutorials to save on travel costs. As a result, they’re working more hours in employment and spending less time going out with friends. 

It’s a situation which will undoubtedly hit disadvantaged students the hardest. Usually the first in their families to go to university, they will also be at the highest risk of dropping out. Research just carried out by the Sutton Trust has found that a quarter of the 1000 students interviewed said they were less likely to be able to complete their degree and over a quarter said they were skipping meals to cut down on food costs.

The challenges they face come on top of their experiences of the pandemic, with repeated lockdowns affecting their schooling, social interactions and mental health. This crisis sees them having to deal with life away from home in a challenging rental market, although it’s also important to acknowledge that not all students are 18 and supported by their parents. Many mature students have dependent family or caring responsibilities and there are also estranged students who have no family support.

As institutions, universities learned a lot from the pandemic about how best to support their students, their staff and their communities. Adaptation to remote teaching and learning, support for those students and staff who felt isolated, practical help for the fight against Covid in the form of PPE equipment as well as research into the virus meant they played a vital role in forging a way forward. This same sense of purpose has been evident over the last few months as the impact of the rising cost of living has become clearer. Those universities who are part of the Purpose Universities Coalition have recognised how important it is to support the most vulnerable in the short term if they are to deliver effective change in the medium and long term.

Nearly all universities have seen significant increases in requests for financial assistance. Cardiff Met University and Staffordshire University, for example, have set aside £500,000 to help students, with the former also awarding staff a one-off payment of £750. The University of Wales Trinity St David has launched an increased £1.7m bursary scheme. Greenwich has doubled the total funds available in its Hardship Funds for students who encounter sudden financial difficulties. It also offers a range of bursaries to help support students with accommodation costs, commuter and travel costs, digital access and energy bill costs. Many have frozen university accommodation rent. They all recognise that the availability of financial advice and guidance is more important than ever and many have set up direct helplines or money management workshops to help with finance, budgeting and applying for bursaries or external funding.

Collaboration has proved vital in delivering effective support to as many students as possible and universities are working closely with their student unions. Many have initiated schemes where students can access items of food and hygiene products on a regular basis, taking away some of the daily anxiety that affects those who are struggling to afford them. The University of Bradford runs a Food Pantry offering five items each week and York St John’s Food Larder has built on an existing scheme which offers food, supermarket gift cards, toiletries, household products and stationery free of charge. Both have helped hundreds of people already this year. 

There are schemes which offer free hot drinks and toast or set, low-price meals plus access to microwaves. Access to warm spaces, support for those experiencing digital poverty including laptop recycling schemes, subsidised cycle hire or bike loan schemes, free showers, access to sporting facilities and book exchanges are just some of the innovative ways that universities are providing further, practical support. The University of West of England runs a Placement Uniform Swap Shop for healthcare students who find it difficult to afford this essential. There is a real ambition to understand where students are experiencing particular hardship and to develop practical solutions that will provide tangible results.

Some universities have held multi-faceted events to offer help and to encourage communication, underlining their role as anchor institutions. The University of Northampton held a Cost of Living Fair on site, hosted by its Financial Guidance and Residential Life teams in collaboration with its own Cost of Living Taskforce. A huge number of organisations attended, giving advice on money management, budgeting, careers and wellbeing. Solent University held a Cost of Living Summit, hosted by Southampton City Council and Love Southampton, which gave people the opportunity to network with a range of public, private and voluntary sector organisations, residents, faith groups, and advice providers, to discuss practical ways to support the local communities who are most in need.

The need to work part-time, and work more hours than previously, has grown over the last few months so the importance of schemes like that of the University of Greenwich’s Student Ambassador Scheme and Job Shop which helps to find students part-time work is greater than ever. Universities work hard to ensure that students can access paid internships and other paid placement opportunities. And on completion of their degree, it is vital that they can connect with employers to ensure that they can find jobs which are right for their skills, at organisations that align with  their values.

The focus of those universities in the Purpose Universities Coalition has always been on spreading equality of opportunity. They recognise that the current crisis has the potential to derail efforts to improve social mobility and are taking steps to support their students, especially those from underrepresented communities whose life chances can be transformed by the opportunities that university offers. Many are part of the Purpose Coalition’s Cost of Living Taskforce, joining with business leaders and those from other public sector organisations to exchange ideas, share best practice and develop workable solutions to address the huge challenges that many are facing. Against the backdrop of maintenance fees which have not kept pace with inflation and accumulating student debt post-graduation, their advocacy and innovation will be crucial in the coming months.