The number of working-class students attending the University of York has been increasing year on year.
Two Freedom of Information requests submitted by York Vision have revealed the percentage of students in receipt of the York Bursary has increased. In 2013/14, 9% of York students received the bursary, which rose to 15.7% in 2014/15, and 22% in 2015/16.
The York Bursary is offered to UK and EU students with household incomes between £0 and £35,000. Those in receipt of the bursary are given between £1,000 and £2,400 towards their accommodation fees in first year, and cash payments in subsequent years.
POLAR3 data reveals that the percentage of students from low participation areas across the country has also been increasing: in 2013/14 just 6.7% were from quintile 1, but this increased in 2014/15 to 8.2%, and this figure increased again in 2015/16 to 9%.
POLAR3 (Participation of Local Areas) data examines the participation rates of people aged 18 between 2005 and 2009, by looking at how many of these people decided to attend university between the academic years 2005/06 and 2010/11.
This data is used to organize local areas into quintiles, with quintile 1 being areas with the lowest participation rate, and quintile 5 represents areas with the highest rate (see map and table).
Two students, who wish to remain anonymous, have spoken out to York Vision about their experiences.
They slammed the level of support the university provides for students from low-income families, as “there isn’t much done to highlight any services that might be out there to help working-class people adjust.”
Both students have had to take on part-time jobs alongside their studies to support themselves during the academic year.
The University recommends that students have no more than 20 hours of paid work a week, as working more than could have a detrimental effect upon academic performance.
One student confessed that at one point they were working nearly 40 hours a week at 2 part-time jobs.
David Duncan, University Secretary and Registrary, said: “We work hard to try to keep the additional costs faced by students as low as possible.
"For example, the lowest monthly membership charge for access to York Sport Centre is only £23 a month, while the student saver membership at York Sport Village is £30.
“We provide advice to prospective students on the likely costs they will face at University.”
The university’s mental health report, released at the beginning of May, cited various changes to higher education in the past 10 years as having the potential to adversely affect student’s mental health.
One of the changes cited was the “rapid withdrawal of financial support for home students,” alongside an “increasing reliance on loans” which in turn has led to “an increase in student debt.”
Despite the number of lower income students attending the University of York increasing, those accessing the hardship funds has decreased from 1.4% in 2013/14, to 1.2% in 2014/15.
In the current academic year, only 0.8% of students have accessed the hardship fund.
The hardship fund is available to students who fill out a 6 page form detailing the various forms of income they are in receipt of, their expenditure, as well as a supporting statement detailing “why you are in financial difficulty, and why you believe your situation to be exceptional and to merit additional support.”
Alongside this form documents must be provided as evidence of funding and bills.
The university website states that the hardship fund is available because “[the University] don’t want money problems to stop you successfully completing your studies.”
Sports club memberships vary from sport to sport: to join a sport like Darts, it costs a measly £5 (with a £10 AU fee), whereas a mid-range sport such as Fencing would set you back £40 (alongisde a £20 AU fee), but to compete in a cheerleading competitive squad it costs a whopping £115 (plus a £20 AU fee).
Grace Clark, York Sport President, “We are looking to investigate the wider issue of more expensive sports and how to better support these students looking to engage in these activities.
"We also offer clubs the chance to apply for Contingency Grants throughout the year to subsidize activities, events and tournaments for their students.”
Somehow, I don’t expect gym membership to be high on the list of priorities for students who feel forced to work two jobs. Kind of like when newspapers of lifestyle blogs suggest that workers don’t buy takeaway coffee or only sit in standard class on a train- if you think that we can afford these luxuries to begin with, then you underestimate the potential levels of poverty in this country.