FINDINGS from a recent report highlighting the increasing financial pressure facing students and their families has been welcomed by the University of Reading.
The Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI)’s How to Beat a Cost-of-Learning Crisis: Universities’ Support for Students shows how UK universities have responded to the effects of the cost-of-living crisis on students.
Leading personnel at Reading have assured students that help is available to them, and have also called on the government to reconsider ways to prevent the real value of loans from decreasing.
The report showed that a quarter of universities have a food bank, and 10% distribute food vouchers for students in need. Both measures have been adopted at Reading.
Professor Elizabeth McCrum, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Education and student experience at the University of Reading, is co-chair of Reading’s Cost of Living Taskforce. She said: “This week, thousands of university students are starting a new academic year, and will be thinking about making ends meet for essentials like housing, food and travel.
“This can seem increasingly difficult and it is vital that all students know that help is available. In our experience, financial concerns are one of the biggest drivers of stress and anxiety, which is exacerbating mental health issues for some students. We can’t solve one problem without the other.
“This new report highlights a range of important recommendations. Many initiatives are already in place at Reading, thanks to the work of students, University colleagues, and generous volunteers and donors, to help keep costs down for all students, and provide extra support for those who need it. The government should look again at student loan support in England to prevent this problem from getting worse.”
HEPI has made a number of recommendations to UK universities, students’ unions and the government, including calling for an increase in the student maintenance loan to keep pace with actual price rises.
Currently, increases are based on two-year forecasts of inflation, which have underestimated the true value of rising prices.
In 2022/23, 192 students were given food from Reading’s Essential Cupboard, 234 were given £50 supermarket vouchers to buy groceries, and 581 were given a share of support funds which equated to £566,440.
Commuter travel bursaries were awarded to 143 students while £21,600 was given to 54 people for digital equipment.
Sophie Jordan, education officer for Reading Students’ Union, said: “We welcome this report’s recommendations and agree that students’ unions need to keep up the pressure on universities and the government.
“Reading Students’ Union has already played a key role in leadership and practical action to support students facing financial hardship, and we will continue to do so.
“The UK government has a ‘triple lock’ to guarantee the value of pensions goes up each year, yet its system of student loans is working to make students poorer. And that’s before we’ve even started paying them back.”
Matt Daley, head of student financial support at the University of Reading, said: “Last year was really difficult for many students as living costs rose. Despite the mitigations the University and students’ union put in place, my team heard about some students living in cold conditions, visiting food banks and regularly skipping meals.
“Thanks in part to generous donors to the University Student Support Fund, we are able to help more students cope in these financially difficult times.”
