Features / Wellbeing
Bristol students skipping class for cash
Bristol’s students are facing burnout, stress and exhaustion due to working part-time jobs to make ends meet.
“I don’t have a choice. Without working long hours I can’t live here,” said Gabriella Kunac-Tabinor who is in her third-year of study at the University of Bristol.
With rent prices soaring, food costs climbing and the cost of living crisis deepening, many at the University of Bristol are being forced to choose between academic success and survival.
Nationally, data shows the percentage of undergraduates in part-time work has surged from 48 per cent in 2020 to 68 per cent in 2025, according to Advance HE and the Higher Education Policy Institute.
These pressures prompted the University of Bristol’s Student Union to launch its 2025 Student Work-Life Report, surveying 139 working students.
It found that one in three employed students at the Russell Group university work more than 15 hours a week at part-time jobs, sometimes at the expense of academic performance, mental health and overall wellbeing.
While 80 per cent of students believe that they are managing their time effectively, the report also found that 77 per cent of respondents said work negatively impacts their studies, 34 reported a negative impact on their wellbeing and 35 per cent have admitted to skipping class due to work commitments.
A spokesperson for Bristol Uni said they are “acutely aware of the impact of the cost of living on our students” and have specialised financial packages to help.
The South West has seen the highest rise in rental costs across England – photo: Martin Booth
Students speaking to Bristol24/7 explained that working jobs outside of university is not optional or just extra income, but essential to afford living and studying in the city.
The South West has seen the highest increase in rent prices in England, with the region’s rental costs soaring by 35 per cent from 2015 to 2024 – pushing students into unsustainable financial positions.
According to the Office for National Statistics, the average rent in the city now stands at £1,791 per month, far above the UK average of £1,354.
Bristol’s undergraduates receive the standard maintenance loan, while students who study in London are eligible for a package, leaving many struggling to bridge the gap.
Students like Gabriella Kunac-Tabinor are having to work longer hours in part-time jobs to absorb rising costs – photo: Amelia Shaw
Gabriella is a student studying geography. She said: “I couldn’t afford to pay rent or utility bills, food bills, let alone anything extra, without having the supplemented income.”
The 24-year-old works upwards of 20 hours a week at an opticians. She admits to picking up overtime at the cost of missing lectures.
She explained: “It’s making the choice between £100 pound shift or a lecture and I know that that money is worth more than a lecture I can catch up on…
“If they want us to prioritise our degree then there should be more financial support so we can afford to live life as a student and not just focus on having to survive.”
Students outside London are feeling the pinch as maintenance loans fail to match rising rent, says Christian O’Connor – photo: Amelia Shaw
Christian O’Connor, 20, is a third year theoretical physics student working five hours a week as a tutor.
He said: “I think it’s just a complete oversight by the government to give everyone outside of London the same maintenance loan when house prices can change so much between cities.
“It would be so easy to just change the loan, to reflect the average prices of rent for a student in a city and the government’s just too lazy to do it.”
Christian explained he works by choice, rather than necessity, finding it both enjoyable and beneficial to his studies.
He acknowledged: “I can completely see how I am in a very privileged situation to not have to work much alongside my degree to make ends meet.”
Bristol University’s Students’ Union thinks there should be support to help students balance work and study without compromising either – photo: Amelia Shaw
Mia Stevens, the undergraduate officer at Bristol SU, explained that lots of students are faced with the same dilemma.
She said: “Years ago, most students were able to focus full time on their studies, whereas students now are needing to prioritise earning money in order to sustain living.”
The SU has called out for a cultural shift across the university, where student employment is recognised as the new norm.
Bristol’s students are balancing books with bar shifts and skipping seminars to shelf-stack – photo: Amelia Shaw
Universities recommend students limit part-time work to 15 hours per week for undergraduates and 20 hours for postgraduate students.
In response, a University of Bristol spokesperson has shared they are working with union sabbatical officers to work out how best to support students.
They said: “We’re acutely aware of the impact of the cost of living on our students and over the last few years have introduced a number of financial support packages.
“We have specialist teams available who can offer help and advice to anyone who is struggling financially.”
Main photo: Amelia Shaw
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