Thousands of UK students face financial hardship as costs rise

Black, working-class and mature students most at risk of being forced out of higher education by financial pressures

The cost of living crisis is placing nearly 300,000 UK students in financial peril, with a disproportionate number of older, working-class or Black students likely to drop out, according to analysis by a university group.

The MillionPlus group - an association of modern universities in England and Scotland educating more than a million students - said national governments and regulators including the Office for Students (OfS) and the Scottish Funding Council should take immediate action to alleviate the severe financial pressures facing students.