More than 2.53 million students were estimated to be enrolled in higher education in the UK during the 2019/20 year.
But despite its benefits in preparing people for the future, being a student often brings with it some heavy financial commitments.
As well as the often crippling loans which can leave people thousands of pounds in debt long after they've finished their studies, rising living costs, food and rent can also make it difficult - and in certain cases impossible - for some to stay in education.
For others, the pandemic has also led to inflated costs while university services have also been reduced or unavailable.
Read more: University should have been the time of our life but we've spent thousands on lockdown
Most full-time students can't claim income-related benefits but you may be able to make a claim in certain circumstances, and there are a number of supports available.
Here's a list of the benefits you could get if you're a student in the UK.
Universal credit
You cannot usually get universal credit if you’re studying full-time, but there are some exceptions. If you are in full-time training or are a full-time student, you can get universal credit if any of the following apply:
- you are part of a couple and your partner is eligible for universal credit
- you are part of a couple who is responsible for at least one child, and one (or both) of you is a student
- you are single and are responsible for a child
- you are over the qualifying age for pension credit (which is increasing in line with the increasing state pension age) or, in joint claims where your partner is under that age
- you are 21 or under, in full-time ‘non-advanced education’ (for example, studying for A-Levels or a BTEC National Diploma) and you don’t have parental support (for example, you don’t have parents and you’re not under local-authority care)
- you are disabled, have been assessed as having limited capability for work (LCW) or limited capability for work and work-related activity (LWRA) and receive:
- Disability living allowance or personal independence payment (PIP)
- Attendance allowance
- Armed Forces independence payment
If you're studying part-time, you may be able to get universal credit as long as you can meet the work-related requirements that apply to you.
For example, you may be able to claim it if you're on a low income and meet the conditions. Universal credit is means-tested, and you can find out more about whether you're eligible here.
Child benefit
If you are responsible for a child as a full-time student you can still claim child benefit.
Disability benefits
You can get personal independence payment (PIP) or attendance allowance even if you're a full-time student.
These payments are not means-tested. This means any income, including student grants or loans, or savings you have, are ignored.
However, you may lose these payments or have them reviewed if activities you do as part of your course show your health has improved. This could happen, for example, if you are getting PIP because you said you have problems with walking and your course involves a lot of physical activity.
Older benefits
In most cases, including if you're studying, it is no longer possible to make new claims for older legacy benefits such as income support and housing benefit. These have been replaced for the most part by universal credit.
If you are on these already, however, you might be able to continue claiming them.
Even if you are unemployed and looking for work, you will not be entitled to Jobseeker's allowance (JSA) (income-related or contributory) if you are a full-time student.
The exception to this is if you are a lone parent or if you are attending a Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) related course or scheme for a limited period.
Most full-time students are not entitled to income support. However, you may be entitled to this benefit as a full-time student if you are:
- A lone parent with a child under five
- A lone foster parent of a child under 16
- Receiving long-term incapacity benefit
- A refugee who is learning English to obtain employment
- Under 21 or reached 21 whilst enrolled on or accepted on a full-time non-advanced course and you are without parental support.
If you receive student support in the form of a grant or loan, this will probably reduce the amount of income support you can get.
Help with council tax
Most full time students do not have to pay council tax if everyone in the property is a full-time student.
If you live with one other person who is not a student, they might be able to get a discount on their council tax.
If I am eligible, will supports I already get be counted as income?
If you are eligible for universal credit or other income-based benefits, it's worth noting that certain support you're already getting might be counted as income when assessing your application.
Types of student support counted as income are:
- the majority of any student loan for maintenance loan you are entitled to, even if you choose not to take it out
- Adult dependants' grant
- Access to learning fund payments meant to help with general living costs (though in some circumstances, all or part of the payment may be disregarded)
- Maintenance grant (available to full-time students who started their course in September 2006 or later)
- Bursaries (available to full-time students who started their course in September 2006 or later) that are not for course-related costs or childcare
- Higher education bursary
