By Lucy Downer, Former Deputy News Editor
The data also shows that Bristol students recieve more from their parents than the national average
New figures obtained by Epigram, have revealed that 66 per cent of Bristol students rely on their parents to help fund them at university.
This statistic is much higher than the national average, with Bristol students generally receiving around £74 a week from their parents/guardians.
With rising rent prices, and the location of the university in the expensive Clifton area, these new figures suggest that Bristol students are becoming increasingly reliant on family members to meet their living costs, with many relying on alternative means of funding.
All these complaints about student housing are just jokes compared to trying to find somewhere liveable in Bristol for under £500 per month as if that's unreasonable
— Jay 🌻 (@jayshrly) 14 January 2019
Save the Student reported that 33 per cent of students use their overdraft while 50 per cent of students in Bristol said they were struggling to match rent payments. The later figure being the average accross the country.
Currently, there is no additional funding available to students at Bristol university for their higher than average rent prices – as is available to students studying in and around London.
Students who do not qualify for larger maintenance loans are have also complained about the pressure this is putting on them and their families to fund university.
The average rent in Bristol in 2018 was £131pw, rising to £132pw this year. While the average deposit cost was around £357 and agency fees typically cost £136.
Working than I will studying for my degree and will therefore likely not achieve as highly as I could had I been able to, at 22 years old, choose the amount of money I wished to borrow from the government (2/2)
— Els (@LowerThanEls) 7 September 2018
Many students at Bristol whose parents either can’t help to fund them during their studies take on part-time work, creating concerns over the impact this might have on student’s mental health and their studies.
In regards to mental health, 68 per cent of Bristol students said that accommodation costs affected their mental health, with 12 per cent saying it was having a big effect.
With rising concerns over both the affordability of student housing in student areas in Bristol, and over the quality of housing available, this problem remains one of the major issues facing Bristol students today.
Featured image: Epigram / Tom Taylor
Have financial problems had an impact on your wellbeing? Let us know!
