Cost of living crisis sees 300,000 students facing hardship

↑ The soaring cost of living will be felt harshly by 300,000 students across the UK

Almost 300,000 students will be gravely affected by the costof-living crisis if financial supp or t is not intro duced, new analysis has warned.

A report by Millionplus, the association for modern universities in the UK, said a student recruitment and retention crisis could be created if the challenges facing students are not addressed.

In its report, Learning With The Lights Off: Students And T h e C o s t - O f - L i v i n g C r i s i s , the organisation welcomed a raft of measures from institutions to mitigate the financial strain facing the UK’S poorest students.

However, fur ther key reco m m e n d a t i o n s h ave b e e n proposed for the UK government, plus the Office for Students and the Student Awards

Agency Scotland (SAAS).

It recommends immediate increases to student maintenance grants, hardship funds and b etter inclusion of stu - dents in wider cost- of-living support measures announced in September.

Professor R ama Thirunamachandran, vice-chancellor of Canterbur y Christ Church Universit y and chair of Millionplus, said: “While the costof-living crisis will affect students from all backgrounds, it is clear from this analysis that it will have the greatest impact on those students who were already facing significant cost pressures.

“Mi l l i o n P l u s u n i ve r s i t i e s u n d e r s t a n d t h e s e wo r r i e s , having been at the forefront of the widening participation agenda over the last two decades.

“I am proud that this report outlines the innovative and direct measures they are taking to support at this challenging time. However, this risk can’t be aver ted by universities alone.”

T h e o rg a n i s a t i o n s wi l l b e holding a fringe event at the SNP conference today, where h i g h e r e d u c a t i o n mi n i s t e r Jamie Hepburn will take part in a panel discussion.

Mr Hepburn described the report as “extremely concerni n g ” wh i c h “r e i n f o r c e s t h e urgent need for the UK government to properly address the cost-of-living crisis”.

He said: “Most of the key policy levers needed to address the crisis still lie with the UK g o ve r n m e n t s o we c o n t i n - ue to urge them to use all the levers at their disposal to tackle this emergency on the scale required to meet the needs of people.”