Working to stay afloat: Leo's story

For many students, the biggest challenge at university isn’t keeping up with lectures. It’s keeping up with life.

Our latest student affordability research shows a growing divide in how students experience university. With rising costs and limited support, the reality for many is increasingly shaped by what they can afford.

For Leo, a 21 year old Psychology student, that pressure is constant, balancing full-time study with long working hours just to cover the basics.

Jump to: 

• Working to get by

• The impact of exhaustion

• Falling behind

• A different university experience

Working to get by

For Leo, work isn’t optional - it’s essential.

“I’m working 34 hours a week alongside studying and that’s just to survive.”

Across the UK, 43% of students now rely on part-time work to support themselves, with many taking on significant hours alongside their studies.

Leo’s experience reflects that reality. Between weekday shifts and weekend work, his schedule leaves little room for anything else.

The impact of exhaustion

Balancing work and study starts to take its toll.

“I don’t get enough sleep, sometimes three hours a night, which makes studying much harder.”

When time is stretched this far, the impact goes beyond tiredness.

“When I do sit down and focus… my brain just feels like it can’t do it.”

For students without financial support, maintaining this balance can quickly become unsustainable.

Falling behind

Despite receiving the maximum maintenance loan, covering essential costs is still a challenge.

Across our research, in over half of cases, average maintenance loans don’t even cover accommodation costs, leaving students to make up the difference elsewhere.

“I’ve lost weight because I’ve missed meals trying to balance work and study.”

For Leo, keeping up isn’t just about managing time. It’s about managing trade-offs between health, study and finances.

A different university experience

For many students, university is expected to be a time to learn, grow and connect.

For Leo, the experience looks very different.

“My friends get to live a much more relaxed lifestyle, while others like me are working long hours just to get by.”

While 47% of students rely on family support to help cover costs, those without that safety net face a very different reality.

“It creates completely different university experiences… it can feel really isolating when you’re missing out socially too.”

What should be a shared experience becomes shaped by circumstance.