The survey, funded by HSBC, found 46 per cent of students who work during term time are forced to do so because their basic living costs exceed their loans.
The survey also found 45 per cent of working students admit that this work is having a negative impact on their studies. A third of them are working more than 17 hours a week during term time and 3 per cent work more than 33 hours.
Inadequate support
NUS Vice President for Higher Education, Aaron Porter, said: “It is clear from this report that financial support is inadequate for many students. With a recession looming and basic living costs set to rise, this situation is going to get even worse.
“Only a few months ago, the first Student Price Index found that inflation is effectively 50 per cent higher for students than for the rest of society – many of them will have to work longer and longer hours just to get by.
“It is particularly worrying that nearly half of those students who work during term time admit that their studies are being adversely affected. NUS would like universities to recognise that many of their students have to work to top up their income, and to make suitable allowances in order to enable them to manage their workload more effectively.”
Ground-breaking research
The survey is part of a ground-breaking three-year research project, NUS Student Experience Report, into students’ experiences before, during and after their studies. The survey has already received coverage from the Guardian and GMTV.
To read the report in full go to our media centre.