Being a student in 2026 is not for the weak. Everyone in Britain is facing financial pressures with the cost-of-living crisis but the situation for many students is especially harsh. This undergraduate is calling for greater support for young people and students, at the earliest possible opportunity.
For a generation who are supposed to be the future, it often doesn’t feel like we have one. Endless warmongering, societal inequalities and economic uncertainties are hardly stable ground for a fresh wave of adults who want to contribute to a ‘functioning’ society. We are underprepared, and here’s why.
Student Finance England is relied on by over 1 million students every year. It grants loans to pay for (ever-increasing) tuition fees and maintenance to live on during three or more years of higher education. However, it has become abundantly clear that the system does not adequately support undergraduate students under the current economic climate.
The process, as many of you may be familiar with, involves providing information on your financial position, including your household income, for example any support from your parents. Despite being a good starting point for a fair distribution of funds to students, this fails to take into consideration household outgoings, such as mortgage payments, and other costly monthly bills. The system in its current form effectively requires parents to make up the remaining costs of their children’s rent, food etc.
This leaves many students worrying about their financial situation whilst studying, leading many of them to the same conclusion that part-time employment is the only way to make ends meet.
Taking a job might help, if there were any
Holding down a job would be no problem at all. In fact, it is without a doubt beneficial for gaining valuable experience at our age. Meeting and working with new and different people of all backgrounds, whilst earning money to be able to spend on ourselves and with our friends, is also valuable. And it can bring economic benefits for local communities.
The drawback? There are no jobs.
With limited employment prospects across university towns and cities, how are students expected to accumulate enough funds to support themselves? They are left with nothing but anxiety and added (unneeded and avoidable) stress on top of their already challenging course work.
For those lucky enough to secure employment, they have an unpleasant dilemma. They have to choose between: much needed socialising; studying to make massive loan debts worthwhile; achieving a decent degree, and; working hard to pay the exact same bills that salaried full-time working adults pay, too.
It simply isn’t fair.
Generational inequality
We choose to go to university to advance our education and post-graduate employment prospects. We want to socialise and create lasting memories with all kinds of people of different upbringings. We want to take that first step into adulthood, with less reliance on our parents and wider families.
Finding ourselves relying on already struggling parents only deepens the economic rift between generations in this country, something that I believe will backfire on the governments which choose to neglect the new generations coming through. Forcing us into early debts as young as 18 is unsustainable, combined with pitiful job prospects for graduates. It simply cannot continue.
It ought to be a priority of any sensible government to make sure that Britain’s future generations are supported properly, so that they will later be able to contribute to our country. This is necessary to sustain growth as well as to be able to create a better Britain than the one we find ourselves in post-Brexit.
Voices of students and the young need to be treated with greater respect
There are a number of issues that need to be urgently addressed. First and foremost, the student loan background checks need to be made fairer, to incorporate the outgoing costs of households, not just incomings. It would reduce the stress and worry around how to pay for food shopping and monthly rent. A more accurate system would mean that students are fairly supported, and able to focus on priorities that should be given their full attention i.e. their degrees.
Secondly, and for the greater benefit of the entire population, we need employment opportunities. From small part-time jobs in retail and hospitality to post-graduate full-time jobs in finance and the legal sector. Every little step would help students and young people, and others, in achieving some financial stability.
Thirdly, ensuring that universities are funded adequately could be a major step in reducing costs for students. As we know a lot of universities in the UK are struggling financially, which is the reason for increases in tuition fees, which have a direct impact on us. If we were to relax rules for international students for example, fees for domestic students at least might begin to drop.
Finally, within British politics and parliament, attitudes need to be changed. The words ‘student’ and ‘young’ need to be treated with greater respect and urgency. Our issues matter. A serious forum for young people that has direct policy input on issues that effect and matter to us would create improvements to our lives, as well as contributing to a stronger democracy.
If our issues were to be taken seriously, perhaps it would signal the beginning of a new era for a fairer Britain.
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