More than two in three university students in paid jobs while studying
More than two in three full-time university students are now undertaking paid work during term time, a survey suggests.
University undergraduates are spending less time on independent study as more take on jobs, according to the Higher Education Policy Institute (Hepi) think tank and Advance HE report.
A survey of 10,232 full-time undergraduates in the UK found that 68% had paid work while they were studying, up from 56% in 2024.
The number of students working in term time has nearly doubled in a decade, with only 35% in paid employment in term time in 2015.
The Student Academic Experience Survey 2025, carried out between January and March, suggests time spent on independent study has fallen significantly, from 13.6 hours per week in 2024 to 11.6 hours this year.
Experts have suggested that cost-of-living pressures are affecting the student experience, and they say universities should consider how they can support students who are balancing multiple commitments.
Students now spend an average of 39.8 hours per week in paid work and study, which is a slight fall from 41.7 hours per week in 2024, the survey found.
But the report said the figures imply that 'something had to give' and the hours spent in employment have 'partly come at the expense of independent study time' which has declined significantly in the past year.
The proportion of undergraduate students reporting that their course is good or very good value for money has dropped from 39% in 2024 to 37% this year.
The report said: 'Students have faced some particular and ongoing challenges around the cost of living and needing to work for pay while at university, which has in turn put greater pressure on how the overall experience has been perceived in terms of value.'
The findings come as university leaders have been warning of significant financial concerns caused by a drop in the number of international students, as well as frozen tuition fees paid by domestic students.
A number of institutions across the UK have announced redundancies and course closures over the past year as a result of growing financial pressures.
Nick Hillman, director of Hepi, said: 'Given the severe funding challenges, many students are struggling to pay their bills and institutions are often struggling to provide their students with what they expect, though both students and staff have also displayed considerable resilience in the face of adversity.
'The fact that a large majority of students now undertake paid work during term time, and often at a high number of hours each week, suggests the student experience is completely different to the norm when today's policymakers were in higher education.'
More than one in 10 (11%) students said they would not enter higher education if they could decide again, compared with 6% last year.
But the survey also found that 26% of students said they felt their experience had exceeded their expectations, which is an increase from 22% in 2024.
Alison Johns, chief executive of Advance HE, said: 'While the higher education sector faces significant financial challenges, it's encouraging to see evidence of resilience in the student experience.
'The quality of teaching and assessment feedback remains strong, and more students are having their expectations exceeded than ever before.
'However, the striking increase in students undertaking paid work alongside their studies signals a fundamental shift – and institutions will be thinking carefully about how they accommodate this change.
'We need to consider how teaching, learning and support can evolve to better serve students who are balancing multiple commitments while maintaining academic quality.'
The Government announced in November that undergraduate tuition fees in England, which have been frozen at £9,250 since 2017, will rise to £9,535 for the 2025-26 academic year.
It also announced that maintenance loans will increase in line with inflation in the 2025-26 academic year to help students with their living costs.
A spokesperson for Universities UK (UUK) said: 'These survey results demonstrate that universities continue to deliver high quality teaching, despite immense financial pressures.
'There has been a significant increase in students who feel their experience has exceeded their expectations, and high levels of satisfaction with the quality of teaching and assessment feedback.
'However, the cost-of-living crisis is hitting students hard, with increasing numbers taking up part-time work alongside study, creating less opportunity to engage with the wider student experience.
'Universities have stepped up their support by providing additional targeted hardship funding, digital technology so they can continue to learn flexibly, increased wellbeing and mental health support, access to discounted meals and other helpful initiatives.
'But to ensure that all students who want to are able to access and make the most of their time at university, we need the Government to do its bit to protect the student experience by urgently addressing the insufficient maintenance package.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
2 hours ago
- BBC News
Cheltenham in takeover talks with ex-Burnley chairman
Former Burnley chairman Mike Garlick has entered into a period of exclusivity with Cheltenham Town over a potential takeover of the League Two Robins announced in October last year that they were looking for "substantial" investment., externalGarlick left the Burnley board in 2023 after 17 years at Turf Moor, including eight as club chairman during which time the Clarets twice won promotion to the Premier 61-year-old also owns Gibraltar top-flight club St Joseph's and third tier Spanish side FC finished 15th in the fourth tier last season. In a statement on the club website,, external Cheltenham said their principal shareholders had "signed a letter of intent including a period of exclusivity" with Garlick."The board and principal shareholders have worked tirelessly over the last nine months to find the right investor who can secure the financial future of the club whilst at the same recognising and maintaining its identity and community values," said chairman David Bloxham."We are delighted to enter into a period of exclusivity with Mike Garlick and believe his interest in the club will herald an exciting future for the club and its fans."In October, Bloxham said three of the club's four biggest shareholders were willing to sell their stakes if the "right" new investment was found.
The Sun
2 hours ago
- The Sun
Exact date 6.7million households on Universal Credit to get inflation-busting payment boost
MILLIONS of households on Universal Credit will receive a bumper pay rise within months. Almost seven million households claiming the benefit will see their standard allowance rise by more than inflation from April 2026. 1 This change will become law, pending Parliamentary approval of the DWP's Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill, which was introduced earlier this week. This means 6.7 million households could receive around £750 more per year in cash by 2030. The standard allowance is the basic payment for households on Universal Credit. Currently, single people under 25 receive £316.98 a month and couples under 25 get £497.55 a month. Meanwhile, single people over 25 get £400.14 a month and couples aged 25 or older receive £628.10 a month. Normally, benefit payments go up each spring to help people keep pace with the rising cost of living, like food, fuel, and household bills. These increases typically match the consumer price index of inflation from the previous September. But, the government has claimed that the four-year benefit freeze from 2015 to 2019 has caused millions of payments to fall behind rising inflation. As a result, from April 2026, the government wants to hike the standard allowance by more than inflation over the next four years. This means that by 2030, the amount a claimant receives will be almost 5% higher than if it had only risen to match inflation. Rachel Reeves delivers the Spring Budget in full The increases will be worked out by adding the inflation rate from the previous September, plus an extra fixed boost. These extra percentages will be set at: 2.3% for 2026-27 3.1% for 2027-28 4.0% for 2028-29 4.8% for 2029-30 The government wants to help more people return to work and rely less on incapacity benefits, which face huge cuts. To save £5billion a year by 2030, it plans to make PIP assessments stricter and freeze the extra health payments in Universal Credit for those unable to work. The government believes that raising the standard allowance for everyone while reducing the health top-up will make returning to work more financially worthwhile and possible. What is the Universal Credit standard allowance? UNIVERSAL Credit is a welfare scheme which was designed to combine several of the old "legacy benefits The standard allowance is the basic monthly payment provided to individuals or families who qualify. The amount you receive depends on your age and whether you're single or in a couple: Single, under 25: £316.98 Single, 25 or over: £400.14 Couple, both under 25: £497.55 Couple, one or both 25 or over: £628.09 You may also be eligible for additional amounts if you have children, have a disability or health condition, or need help with housing costs. Meanwhile, around 400,000 households receiving income-related employment and support allowance (ESA) are being urged to make the move to Universal Credit. The government is progressing with its plans to transfer all legacy benefit claimants onto Universal Credit, through a process referred to as "managed migration." The managed migration process officially began back in July 2022 after a successful pilot in July 2019. Since then, households receiving one of five legacy benefits, have been receiving postal notifications outlining the steps required to transition to Universal Credit. Upon receiving a migration letter, claimants are given up to three months to make the switch. Failure to act within this timeframe could result in the loss of existing benefits. The latest data from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) shows that 381,440 individuals lost their benefits after failing to act within this time frame. Initially, the government planned to transfer all ESA claimants to Universal Credit by the end of 2028. However, this deadline was brought forward to March 2026. How can I get help claiming Universal Credit? As well as benefit calculators, anyone moving from ESA to Universal Credit can find help in a number of ways. You can visit your local Jobcentre by searching at There's also a free service called Help to Claim from Citizen's Advice: England: 0800 144 8 444 Scotland: 0800 023 2581 Wales: 08000 241 220 You can also get help online from advisers at Will I be better off on Universal Credit? ANALYSIS by James Flanders, The Sun's Chief Consumer Reporter: Around 1.4million people on legacy benefits will be better off after switching to Universal Credit, according to the government. A further 300,000 would see no change in payments, while around 900,000 would be worse off under Universal Credit. Of these, around 600,000 can get top-up payments (transitional protection) if they move under the managed migration process, so they don't lose out on cash immediately. The majority of those - around 400,000 - are claiming employment support allowance (ESA). Around 100,000 are on tax credits, while fewer than 50,000 each on other legacy benefits are expected to be affected. Those who move voluntarily and are worse off won't get these top-up payments and could lose cash. Those who miss the managed migration deadline and later make a claim may not get transitional protection. The clock starts ticking on the three-month countdown from the date of the first letter, and reminders are sent via post and text message. There is a one-month grace period after this, during which any claim to Universal Credit is backdated, and transitional protection can still be awarded. Examples of those who may be entitled to less on Universal Credit include: Households getting ESA and the severe disability premium and enhanced disability premium Households with the lower disabled child addition on legacy benefits Self-employed households who are subject to the Minimum Income Floor after the 12-month grace period has ended In-work households that worked a specific number of hours (e.g. lone parent working 16 hours claiming working tax credits Households receiving tax credits with savings of more than £6,000 (and up to £16,000) Either way, if these households don't switch in the future, they risk missing out on any future benefit increase and seeing payments frozen.
BBC News
2 hours ago
- BBC News
Hartlepool and Peterlee hit by power blackout
More than 55,000 customers were left without electricity after a power cut in north-east Powergrid said areas affected included Hartlepool on Teesside and Peterlee in east Durham when the blackout hit just after 21:00 BST on company said 40,000 households and businesses had supplies restored within three it confirmed that 27 customers were still without electricity and it was "actively working in the area to fully resolve the issue as quickly as possible". Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
