Student hardship fund applications higher than pre-Covid levels

Student hardship fund applications in the UK have yet to return to pre-pandemic levels, research reveals. 

The findings from Generation Rent used Freedom of Information requests across 27 UK universities. 

It found there were 38,484 hardship fund applications at the universities who responded in the year 2022/23. 

That compares with 2019/20’s figure of 28,517 applications – so is 82% higher than pre-Covid levels. 

'Students are still struggling to make ends' 

Generation Rent's chief executive, Ben Twomey, said: "It is extremely concerning to see that students are still struggling to make ends meet four years after the height of the pandemic – and it is Black, Asian and mixed-race students who are struggling the most. 

"Students are facing high accommodation costs and an ongoing cost-of-living crisis – yet they do not have access to benefits, especially Universal Credit, which others are able to rely on." 

He added: "Students must not be excluded from funding and support – and Black, Asian and mixed-race students, who are experiencing the worst of these issues, cannot be abandoned, especially just when they are starting out their lives as independent adults." 

Students applied to the hardship fund 

According to data from six universities that gave ethnicity breakdowns, 4% of Black, Asian and mixed-race students applied to the hardship fund between 2019/20 and 2022/23. 

That is more than twice the rate for white students (1.8%). 

In four years (19/20 to 22/23), these students accounted for 45% of hardship applications, despite making up 27% of all students at the six universities analysed. 

White students make up 69% of all students according to the same data. 

In those four years, there were 6,486 hardship fund applications from Black, Asian and mixed-race students, and 7,258 from white students. 

Affordable on-campus accommodation 

The hardship findings come after Generation Rent revealed in August that universities in the UK have just half of the affordable on-campus accommodation that’s needed for students. 

The survey analysed 49,161 rooms to find a lack of affordable accommodation for students, especially those in their first year of university. 

Of the nine universities studied, just one in six on-campus university rooms in the UK are affordable for students. 

'Implications for student landlords' 

The managing director of Accommodation for Students, Simon Thompson, said: "The ongoing financial struggles faced by students have significant implications for student landlords.  

"There's no doubt that the increasing number of students relying on hardship funds is a clear indication of the financial challenges they are facing." 

He adds: "Landlords need to be aware of these trends and be prepared to adapt their offerings to meet the changing needs of students.  

"By providing affordable and supportive accommodation, landlords can play a crucial role in helping students succeed in their studies."