The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Students of which I am Chair has today published the report following the inquiry we launched in January into the impact that the cost-of-living crisis is having on students.  

It builds on previous reports from the Office for Students, the Institute for Fiscal Studies, the Office for National Statistics, and the Sutton Trust – and follows extensive consultation with students, students’ unions, and the higher education sector. 

The report outlines some of the consequences of the cost-of-living crisis on students, exacerbated by longer-term funding issues, including the disproportionate impact on marginalised groups, increased student drop-out rates (in particular on post-graduate study), the rise in students working excessive hours in paid employment alongside full-time study, and consequences for the wider student experience and graduate employment. 

We have included key recommendations for the Government and higher education sector, including immediate additional hardship support, increasing student maintenance loans and re-introducing maintenance grants, as well as raising the household income threshold for those who receive maximum loan entitlement. 

Read the report here.