Do students think student finance is enough?

The number of students going to university has increased as young people realise that most employers like seeing university degrees on your CV more and more these days. With this, more and more young people are having to apply for student finance to help them get through university financially.

The amount students get for their fee loan rarely differs from the full £9250, but the maintenance loan seems to differ wildly between students. 

Why’s this? This is because the amount a student gets varies on their family’s income. Meaning if your parents have fairly good jobs, you won’t get much from Student Finance and if your parents are struggling the year you’re applying for student finance, then you are more likely to get the full £8886.

As it’s based on the students parents yearly income it means one year a student could be getting the full maintenance loan and then the next year only get half of what they got before because during the year one of their parent may have been promoted and had been paid more that year.

A group of students were asked “What do you think about the student finance you get? Would you say it’s enough to live off of?” 

Arwel Rees-Kay, 18, Kings College London, “my student loan isn’t enough, I get the maximum. I get a bursary from my uni which helps.”

Jessica Sellers, 19, Southampton University, “I think its fine the amount I get. I can live off it, but I know others struggle.”

Amy Jennings, 18, Reading University, “no. I get £4000 and my accommodation costs £7500 and as I went through clearing, I had no choice for cheaper unless I went private. The system relies on the fact that my parents are willing to help me out. Luckily they are. To make up for it I have two jobs”

Two out of the three of the students have shown dissatisfaction in their maintenance loan, even the student who got the full amount, as they had to also apply for a bursary to cover the cost of living. Posing the question, is the maintenance loan enough?