Juggling Degrees and Day Jobs: The New Normal for UK Students

The world of higher education in the UK is having a seismic shift, with more students than ever forced to balance their studies with part-time student jobs. 

Driven by the cost-of-living crisis, this trend is changing the traditional university experience for students and creating even bigger gaps between students from different economic backgrounds.

The Rise of Working Students

A recent survey by the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) revealed that 56% of full-time UK undergraduates now work during term time, working an average of 14.5 hours per week. 

Pre-2021 was a different story, as figures showed that two-thirds of students were not engaged in paid work. The shift reflects a growing financial strain on students, with many reporting that employment is a necessity rather than a choice.

For some students, particularly those in intensive courses like veterinary science or dentistry, the weekly workload can be more than 56 hours when combining paid work and study. This is far higher than the average 36.6-hour working week of full-time UK employees, according to the Office for National Statistics.

A Two-Tier Education System

Experts warn that the increasing reliance on part-time jobs is creating a two-tier higher education system. 

Students from wealthier backgrounds, who can afford to focus solely on their studies, enjoy higher grades and greater access to extracurricular activities. 

Meanwhile, their peers who need to work long hours to make money and themselves face higher dropout rates and diminished academic performance. (HEPI)

The Hidden Costs of Student Life

Student life and living expenses have not only become more expensive – but fees have increased too.

Tuition fees in England will rise in autumn 2025 by £285 to £9,535 a year for those on full-time degrees.

This increased reliance on student loans, coupled with a high cost of living, means many students spend years paying off their time at university. Some even take out quick loans to help them pay off the cost of living, having to battle with rent and high food costs without the time to go into full-time employment.

Some argue that this will cause higher education to be a privilege only for the wealthy in society, creating even wider societal gaps.

The Student Job Landscape Is Changing

For those that do need to find student jobs to help with the cost of university, the places that they are looking for them are changing.

Whilst students have historically opted for jobs in coffee shops, pubs and retail shops, there is a real rise in students in the UK looking to make money online.

One startup, Prograd, has helped over 500,000 young people earn a collective £5 million through its online job portal – showing a real demand for remote student work.

The Role of Artificial Intelligence in University Learning

Interestingly, the pressures of combining work and study have led to a rise in the use of artificial intelligence (AI) among students. 

Those with part-time jobs are more likely to rely on AI tools for academic tasks and online learning, as they tend to be more squeezed for time. While AI can provide much-needed support, it also raises questions about the long-term implications for learning. If the cost of university means students are just using AI to learn, then the question remains: what is the point?

Calls for Policy Reform

Students, unions, and education experts are calling for urgent reforms to alleviate these pressures. 

Key recommendations include:

• Reintroducing maintenance grants that reflect the true cost of living.
• Increasing maintenance loans to match inflation.
• Implementing rent controls to ease housing costs.
• Lowering or abolishing tuition fees to make higher education more accessible.
• Putting a cap on the interest charged on student loans.

A Changing University Experience

As the UK’s higher education system changes, the question remains: will policymakers step in to make sure universities stay accessible to all, or will financial barriers continue to widen the gap between students?

One thing is clear—the traditional university experience is quickly becoming a privilege rather than a right.