Rising living costs push nine in ten university students into term-time work

By ELEANOR HARDING, EDUCATION EDITOR Published: 00:01, 22 June 2026 | Updated: 00:01, 22 June 2026 Rising living costs are pushing almost nine in ten university students to plan for term-time work, according to a new survey. Polling from the Higher Education Policy Institute (Hepi) suggests 87 per cent of degree applicants expect to work during term time. This includes 32 per cent who said they would be working more than 16 hours a week. Researchers said it showed paid work is 'increasingly seen as a normal part of university life' amid rising accommodation and food costs. The survey also found 32 per cent did not feel they had enough money to cover their costs at university. When asked what their biggest financial concern was, 42 per cent cited the cost of living, while 24 per cent said tuition fees. The poll, which was conducted in partnership with accommodation provider Unite Students, comes at a time when the cost of a degree is increasingly in the spotlight. Annual tuition fees for next year will be £9,790 – up from £9,535. Rising living costs are pushing almost nine in ten university students to plan for term-time work, according to a new survey (file picture) Joe Lister, Unite Students chief executive, said: 'It's encouraging to see this year's applicants making clear, pragmatic decisions about university life – balancing study with part-time work – reflecting the reality that maintenance support has not kept pace with the rising living costs.' The poll, by Savanta, involved a sample of 2,200 nationally-representative university applicants planning to start a full-time degree or degree apprenticeship in the 2026/27 academic year. It comes after Hepi's Student Academic Experience Survey found earlier this month that 65 per cent of current students undertake paid work. This is a rise from 56 per cent in 2024 and just 39 per cent in 2019. It is thought an increase in universities recruiting youngsters from disadvantaged backgrounds may have partly caused the shift. Previous studies have shown even the maximum maintenance loans – for those from the lowest income families – often do not cover the full cost of student life. Drama, Film and Television joint honours applicant, Henry, 18, from Sussex, told researchers: 'I plan to work part-time once I've settled in at university, most of my friends do too. 'Having a job will give me experience and help improve my quality of life, like going out socialising and buying things I need for my studies.' Elena, 20, a first-year Geography student at the University of Bristol, added: 'I work up to 17 hours a week during term time, which is manageable with my schedule. 'My job has given me purpose, helped me grow in confidence, and improved my communication skills.' It comes amid growing pressure on the Government to improve conditions on Plan 2 student loans – those taken out between 2012 and 2023. Graduates say interest is accruing faster than they are able to pay it off. In addition, the Student Loans Company (SLC) was yesterday accused of acting like a loan shark after charging graduates a penalty interest rate for failing to update personal details. More than 228,000 borrowers were charged a non-compliance interest rate (NCR) in 2025/26 financial year, including graduate who accrued £11,677.81 in penalty interest. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.