Graduate students in the UK are warning that they are being pushed into poverty by increasing living costs and calling for more government stipends and university support.
The cost of living crisis has been exacerbated by a lack of affordable housing, rising rents and utility bills, and the increased cost of food and other essentials. This has meant that many graduate students struggle to make ends meet, with some forced to take second jobs in bars and supermarkets to survive.
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), the UK’s largest single funder, which supports about 105,000 postgraduate research students, has committed to a 2.9% increase in student stipends for the next academic year. But students say this could push them into poverty and call for more support to meet the rising cost of living.
Universities UK, the body representing universities in the UK, has said it is “fully committed” to supporting postgraduate students and is working with the government to address the issue. But graduate students say more needs to be done to help them and prevent them from being pushed into poverty.
The universities exploit the fact that they pay us insufficient stipends by encouraging us to sign up for everyday work, without proper employment rights,” he said. “This has taken its toll on my free time, energy, productivity, and mental health. If I become ill, such as when I caught Covid-19 earlier this year, I do not receive any sick pay.”
Rebecca Matthews, a PhD in developmental psychology at the University of Reading who is on maternity leave, is unsure if she can afford to return to her research in October.
“Nursery fees for three days are almost equal to the amount I receive for a full-time research post,” she said. “It doesn’t make financial sense for me to return to my studies when my daughter is so young. I’m also worried about the impact on my mental health of returning to a job that is so demanding and does not pay enough to live on.”
The cost of living crisis has been exacerbated by a lack of affordable housing, rising rents and utility bills, and the increased cost of food and other essentials. This has meant that many graduate students struggle to make ends meet, with some forced to take second jobs in bars and supermarkets to survive.
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), the UK’s largest single funder, which supports about 105,000 postgraduate research students, has committed to a 2.9% increase in student stipends for the next academic year. But students say this could push them into poverty and call for more support to meet the rising cost of living.
The body of universities in the UK has said that it is “fully committed” to supporting postgraduate students and is working with the government to address the issue. But graduate students say more needs to be done to help them and prevent them from being pushed into poverty.
This article discusses the issue of rising costs of living for graduate students in the UK and the impact this is having on their lives. It also looks at the response of the UK government and universities to this issue and what more needs to be done to support graduate students, if you have any thoughts, suggestions, or if you’re waiting for any more updates, please follow us on IPGCE or send us a message on WeChat.
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