With Survation, the National Union of Students has looked at the economic impact of sending a child to university. The findings are stark. 86% of parents contribute to their child’s living costs whilst at uni. Most parents are paying over £200 a month, and almost 1 in 10 parents are paying over £1000 a month. This is for student survival; funding rent, groceries and essentials.
Successive governments have allowed the system designed to support students through higher education to fail families. Parental income thresholds, which determine the amount of loan a student receives, have been frozen since 2008. The burden on parents has been gradually allowed to increase over 18 years. This adds extra strain to families who are already struggling with the cost-of-living crisis.