by Fabio R Aricò, Laura Harvey and Ritchie Woodard

The pattern is familiar across many universities: more and more students are asking to be excused from attending classes, submitting coursework, and even sitting examinations, because of work commitments. Not long ago, these requests would have been dismissed as feeble justifications and lack of planning but, in the face of the cost-of-living crisis, this rising phenomenon is a signal that students are struggling to make ends meet and that ad-hoc institutional responses have not yet addressed this challenge (Jones (2022), OfS (2023)).

During this period of high inflation, characterised by rampant housing costs and food prices, student finances are increasingly under pressure (Dickinson, 2023; Peachey, 2023). A larger number of students from different backgrounds are now seeking employment whilst studying for their degree. Universities and institutions have responded with a range of emergency measures, including financial support, housing aid, and foodbanks. Yet, there has been minimal adjustment in the way courses are taught or structured to accommodate part-time work, which has become a new normal for many learners (Blake, 2023).

Students undertaking part-time employment, during term or during vacation periods, is not new; in fact, it has long been encouraged by careers teams to facilitate the formation of soft-skills, broaden CVs, and boost chances for graduate success in the job market. Moreover, meaningful work experience or employment can be seen as critical for a number of professions – a mechanism to distinguish between graduates with the same 2:1 degree but with differing employability capital.

To what extent is student employment detrimental? The potential for harmful consequences of working whilst studying are clear – missing teaching sessions, not allocating enough time to independent learning, and increased stress levels, all have detrimental impacts on degree outcomes. However, there are also positive returns to student part-time work: developing key skills which are valuable for learning, as well as in the graduate labour market, such as problem solving, teamwork, communicating with customers and managing different priorities. The complex nature of this question is a key motivator for our ongoing research.

We conducted a small pilot survey at a mid-sized, mid-tier institution with the aim of gaining further understanding of the work-study trade-off faced by students. We hypothesised three main drivers for the decision to work whilst studying: (1) need to work, to have enough money to cover basics such as housing and food, (2) want to work, to pay for additional items such as holidays, and (3) invest into work, intended as seeking employment with the proactive aim to enhance employability skills. These complementary drivers are reflected in the range of jobs students reported having, including working for the university, retail, and hospitality.

Our pilot validated the presence of all these drivers in the sample we collected, as well as uncovering much more.

First of all, we observed that a non-negligible share of respondents reported working in offices, offering personal tutoring, and providing services as cleaners or in healthcare – roles not typically associated with student work in the past.

One of our findings sheds light on a socio-economic driver for employment. A significant number of questionnaire respondents claim that their student loan does not cover their essential expenses, or that their family network is not able to provide additional financial support at this time, evidencing a correlation between family financial background and the need for employment.

More interestingly, another finding reveals the presence of positive personal and social dimensions of student work. In fact, despite mentioning financial hardship, many students share positive feelings associated with the enjoyment of their part-time work as an ‘escape’ from studying, a means to fulfil their aspirations to rely less on family financial support, as well as an opportunity to socialise outside the academic environment. Although very preliminary, this result could highlight a shifting trend of no longer spending money on social activities, but rather earning money which comes with social interaction and, at a particular level, positive impact on mental health.

Whilst the phenomenon of working whilst studying has characterised the experience of generations of students, this practice has become much more common and widespread nowadays. Young people are increasingly prioritising earning versus studying in the face of financial hardship. In the absence of substantial policy reforms to student finance, this issue will remain present in the sector long after the cost-of-living crisis is resolved. In the face of these constraints, we suggest there is an opportunity for institutions to embed inclusivity and flexibility into their learning and teaching offer to minimise hardship for students, rather than opting for remedial support in the form of bursaries or food banks. In the long run, an evidence-informed flexible curriculum approach, which capitalises on the employability and social capital built through part-time work, could prove to be an effective approach in responding to economic and political instability, with a direct impact on the current and the future student experience.

The research is currently still underway and we are keen to connect with other researchers to expand the reach of this study. To find out more please contact the research team at cherpps@uea.ac.uk.

Prof Fabio R. Aricò is a Professor of Higher Education and Economics and the Director of the Centre for Higher Education Research Practice Policy and Scholarship at the University of East Anglia. You can find out more here and connect on twitter.

Dr Laura A. Harvey is a lecturer in Economics at Loughborough University. Her research is in the area of inequality and education. You can find out more here and connect on twitter.

Dr Ritchie Woodard is a lecturer in Economics at the University of East Anglia, with research interests in pedagogy, workplace wellbeing, automation & job satisfaction, and sports economics. You can find out more here and connect on twitter.