Students work Part-time to fund University

Shocking statistics from Natwest Bank have shown that almost half the undergraduate population have part-time jobs during term-time.

Four in ten students will have to work part-time in order to support their university studies says new research by NatWest bank. In their fifth survey, ostentatiously named the Student Living Index, NatWest questioned 2,600 undergraduate students from across the UK coming up with great stating-the-obvious data.

Perhaps the biggest surprise is the revelation that six in ten students can afford university without taking on part-time work. With the cost of student living rising to £10.8bn in 2008 students will only earn £2bn this year through part-time work leaving the vast majority to be funded through the student loans company.

At the Union Bar in Beit Quad fears of mounting student debt have forced some students to take only the bare minimum as a student loan, preferring to work the maximum number of hours possible and often juggling multiple part-time jobs due to restricted hours. Undergraduate students on bursary or scholarships are in an even worse position with Imperial restricting the number of hours part-time work a week to only six. This is in line with recommendations from the Research Councils for PhD Students but is applied across the whole student population. With some bursaries for middle income families being as low as £50 per annum many students are declining these financial incentives, which are aimed at widening participation and attracting students from more diverse backgrounds, in favour of earning around £100 a week more outside the scheme.

If you are looking for higher paid jobs next term NatWest suggests you try Brighton where the average student earns £120 a week. Avoid Swansea however where students can expect to take home little more than £63 a week to fund extravagancies such as baked beans, corn flakes and central heating.