Inflation has fallen but only by a tad. Overall prices are rising by more than 10% year-on-year and food inflation is increasing by a massive 17%. According to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, around 7m families are going without the basics.
Beyond the school gate and the university campus
When it comes to education, much airtime and many column inches are taken up by the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on families with school children.
They have been added too by the plight of full-time higher education students – the majority of whom are aged 18 to 21 – who have found out that their maintenance loan will increase by only 2.8%.
It seems Westminster, Whitehall and the press view the cost-of-living crisis in education as starting at the school gate and ending at the university campus.
The fact of the matter is that it doesn’t.
The cost-of-living crisis is affecting parents supporting 16-19 year-olds in full time further education at college and school, and students themselves.
And it is the poorest parents and 16-19 year-olds in full-time education living in the poorest communities who are most affected.
A Real Life Example
Take Josh - not his real name - who lives with his mother and two younger school-age siblings.
At the start of the academic year, Josh’s mother had two part-time jobs to help ends meet but as they attracted a low income, she was eligible for Universal Credit and the Child allowance for her three children.
The combined income of the two jobs and welfare support meant that she could help support Josh through his studies and this, along with bursary support from the College, helped Josh flourish as a bricklaying student.
She lost one job as the firm struggled with rising costs and reduced customer demand, and this affected the household income.
The loss of one of Josh’s mother’s jobs led to a request from the College for more support and resulted in Josh getting a part-time zero hours and cash-in-hand job.
At first Josh enjoyed the job, the income was much needed and he was learning some valuable work-related skills. However, his employer placed more and more demands on him in terms of the hours he was expected to work; and threats soon came that if he didn’t work the stated hours, he would lose his job.
Over time, Josh’s attendance started to wane and when he was in college, he was more tired and he struggled to focus.
Josh, a talented bricklaying student, eventually dropped out of his course.
Drop-Out Danger
Sadly, colleges up and down the country deal with these types of situations daily.
The pressure on valuable college bursary funds grows and colleges are taking tough decisions over what to fund.
The priority goes on ensuring students can get to and from college, they are fed and have suitable clothing including industry standard workwear needed for their course.
Sadly, funds for valuable visits to firms, university visits and curriculum related trips are being closely scrutinised and, in many cases, cut.
In addition, the costs related to providing high quality technical education have soared in recent months and over a decade of austerity, covid and now rapid inflation has witnessed a rise in students presenting with mental health issues as well as safeguarding and Prevent concerns.
These are all extra demands on already stretched college resources.
Child Benefit and Universal Credit
Westminster and Whitehall often forget that parents of 16-19 year-olds in full-time further education and are? entitled to means-tested child benefit and child allowances within Universal Credit (for the first two children).
Both Universal Credit and Child Benefit rates rise by just over 10% from April 2023, but parents with 16-19 year-olds in full-time further education are suffering from the cost-of-living crisis now, especially with food inflation running at 17%.
Clearly, the rise will be too late for Josh – a talented bricklayer who had big dreams of eventually having his own building firm.
Josh is clearly making an economic contribution, but the current circumstances have deprived the economy of a someone who had the opportunity to make a greater impact snatched away.
Out of Sight, Out of Mind
The plight of poor parents supporting 16-19 year-olds in full-time further education at college and school is out of sight and out of mind.
This must end to avoid a potential rise in the numbers of 16-19 year-olds dropping out from full further education.
Much more specific and detailed evidence is needed on the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on parents of 16-19 year olds currently in full-time further education and 16-19 year-olds.
Indeed, there is a case for a bespoke survey of parents of 16-19 year-olds in full-time further education along the lines of the ONS survey on the impact of the cost of living crisis on students in higher education which is often referenced.
And the Chancellor could help in the Spring Budget by setting out the full level of financial support to parents of 16-19 year-olds in full-time further education.
This includes eligibility and cost of means-tested Child Benefit and child allowances within Universal Credit, as well as the 16-19 Bursary Grant funded by DfE which replaced Education Maintenance Allowances.
Darren Hankey is Principal of Hartlepool FE College