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The Independent
2 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
More than two in three university students in paid jobs while studying
More than two in three full-time university students are now undertaking paid work during term time, a survey suggests. University undergraduates are spending less time on independent study as more take on jobs, according to the Higher Education Policy Institute (Hepi) think tank and Advance HE report. A survey of 10,232 full-time undergraduates in the UK found that 68% had paid work while they were studying, up from 56% in 2024. The number of students working in term time has nearly doubled in a decade, with only 35% in paid employment in term time in 2015. The Student Academic Experience Survey 2025, carried out between January and March, suggests time spent on independent study has fallen significantly, from 13.6 hours per week in 2024 to 11.6 hours this year. Experts have suggested that cost-of-living pressures are affecting the student experience, and they say universities should consider how they can support students who are balancing multiple commitments. Students now spend an average of 39.8 hours per week in paid work and study, which is a slight fall from 41.7 hours per week in 2024, the survey found. But the report said the figures imply that 'something had to give' and the hours spent in employment have 'partly come at the expense of independent study time' which has declined significantly in the past year. The proportion of undergraduate students reporting that their course is good or very good value for money has dropped from 39% in 2024 to 37% this year. The report said: 'Students have faced some particular and ongoing challenges around the cost of living and needing to work for pay while at university, which has in turn put greater pressure on how the overall experience has been perceived in terms of value.' The findings come as university leaders have been warning of significant financial concerns caused by a drop in the number of international students, as well as frozen tuition fees paid by domestic students. A number of institutions across the UK have announced redundancies and course closures over the past year as a result of growing financial pressures. Nick Hillman, director of Hepi, said: 'Given the severe funding challenges, many students are struggling to pay their bills and institutions are often struggling to provide their students with what they expect, though both students and staff have also displayed considerable resilience in the face of adversity. 'The fact that a large majority of students now undertake paid work during term time, and often at a high number of hours each week, suggests the student experience is completely different to the norm when today's policymakers were in higher education.' More than one in 10 (11%) students said they would not enter higher education if they could decide again, compared with 6% last year. But the survey also found that 26% of students said they felt their experience had exceeded their expectations, which is an increase from 22% in 2024. Alison Johns, chief executive of Advance HE, said: 'While the higher education sector faces significant financial challenges, it's encouraging to see evidence of resilience in the student experience. 'The quality of teaching and assessment feedback remains strong, and more students are having their expectations exceeded than ever before. 'However, the striking increase in students undertaking paid work alongside their studies signals a fundamental shift – and institutions will be thinking carefully about how they accommodate this change. 'We need to consider how teaching, learning and support can evolve to better serve students who are balancing multiple commitments while maintaining academic quality.' The Government announced in November that undergraduate tuition fees in England, which have been frozen at £9,250 since 2017, will rise to £9,535 for the 2025-26 academic year. It also announced that maintenance loans will increase in line with inflation in the 2025-26 academic year to help students with their living costs. A spokesperson for Universities UK (UUK) said: 'These survey results demonstrate that universities continue to deliver high quality teaching, despite immense financial pressures. 'There has been a significant increase in students who feel their experience has exceeded their expectations, and high levels of satisfaction with the quality of teaching and assessment feedback. 'However, the cost-of-living crisis is hitting students hard, with increasing numbers taking up part-time work alongside study, creating less opportunity to engage with the wider student experience. 'Universities have stepped up their support by providing additional targeted hardship funding, digital technology so they can continue to learn flexibly, increased wellbeing and mental health support, access to discounted meals and other helpful initiatives. 'But to ensure that all students who want to are able to access and make the most of their time at university, we need the Government to do its bit to protect the student experience by urgently addressing the insufficient maintenance package.'
Entrepreneur
06-06-2025
- Business
- Entrepreneur
The Student Entrepreneurs
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. You're reading Entrepreneur United Kingdom, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. In a glass-walled office just off London's tech corridor, two entrepreneurs sit with the calm intensity of people used to making things happen. Joseph Black and Oliver Jacobs, co-founders of SHOUT, an influencer marketing agency, aren't typical agency founders. Their work doesn't revolve around polished pitches or influencer stunts. Instead, their success lies in something simpler - giving young people meaningful access to work, opportunity, and scale. From dorm rooms to digital domination SHOUT want their first rodeo. First off, the idea for UniTaskr, the student work app they co-founded in 2016, resulted in a multimillion-pound platform that enables students to monetise their skills through flexible freelance work. It was born from a very real tension observed during their university years. "Students struggling to support themselves financially, and in some cases even having to drop out of university," Black says. "We wanted to build something that could act as a bridge between education and employment, giving students real, flexible opportunities to earn and gain experience while they studied." What began as a gig economy platform soon uncovered something else - the quiet power of the student voice online. That realisation gave rise to SHOUT, a marketing engine fuelled not by celebrity endorsements but by the authenticity of nano and micro creators. "On the surface, the two companies might seem quite different," Black continues. "One's a freelancer platform, the other an influencer engine, but at their core, they're deeply aligned. Both champion the underdog - whether it's a student breaking into the working world or a small creator making a big impact for a global brand." The Gen Z disconnect If there's one demographic Joseph and Jacobs understand better than most, it's Gen Z. But for many brands, says Oliver, the reality of engaging this generation is still misunderstood. "Honestly, not yet, at least not at scale," he admits. "There's still a disconnect between how Gen Z actually interacts with brands and how companies think they do." He outlines a new model of engagement - one rooted in authenticity, not advertising polish. "This generation grew up with the ability to skip, block, or scroll past anything that doesn't speak to them directly. They value authenticity, creativity, and community. The brands that are winning with Gen Z are the ones that listen, co-create, and let go of control a little." Going Stateside SHOUT's recent expansion to the United States marks a pivotal moment in the company's growth. For Black, it was always inevitable. "The US has always acted as a leader in the creator economy, so for us, it was less a question of if and more when," he says. "We came in with a clear point of difference, our ability to activate thousands of nano and micro creators quickly, and actually tie that activity back to business results." That difference has already yielded results. Among the new clients signed is Inspire Brands - the parent company of Buffalo Wild Wings, Dunkin' Donuts, and Baskin Robbins. But the expansion wasn't without its adjustments. "Being physically present has helped massively," Black reflects. "In the UK, you can often build remotely, but in the US, relationships move things forward. Face-to-face matters." Oliver adds that the shift has also catalysed operational transformation. "We've had to mature fast," he says. "Scaling delivery, refining internal systems, and ensuring every touchpoint - from contracting to creator comms - fits U.S. expectations." From platform tweaks to campaign segmentation, the move has sharpened SHOUT's global execution. Landing giants Their client list is formidable - Amazon, Red Bull, Adobe, TikTok. But for Black, the road to big names wasn't paved with flashy campaigns, but quiet consistency. "It's all about relationships and results," he says. "We pitched like we belonged in the room, even when we were the smallest agency at the table." Their TikTok win stands out as a symbolic milestone. "We started as a TikTok-first agency... so to later be asked to support their own campaigns on TikTok felt like a full-circle moment. It validated the years we'd spent understanding the space inside-out." What comes next? Both founders speak about growth with a measured optimism. UniTaskr, Black notes, remains focused on impact. "We've just brought on a new Head of Growth and Strategy - Jenny Welsh - who's already bringing fresh energy to the business," Oliver adds. For SHOUT, KPIs are centered on scaling verified creators, refining ROI tracking, and linking influencer content to commercial results more tightly than ever before. "Ultimately, we want both businesses to not just grow, but grow intelligently and sustainably," Jacobs explains. Despite their rapid rise, Black and Jacobs remain grounded in the mission that sparked it all. "We genuinely believe the creator economy is still in its infancy," Blacksays. "The way brands connect with audiences is evolving fast and Gen Z is leading that shift." "At the core of it all," Jacobs adds, "we're still driven by the same mission we started with. Giving young people access, opportunity, and a platform to build from." And in a world that often moves at the speed of a scroll, it's that steady, student-first ethos that might just be the reason they've cut through.
