New research, published today by the Sutton Trust, reveals a majority of students are now spending less than the minimum needed on food while at university.

Polling by Savanta for the Trust shows that 62% spend less than £37 a week on food, which is the minimum needed for a single person to buy essential food items, according to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and the Trussell Trust. Overall, students living at university in England outside of London have median costs of £11,400 a year on essential spending. These essential costs include accommodation (on average 52% of their spending), groceries (12%), and bills (6%). However, the median total loan in England outside of London of £7,000, equivalent to 61% of spend, does not come near to covering these basic needs.

Overall, students living at university in England outside of London have median costs of £11,400 a year on essential spending. These essential costs include accommodation (on average 52% of their spending), groceries (12%), and bills (6%). However, the median total loan in England outside of London of £7,000, equivalent to 61% of spend, does not come near to covering these basic needs. And although the median loan in London is higher at £8,500, this is drastically less than the median spending of £17,287 by students in the capital.

These findings build on previous Sutton Trust/Savanta research which found that 63% of students had reported spending less on food and essentials to cope with increases in the cost of living, with 28% saying they had skipped meals to save on food costs.*

To make ends meet, two thirds of students reported taking on paid work, with 20% working 16-30 hours per week. 49% have missed classes as a result, and 23% reported that they had missed a deadline or asked for an extension in order to work.**

Today’s Sutton Trust research has also found stark class differences in the ability of students in England to cover their basic living needs. The median spending on essentials by students from working-class backgrounds (C2DE) is approximately 21% less than those from middle-class families (ABC1).

As well as spending less, the make-up of working-class students’ spending is also very different to that of better-off students. 66% of working-class students’ essential spending goes on rent and bills, compared to 54% for their more affluent peers. As a result, those from lower socio-economic backgrounds are spending less on groceries, at £120 a month, compared to £140 a month spent by their better off peers.

Students at England’s universities are not eligible for maintenance grants, which do not need to be repaid and are only available to those studying in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The overall package of support available for students living in Wales is significantly higher than elsewhere, at up to £11,720 in a combination of loans and grants.

The maintenance package in England is now at its lowest value in real terms for seven years, as maximum loan amounts have not kept pace with inflation. Furthermore, fewer students are eligible for maximum loans as the parental earnings threshold has also been frozen since 2008. To secure the maximum loan, a student’s household must earn under £25,000 per year, which captures far fewer households than it did 15 years ago.

The Sutton Trust is calling for overall maintenance levels to be increased, to better reflect the true cost of living for students. The Trust is also calling for maintenance grants to be reintroduced in England, so students from lower-income households are better able to meet their basic needs without being left with the highest levels of debt when they leave university.

Sir Peter Lampl, Founder of the Sutton Trust and Founder of the Education Endowment Foundation, said:

“It’s a disgrace that student maintenance support has fallen so far behind rising living costs. No student should be forced to cut back on food. Although it’s fair to expect students to undertake some part-time work, many are having to take on 16-30 hours of paid work to make ends meet.

“Youngsters in England are getting a particularly raw deal compared to those studying elsewhere in the UK where they receive maintenance grants. It’s essential that maintenance grants should be re-introduced in England so that students can meet their basic needs without graduating with excessive debt.”

Notes to Editors:

  • The Sutton Trust champions social mobility from birth to the workplace so that all young people have the chance to succeed in life. It does this through evidence-led programmes, agenda setting research and policy influence.
  • Savanta surveyed 2,104 current undergraduate students via their student omnibus, with polling taking place between 31st October – 13 November 2023. The student omnibus is weighted to be representative by Gender, Course Year and University Group (Russell Group, Post 1992 and Pre 1992 + Specialist institutions). The survey examined how much students are actually spending, and how this compares to maintenance loans that are available. Students were asked about their monthly spending across several categories categorised as “essential” (rent/mortgage payments, bills, groceries, health spending, clothing, entertainment at home – e.g. television license fee – and transport) which were extrapolated to 9 months of the academic year, and added to yearly spending on costs related to their course (e.g. equipment such as a laptop) and any costs related to their participation in student societies.
  • Unless otherwise stated, figures exclude students who currently live at home and those with dependents. Figures for London and outside London are presented separately.
  • *The Sutton Trust’s previous research on the cost of living is available here.
  • **The Sutton Trust’s previous polling on the cost of living and working hours is available here.

Maintenance support in each UK nation:

England

Household income Loan Grant Total support available
£25,000 (or less) £9,987 £0 £9,987
£30,000 £9,265 £0 £9,265
£35,000 £8,552 £0 £8,552
£40,000 £7,839 £0 £7,839
£45,000 £7,125 £0 £7,125
£50,000 £6,412 £0 £6,412
£60,000 £5,986 £0 £5,986
£62,343 (or more) £4,651 £0 £4,651


Wales

Household income Loan Grant Total support available
£18,370 (or less) £3,620 £8,100 £11,720
£25,000 £4,773 £6,947 £11,720
£35,000 £6,512 £5,208 £11,720
£45,000 £8,251 £3,469 £11,720
£59,200 (or more) £10,720 £1,000 £11,720


Scotland

Household income Loan Grant Total support available
£20,999 (or less) £7,000 £2,000 £9,000
£23,999 £7,000 £1,125 £8,125
£33,999 £7,000 £500 £7,500
£34,000 £6,000 £0 £6,000


Northern Ireland

Household income Loan Grant Total support available
£19,203 (or less) £4,661 £3,475 £10,251
£25,000 £5,131 £2,201 £7,332
£30,000 £5,561 £1,215 £6,776
£35,000 £6,087 £689 £6,776
£41,540 £6,776 £0 £6,776

 

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation and Trussell Trust’s research on essential spending and the cost of living can be found here.

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